Boiler Room Fresh Air Vent

[hobbyheater]

I'm looking for ideas for a fresh air vent into the boiler room. I would like it to be automatic so that it opens when the draft inducer on the boiler comes on and closes when the draft inducer shuts off.

 

[brenndatomu]

Something automatic like electrical/mechanical, or something simpler like a gravity flapper door?

 

[hobbyheater]

Something automatic like electrical/mechanical, or something simpler like a gravity flapper door?

Electric / mechanical .

 

[brenndatomu]

These guys are good...
(broken link removed to https://www.retrozone.com/default.htm)

 

[salecker]

Up here in the cold climate we put a trap in using flexible ducting.
A regular hood on the outside of the building coming through the wall come off of it with flexible ducting loop it down then back up a couple feet.The cold air will settle in the bottom of the loop when there is no draw.When the boiler is consuming air,the draw will pull it through.

 

[brenndatomu]

I tried that...didn't like how cold air still spilled into the basement when the breeze blows a certain way...

 

[Bad LP]

Zoom in on the white vertical PVC pipe. That’s a Honeywell motorized damper. They can be either NC or NO.
When I power the boiler on it opens. I tee’d off the fresh air intake for the System 2000. It dumps at the floor and is supported by a tee at the floor.

 

[hobbyheater]

Thanks @salecker, @brenndatomu and @Bad LP for the ideas. This is what I've come up with. It's on order!

 

[sloeffle]

I would highly recommend having a Belimo replacement motor on hand. The Honeywell OEM zone damper motors are only good for a few years at best. They get very hot when they are closed and burn themselves out. I had one go bad a replaced both of them with Belimo’s.

 

[brenndatomu]

I would highly recommend having a Belimo replacement motor on hand. The Honeywell OEM zone damper motors are only good for a few years at best. They get very hot when they are closed and burn themselves out. I had one go bad a replaced both of them with Belimo’s.

You think that's a Honeywell?

 

[sloeffle]

You think that's a Honeywell?

Good call, I don' think it is. The picture has the brand Escpec on it. I've never heard of them, it is probably some Chinese knock off. The Chinese love selling their wares on Amazon too. Ask me how I know. My guess is, it is built very similar to a Honeywell.

But I do know it doesn't have a Belimo motor, and the current motor will probably burn out within a few years if it setup like the Honeywell zone dampers that I currently have. The motor is essentially sitting there trying to counteract the force of the spring return ( that's why it gets so hot ) and that is why they burn out so fast. IMHO - it is pretty poor design.