Class a verses air cooled?

[hwdemers]

I have a customer who asked a question and id like to here your thoughts.

he wants to put in a zero clearance wood fireplace, but dose not like the "condensation" of an air cooled chimney ( most of the models we carry are only approved for use with air cooled)

has anyone ever experience condensation issues with dura-pluss installed according to the specs?
any thoughts on how to eliminate/minimize this?

 

[begreen]

Can't answer that, but am curious about what model ZC this is.

 

[hwdemers]

regency ex90 is the preferred unit in question, but the air cooled thing, has him worried. to be honest i have know idea what he is talking about with condensation, but to be fair I am more into pellet stoves and gas fireplaces,

 

[begreen]

I haven't heard of an issue with condensation due to an air cooled pipe. If it is going to happen due to neutral or negative pressure during the summer, it will happen right down the flue pipe with hot humid outside air condensing on cooler interior metal. In the winter it seems like it would be of greater concern with the outside air supply than the pipe. Regency has provided a combustion air damper for this purpose.

Have you asked what the concern actually is and where he got this question from?

 

[begreen]

This thread may help:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/condensation-between-double-wall-pipe-layers.83079/
and this article may be something the customer read (under Chimney Failure) :
http://www.woodheat.org/qa-chimneys.html

I wonder why the EX90 requires air cooled DuraPlus instead of the better insulated DuraTech chimney?

Another article, this one from ICC Excel:
http://www.icc-rsf.com/en/safety-and-performance

 

[hwdemers]

whats weirder is that its approved as class a in canada

 

[begreen]

Yes, DuraPlus is approved as class A. Did you inform the customer that DuraPlus has an insulation layer as well as the air cooled outer jacket?