HARMAN P86 cool air kit

[snodays700]

I have a few questions on using the cold air kit on my Harman p68. First question what advantage would i see by using the cold air kit? The 2nd is, I have my Harman P68 in front of my fireplace with the stove pipe going up the chimney. I dont have any good way to use the cold air kit. I have one idea of how i could use it. I could run it down the bottom of my fireplace into the basement. The basement is always closed off from where the stove is and the basement is cold would it work down there? Is there any limit on how long the cold air line can be??

 

[Xena]

This is from the manual for your stove:
"The maximum length run of this pipe is 15 feet. If a longer run is needed the size must be increased to 3".
Inlet cover, part number 1-10-08542 should be used to keep birds, rodents, etc.out of the pipe".

I had thought about drawing cold air from my basement and consulted
with Mike from ESW and he did not recommend it so I didn't do it.
Instead, I ran my air intake through the ash dump into the basement, then out
the wall to the outside. My run was a little long so I increased the
smaller pipe to 3". I terminated it with a simple 3" dryer vent and just
removed the little flap. It works well.

 

[snodays700]

DO U THINK IT MADE A DIFFERENCE?

 

[maglite67]

you'll gain about 2-6 percent using outside air. Also if you have a really tight house you can create negitive press in the house once you get to a point the stove will quit. if your house is built in the last 10 years i'd install it if over foreget it.

 

[anka]

I would not bother unless it is really convenient. Next time I will skip it! What a headache- KISS!

Anka

 

[anka]

PS, my house is over 200 years old-

 

[poconoman]

It all depends on your house. My installer, who puts in Harmans all the time, concluded that I don't need it because of my high ceilings. Therefore, plenty of air. I crack the window a tiny bit, just to play it safe anyway.

 

[cac4]

Search for threads on "outside air kit" or "oak". Its been discussed to death, and its basically like arguing about religion.

The fire in the stove consumes mass quantities of air, which has to be expelled up the chimney. If that air is coming from inside your house, it has to be replaced with air from outside the house...which is cold. that will produce cold drafts. Plus, the air that the fire is consuming is air that you paid money to heat.

Its not about getting cold air to the stove; its about getting outside air. Sucking air from the basement won't do anything, unless the basement is an open crawlspace, and is therefore, really "outside".

 

[BDPVT]

you'll gain about 2-6 percent using outside air. Also if you have a really tight house you can create negitive press in the house once you get to a point the stove will quit. if your house is built in the last 10 years i'd install it if over foreget it.

There are so many conflicting opinions on the pros and cons of outside air supply, but I have never seen any data supporting an efficiency gain from using outside air vs. inside air. How did you arrive at that 2-6% figure? I agree outside air supply is a necessity in a really airtight house for good reasons.The first thing is to check with your building inspector. Outside combustion air may be a requirement of new woodburning appliances in your area. If installation of this feature is optional, ask yourself these questions. Was your house built during the last 10 years, using modern windows and doors? Does condensation build up inside windows during winter? If yes, then your house is probably tightly sealed, and an outside source of combustion air is a worthwhile option. On the other hand, if your house is dry in the winter (indicating lots of air leaks), then you probably will see no real benefit from OAK in my opinion.