Heat Distribution From Pellet Stove via External "Wall"

[drc1912]

Hi All,

First of all I want to say "thank you" to this community for all the help over the years with my pellet stove journey. I really appreciate the helpful, positive nature of these forums and the people in it! We love our pellet stove, but we don't know anyone else in the PNW with one so this forum has been essential!

Years ago we installed a gate around our pellet stove when our first son was born, and we sometimes use it as a "clothesline" to air dry laundry and other items that don't fit into the dryer. Last week we were drying a picnic tablecloth that went around almost the entire gate, and we noticed that with the same pellets, on the same setting, our house was SIGNIFICANTLY warmer. We are trying to figure out if anyone else has any experience "redirecting" the heat output like this and it's impact on house temp. Traditionally, our stove has pushed air directly into a large living room (with less than stellar insulation). Are we imagining this difference? Does anyone else have experience here?


Appreciate all the feedback and help!

Best,
Dan

 

[SidecarFlip]

Got me. heat rises by convection so maybe the linens cause the colder air on the floor to circulate into the heat path of the stove. Did you actually observe a temperature increase an a thermometr or did it 'FEEL' warmer.

If it was a feel warmer it's probably due to the wet linen raising the RH in the room. Higher humidity (RH) lever will cause it to 'feel' warmer with no actual increase in temperature because when it's dry in your home, your body aspirates moisture to compensate for the dry air and that makes you feel colder, whereas a with an elevated RH (above 50%), you body don't aspirate as much moisture so you feel warmer.

Why I run a large capacity evaporative humidifier in the great room near the stove and monitor my RH with a Hygrometer in another room. I keep m y RH between 50 & 55% all the time so even 65 ambient in the house feels toasty, plus you don't dry out like a prune and get stuff upped noses. No static electricity generated either.

We have well water so it's no good for evaporative humidification so buying distilled water is an expense but it's offset by lower fuel usage. I typically consume about 2.5 gallons every 24 hours.

 

[drc1912]

Got me. heat rises by convection so maybe the linens cause the colder air on the floor to circulate into the heat path of the stove. Did you actually observe a temperature increase an a thermometr or did it 'FEEL' warmer.

If it was a feel warmer it's probably due to the wet linen raising the RH in the room. Higher humidity (RH) lever will cause it to 'feel' warmer with no actual increase in temperature because when it's dry in your home, your body aspirates moisture to compensate for the dry air and that makes you feel colder, whereas a with an elevated RH (above 50%), you body don't aspirate as much moisture so you feel warmer.

Why I run a large capacity evaporative humidifier in the great room near the stove and monitor my RH with a Hygrometer in another room. I keep m y RH between 50 & 55% all the time so even 65 ambient in the house feels toasty, plus you don't dry out like a prune and get stuff upped noses. No static electricity generated either.

We have well water so it's no good for evaporative humidification so buying distilled water is an expense but it's offset by lower fuel usage. I typically consume about 2.5 gallons every 24 hours.

Appreciate the response! Unfortunately I haven't measured the _actual_ temperature, it just feels different. I should probably test it out for a few days with and without the barrier. I thought about the humidity aspect as well, but it's been dry for a few days, and is plastic, so it isn't carrying water anymore. I think I am going to try and measure the temp of a few places around the house with it up and down and see if there was a difference. This is one of those times I wish my house was better/more uniformly insulated!

 

[heat seeker]

Do you have an OAK? You may have reduced the draft across the floor with the cloth, resulting in a warmer feeling room.

 

[drc1912]

Do you have an OAK? You may have reduced the draft across the floor with the cloth, resulting in a warmer feeling room.

What is an OAK?

 

[heat seeker]

Outside Air Kit - brings in outside air for the fire, so you don't use warm air from the room for combustion.

 

[drc1912]

Outside Air Kit - brings in outside air for the fire, so you don't use warm air from the room for combustion.

Ah- i should have mentioned this is a pellet stove. Specifically a Harmon p68!

 

[heat seeker]

Pellet stoves can have OAKs - mine does.

For future reference - you may want to put the stove info in your sig.

 

[drc1912]

Pellet stoves can have OAKs - mine does.

For future reference - you may want to put the stove info in your sig.

Excellent point - just added!

Our pellet stove has a pipe straight out the back that I believe is an exhaust pipe, and the intake is just behind the ash bin. Any idea how OAKs work with p68s and if it is of any use in an old, drafty house?

 

[Washed-Up]

If you don’t have an “O.A.K.” you are pulling in air that you already paid to heat, and exhausting that same air...An Outside Air Kit will pull air into your stove for the combustion burn, from outside your home, and exhaust that same air, saving the positive pressure that your house hopefully has. Ive attached a diagram of where your air intake port is, if you want to add an OAK, you’ll need a 2.5-2.75” piping kit to go through the wall or the thimble to pull in outside air. On my stove I used a hole saw and cut a 3” hole next to the exhaust in my wall thimble and attached a 3”pipe to a flex hose to the 2.75 air intake on my stove a P61A the next Harman down from yours.

 

[heat seeker]

Now you've done it! Which is better - Ford or Chevy? There have been numerous (sometimes heated - see what I did there?) discussions on whether and OAK is beneficial or not. I have one, and my stove is on the windward side of the house, and we get a lot of wind up here. The stove is unaffected by the wind, due to the OAK, whereas without it, the wind would surely try to create back pressure in the exhaust. It also helps if the power fails, since the smoke blows very little into the house. The stove is also unaffected by any exhaust fans running in the house, also. If your house is really drafty, an OAK may not make much difference, but I can't see using air that you've heated for the combustion process.

 

[johneh]

I can't see using air that you've heated for the combustion process.

X2 --- pumping heated air out of the house makes no sense to me!!

 

[SidecarFlip]

First time I've ever seen a FAK (OAK) on here, FAK (Fresh air kit to me) installed through a wall thimble. Not a bad idea actually. Mine is separate and has it's own outside screened cover to keep rodents out.

Learn something every day...

 

[SidecarFlip]

Now you've done it! Which is better - Ford or Chevy? There have been numerous (sometimes heated - see what I did there?) discussions on whether and OAK is beneficial or not. I have one, and my stove is on the windward side of the house, and we get a lot of wind up here. The stove is unaffected by the wind, due to the OAK, whereas without it, the wind would surely try to create back pressure in the exhaust. It also helps if the power fails, since the smoke blows very little into the house. The stove is also unaffected by any exhaust fans running in the house, also. If your house is really drafty, an OAK may not make much difference, but I can't see using air that you've heated for the combustion process.

The old warn out Chevy versus Ford debate (will leave FCA out as they don't count for much anyway) or the 'Which motor oil is best' debate or which oil additive is best debate....

I don't ever participate. One we have Fords and Chevy's here at the farm, they are all good until they break, two, I use the same brand of oil because I get it in 55 gallon drums delivered by my wholesale jobber, use it in everything, tractors, trucks, cars and my motorcycles and 3, I like good smelling additives but use none anyway.

I find the (OAK-FAK) to be especially beneficial when it's bitter cold outside. It appears ( no scientific proof intended) from my personal observations that the super cold outside air being introduced to the bottom of the fuel bed, causes the fuel bed to combust better, make less ash and I like seeing the intake pipe drip condensation because I know the RH in the house is sufficient, plus it looks 'industrial; back there with it's silver heat riser pipe.

I'm good with it. You may not be. Personal choice on the part of the stove owner.