Fresh Air Intake Sweating - Insulate it with what?

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picard335

New Member
Hearth Supporter
Dec 16, 2008
3
MO
With temps in the 10's - 20's, my fresh air intake tube is sweating, not dripping yet.

What fireproof material should be used to insulate the fresh air intake (aluminum flex type)?

Thanks
J
 
If it's not dripping (or even if it was) why would you want to insulate it? If you wrap it with something I would think it could create a fire hazard. If it did drip what would it drip on and hurt?
 
I made a hearth pad below it, thats not the issue.

Mainly worried about sheet rock against the wall asorbing the sweat causing mold, and or forming ice.

I'll check Lowes tomorow for something.
 
picard335 said:
With temps in the 10's - 20's, my fresh air intake tube is sweating, not dripping yet.
J

If I were you, I'd be trying to figure out why it's sweating in the first place.

IMO, your house has a very high humidity level. Since I have a pellet stove I have a humidifier for my house, and I know I have it set too high when I see condensation on the glass of the windows and sliding glass doors.

Hope this helps
 
Try telling that to a customer :/

I have a customer who's fresh air intake is sweating and supposedly dripping on the wood floor.
 
jtp10181 said:
Try telling that to a customer :/

I have a customer who's fresh air intake is sweating and supposedly dripping on the wood floor.

As macman said, I'm amazed that the humidity in the house is that high. Heating with wood for 30yrs and now with pellets, it's always been a constant battle to keep ANY level of humidity in the house at a reasonable level. Usually supplement it with a humidifier, and always had a cast iron pot on the stove with water in it.

I'd figure out why it's so humid in there first.

Jim
 
Had a lot of sweating with mine and wrapped it with the foil type self sticking insulation you get on a roll from Lowes. Seemed to stop the problem.
 
Yup, many types of insulation wrap will do th etrick. I used Rubbatex, a black foam tape found in the plumbing section at Lowes. Problem solved.
 
jtp10181 said:
Try telling that to a customer :/

I have a customer who's fresh air intake is sweating and supposedly dripping on the wood floor.



Mine was doing this before I got it insulated...Customer is always right! ;)
 
freebird77 said:
Had a lot of sweating with mine and wrapped it with the foil type self sticking insulation you get on a roll from Lowes. Seemed to stop the problem.

I found that foil self sticky wrap at Lowes, looks like what I need, will try it out tonite, thanks.

ps. our house is newer, so its pretty sealed, our natural gas furnace has a humidifier on it, its set pretty low at 30%,
my temp/humid gauge shows the house at 24-25% humidity.

Right now the outside humidity has been 75-90%+ for the past several days.

btw: My New Englander 1500 sq ft Pellet stove is awesome, no THE BOMB! Got it at Lowes.... first year pelleter, loving every minute of it.
 
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