OAK Outside Air Kit Install and location

I would argue that a newly constructed home built very air tight with spray foam, quality building practices, and great windows will benefit from an OAK. There are arguments for proximity air or even just opening a window with I prefer the latter as I love fresh air in the winter. With that being said I have a proximity air in the living room and also will be installing an OAK before this winter. I have heard arguments about wind direction and outside air kits but I really think they are unfounded. Most of the time.

And you are not venting air out of the house with an outside air kit you are sucking it in so I see no problem with having it draw from a porch area even if it's covered as long as it's not enclosed. My uncle is a home inspector and his preference in his own homes is to have a proximity air vent behind or below the stove instead of an outside air kit. For what that's worth.

Oh and please do not move into the house without putting in carbon monoxide detectors in the living area and each bedroom as a minimum and close to carbon monoxide producing appliances. Also don't use the carbon monoxide/fire alarm combined. Use separate ones. Fire alarms go high, carbon monoxide ideally go about 5 feet high but I've found them to work fine at outlet level.

Also propane detectors go low on the wall the lower the better. If you have natural gas then have the electrician put a couple outlets just below the ceiling. Natural gas detectors go high on the wall. Propane is heavier then air and natural gas is lighter then air.

Bmm45bm said:

Thank you for the reply and information Doc. By proximity air, I assume you mean some sort of passive air inlet, correct? I had considered that as an option as well. I forgot to add one pretty significant detail. The back wall as shown in the drawing is actually a large fixed window unit w/ only one operable door. This is another reason for the considering using an OAK as there will be no operable windows in the general area to vent through.
Why do you choose to use both a proximity air inlet and the OAK? Is it bc the current OAK systems do not seal up well enough?

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I use proximity air that only allows air in the house and not out because I have 2 story house that has draws air through the chimney in the summer and get the smell of creosote and I am trying to fix that problem. I have masonry chimney with a wood stove on it.

I think outside air kit will be fine for what you are doing.

Also I have really bad allergies and our house is stuffy since it's so air tight and I like the extra ventilation.

Bmm45bm said:

Thank you for the reply and information Doc. By proximity air, I assume you mean some sort of passive air inlet, correct? I had considered that as an option as well. I forgot to add one pretty significant detail. The back wall as shown in the drawing is actually a large fixed window unit w/ only one operable door. This is another reason for the considering using an OAK as there will be no operable windows in the general area to vent through.
Why do you choose to use both a proximity air inlet and the OAK? Is it bc the current OAK systems do not seal up well enough?

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And yes a passive air inlet that has a dampener on it that senses air pressure and opens when the lower level of the house starts sucking.

Use the shortest path. Go right out onto the lanai with it. Always use an OAK unless there is some really good obstacle blocking it. It doesn't matter how well your home is sealed, burning inside air is wasting your energy.

I think it's silly to build a well insulated and well sealed home and then open a window all winter to supply combustion air to a fuel burning appliance. Actually, I think it's dumb. Any non-direct connected combustion air supply is silly since you are polluting your heated inside air with dirty, dry, cold, outside air.

If you want fresh air then use an HRV. If you need combustion air then direct connect the stove to the outside air supply.

I'm not sure about your Lopi but many stoves have multiple combustion air inlets that are not connected to the official outside air stub. If your stove doesn't get 100% of it's air from the OAK connection then it is a bad design and you may as well not bother with a real outside air supply connection.

Highbeam said:

I'm not sure about your Lopi but many stoves have multiple combustion air inlets that are not connected to the official outside air stub. If your stove doesn't get 100% of it's air from the OAK connection then it is a bad design and you may as well not bother with a real outside air supply connection.

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+2 on that.
Talking based on what i experienced, the cold air infiltration thru the base of those stoves into the house is so much that i really don't see any benefits on an OAK. But I know still recommend it by manufactures for tight houses and mandatory for mobile homes.

I don't think its dumb to allow fresh air into the house anytime especially winter. It gets so stuffy inside a house during the winter sometimes it feels like being in a dry sauna and it's nice to have cool breeze hitting you and some good clean air.

Opening a window us not my first choice of ventilation for a stove however.

My personal preference is proximity air if the stove is oversized and my first choice if the stove is the correct size or small would be an OAK.

And to see an example of a passive vent just Google passive air inlet and look for one that be closed manually or automatic.

But just to be clear I really think in your situation an outside air kit would be my first choice

I will defer pics that you are requesting to other folks as I do not have pics that would add much.

And just to clarify one point. I live in a very remote essentially pollution free area in the middle of the woods.

If I lived in a populated area with the inversion in the winter that forces pollution, smoke, and the like down to the ground I do not think I would be opening windows and my only source of air would be drawn directly into the stove.

i think that if in the future i have to use stoves like those i was using before with multiples combustion air inlets, i will use a passive automated vent as close to the stove as possible. i think it can work better than an OAK 24/7 open bringing cold air into the house all the time. the house used to get real dry and anything i touched give me a big spark out of it. like i was touching a transformer.lol

lsucet said:

i think that if in the future i have to use stoves like those i was using before with multiples combustion air inlets, i will use a passive automated vent as close to the stove as possible. i think it can work better than an OAK 24/7 open bringing cold air into the house all the time. the house used to get real dry and anything i touched give me a big spark out of it. like i was touching a transformer.lol

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I keep a pot of water on the stove. Also we rarely use bath exhaust fans in the winter and my wife cans alot of stuff in the winter so she's constantly boiling water.