Aux Air for Quad 7100

[beansuncle]

I am considering hooking up the auxiliary air intake on our Quad 7100. I extended the aux air duct into the crawlspace beneath family room when fp was installed. I would like to extend the aux intake though the crawspace to the other end of the house, approximately a 60' run including bends to miss obstacles. I will be using insulated flex duct from the return grate to be installed at the front of the house to the aux intake on the fp. I am concerned that the cfm of the blower in the fp will be greatly reduced having to overcome the static pressure loss of the return air through the long length of flex. To overcome the loss I am considering installing an inline fan in the 6" flex near the return grate to assist air movement back to the fireplace. I know I have read here somewhere about blowers mounted outside the fp and even outside the building envelope for the movement of the heated air.

The first floor of the house is approx 1100 sq.ft. and has a very open floor plan. The family room where the fp is located is 600 sq.ft with 12' vaulted ceiling. The rest of the first floor (dining room, kitchen and large hall) has 8' ceilings.

I would like to get some input/feedback on this blower plan from the people here who have more experience than me. FP was installed in Sept. 08, and we are still going throught the "newbe" process.

Any opinions are welcome.

Thanks,
Steve

 

[beansuncle]

CZARCAR,
No. The fp has a combustion air inlet and an auxiliary air inlet. The aux inlet lets you bring convection air into the fireplace from different location to be heated and sent into the room. The location I want to get the auxiliary air from is quite a distance away, and I am trying to figure the best way to get the aux air to the fp.

Thanks

 

[jtp10181]

I think it will reduce the blower speed quite a bit. You could put an in-line booster fan in the crawlspace. They make them for dryer exhaust ducts and should come in 6" also. The good one detect when there is flow through the line and then kick on automatically.

 

[21acrewoods]

beansuncle,

I have a new 7100 also. I hooked one heat zone and ran it about 30' to the back of my house. In the opposite corner of the room where the heat zone is blowing into I plumbed my aux. air also back to the fp. I just used snap lock galv. steel for my ducting. I was having the same concerns as you but we haven't had enough cold weather for me do much experimenting with how the fan systems are going to perform. For like $30 you can buy a cheap booster fan for 6" ducting. I would be interested in any knowledge you have gained in this area.

 

[jtp10181]

beansuncle,

I have a new 7100 also. I hooked one heat zone and ran it about 30' to the back of my house. In the opposite corner of the room where the heat zone is blowing into I plumbed my aux. air also back to the fp. I just used snap lock galv. steel for my ducting. I was having the same concerns as you but we haven't had enough cold weather for me do much experimenting with how the fan systems are going to perform. For like $30 you can buy a cheap booster fan for 6" ducting. I would be interested in any knowledge you have gained in this area.

I hope you only use the snap lock on the AUX air and ot the heat zone?

PLEASE PLEASE tell me how this works when you get a chance to try it. I am drying to know if running the AUX air where the heat zone goes helps the heat zone work better. Normally a 30' heat zone would not put much heat out at all.

 

[21acrewoods]

PLEASE PLEASE tell me how this works when you get a chance to try it. I am drying to know if running the AUX air where the heat zone goes helps the heat zone work better. Normally a 30' heat zone would not put much heat out at all.




I did use B-vent for the heat zone.
I believe from what I can tell the heat zone is going to raise the temp in that end of the house by at least 5 or more degrees. IMO that is working good......for that was the purpose of installing the heat zone......to raise the temp in that end of the house. Although the air coming out of the heat register is only luke warm. I am used to this kind of slow luke warm heat for my forced air system is geo thermal and doesn't really reach high output temps like oil or gas furnaces do.

 

[ernie]

I hooked my aux. air up on my 7100 with 50' plus of pipe split between 2 intakes and it blows fine, no problem plus it works great. The heat zone kit is a so so as far as I am concerned. It piped it to my basement. It works ok but doesnt blow as hot as I thought it might.

Ernie