Cold air Intake ??

[Dillier23]

Guys, I'm cleaning my older fireplace and have a question about what I suspect is a cold air intake. Have a look at the pictures below:

My question is: Is this in fact a cold air intake for the blowers on the side? If so, it was full of ash and insulation there is no way it could get air through, does this tray need a filter of some sort to prevent ash and hot coals to get under the firebox?

Clearly I'm a newbie to this fireplace scene, any and all advice is welcome.

 

[Jo191145]

Guys, I'm cleaning my older fireplace and have a question about what I suspect is a cold air intake. Have a look at the pictures below:

My question is: Is this in fact a cold air intake for the blowers on the side? If so, it was full of ash and insulation there is no way it could get air through, does this tray need a filter of some sort to prevent ash and hot coals to get under the firebox?

Clearly I'm a newbie to this fireplace scene, any and all advice is welcome.

If anything it's an air intake for the insert otherwise the blowers would suck the fire and smoke out of the fireplace.

I take back my other post. Doesn't look like a heatilator anymore. What's that grill thingamajiggy hanging in the back?

 

[Dillier23]

The grill I assume is a way to increase the surface area for the air to make contact with a warm surface. I taped off the slot and turned the blowers on, punched a small hole in the tape and listened for air being sucked through the hole. It definitely is an air intake, but I believe it's to pull heated air from the firebox, then send it out into the room through the blowers. I think it would be a good idea to put at least a bit of steel wool into the tray to prevent any hot embers being sucked through.

 

[Jo191145]

The grill I assume is a way to increase the surface area for the air to make contact with a warm surface. I taped off the slot and turned the blowers on, punched a small hole in the tape and listened for air being sucked through the hole. It definitely is an air intake, but I believe it's to pull heated air from the firebox, then send it out into the room through the blowers. I think it would be a good idea to put at least a bit of steel wool into the tray to prevent any hot embers being sucked through.

Doesn't make sense to me. That's the coldest part of a firebox where room air is rushing in to feed the fire. What's to stop those fans from sucking air and smoke out of the firebox?

 

[Dillier23]

You are correct, it doesn't make sense. Turns out it is an outside air inlet, there's a vent tube running outside the house to feed it. Mystery solved. Yes, it was supposed to be full of insulation, Majestic produced this feature one year and had too many cold air complaints with this model, retailers were told to block the vent 90%.

 

[Jo191145]

You are correct, it doesn't make sense. Turns out it is an outside air inlet, there's a vent tube running outside the house to feed it. Mystery solved. Yes, it was supposed to be full of insulation, Majestic produced this feature one year and had too many cold air complaints with this model, retailers were told to block the vent 90%.

Good to know you figured out who made that insert. If your exhaust fans are able to pick up that air that's a problem.