How High Up For Cold Air Intake?

[profdlp]

I am getting ready to install a cold air intake line for my Castle Serenity pellet stove. My question is, how high up the wall should this go? Or does that even matter at all?

The vent on the stove is near the bottom and if I can go straight out that would be great. My concerns are that snow piling up outside might block a low intake vent, along with the fact that there may be duct-work there that I would not like to drill a hole though...

If higher is better I can do that. That would get me away from a duct and/or snow pileup issue. I would prefer to go lower down the wall for the sake of looks to keep the extra pipe hidden behind the stove. But if higher is indeed better then I won't waste my time drilling tiny inspection holes down low.

Thanks!

 

[johneh]

Go straight out . Just make sure the intake is clear of snow and
any thing that could block the intake . If you want turn it outside
and go up a foot or two

 

[bogieb]

It doesn't really matter where you place the OAK, low, high - either will work.

It sounds to me like you have some potential challenges that you should take into consideration. If you get enough snow, if you have a metal roof that dumps snow into a nice berm along your house, or snow drifts on that side naturally, then you should be prepared to either keep the intake clear all winter or place it high enough for no interference.

Additionally, I would take into consideration how family members (or possible future family members) will cope if you break a leg and can't (or don't think to) take care of snow removal around the OAK. And don't ever give me that cr*p about "oh, my wife/SO would never dare to touch the stove so I don't have to worry about it". The wife/SO will do whatever is needed if you are incapacitated or gone - please make it as easy as possible for them.

If you don't know where ducts/water pipes/electrical is in your walls, you need to figure that out first. They may be in such a configuration that you have no choice where you place the outside air.

 

[stoveliker]

For my (a cord-wood stove user, not a pellet stove) education: is it allowed to go up with an OAK because pellet stoves have forced air flow (fans)?

For naturally breathing cord-wood stoves, one can't go up with the OAK.

 

[profdlp]

OK, just to restate things: Going up high is a cinch as far as interior obstacles. If it were the recommended way to go it would be a no-brainer. Sticking down low may (or may not...) have stuff in the road which would make the high route make more sense anyway. But... if I were to determine that going low would not punch a hole in anything I don't want a hole punched in it sure would look nicer, at least until it was winter and I might be headed outside on a regular basis to brush snow away from it. (I have a dog I need to walk several times a day so I am out there a lot anyway.)

Yesterday I got hold of a nice piece of brand-new car exhaust with a flared end that will be perfect for passing through the wall(s), so it probably makes sense to go high on this. ("High" being about 3.5' from the floor, so it's not like the thing has to run all the way up the wall or anything.) The chimney does that already and it does not bother me. The pellet stove itself is in the corner of the room so I plan to go out the wall that is at 90-degrees to the one with the chimney passing through it. (Chimney goes out the side wall and the cold air intake will go through the back wall.) I think part of my hesitance is due to the unfinished look of the silver piping for the cold air duct. I plan to paint it black and may end up liking it a whole lot better after that anyway.

Thanks, everyone! You all helped me a great deal when I was putting a chimney liner in a year ago for the fireplace insert on the other side of the house and it was worth all the effort when it came time to use it last winter. 😀

 

[Washed-Up]

Or would this be more suited to your setup?

 

[profdlp]

Or would this be more suited to your setup?

View attachment 298200

That would be fine, though I'd be leery of replacing the existing chimney pass-through. (And I already have the parts to go the separate route.) If this were a new install that is what I'd have done, though.

 

[profdlp]

Got the thing installed Sunday. I realized that the only thing holding me up was the fear of cutting a hole in the side of the house and hitting something I shouldn't. Everything went fine and it looks great both inside and out. I went about 18" above ground level so it is low enough behind the stove to not have a pipe showing from the front and high enough outside to not get blocked by any but the biggest of snowfalls. It comes out under a soffit that overhangs the house by about 3' so I don't get too many drifts there to begin with.

Thanks again, everyone!

 

[Washed-Up]

I’m for pics

 

[profdlp]

Took me a couple days, but here you go:

 

[profdlp]

And a couple more:

 

[Washed-Up]

Looks good….well done

 

[johneh]

Nice clean install well done

 

[profdlp]

Thanks! I should have blown all the bugs off there. It is a never-ending process and even if I did it weekly it would not be enough. I am hoping to get one more go-around with the pressure washer before it gets mothballed for the winter.

You can see the chimney exhaust on the blacktop side, by the way. That was there for the old pellet stove when I moved in. Under the homemade wood bracket inside the house is a metal plate that came with the intake kit. I filled the void up with expanding foam before closing it up but my drilling did not remove too much of the original insulation.