i am confused. replacement air

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.

outcast

New Member
Jun 24, 2012
46
i am planning my stove installation. i had thought that ducted replacement air was needed for best efficiency. as otherwise, the stove would suck heated air out of the house = much like a regular fireplace does. but i was reading on the web, that that is not the case.

but, the stove does use air from the house, and moves it out the chimney. how is a stove better than a fireplace ?

idk if i am asking my question properly. i am concerned about replacement air.
 
The need for an Outside Air Kit will depend on the installation. There are arguments for and against adding an OAK that go on for pages. If the house is very tight or the stove is located in a area like the basement where there is negative pressure, then an OAK is a good solution. It's also required for new installs in WA state. Here's a good article on the topic:
http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/hooa.htm

Also, for more general info here is a collection of post links that may be helpful:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...lem-stoves-air-is-restricted-faq-about.59225/
 
  • Like
Reactions: Billybonfire
i am planning my stove installation. i had thought that ducted replacement air was needed for best efficiency. as otherwise, the stove would suck heated air out of the house = much like a regular fireplace does. but i was reading on the web, that that is not the case.

but, the stove does use air from the house, and moves it out the chimney. how is a stove better than a fireplace ?

idk if i am asking my question properly. i am concerned about replacement air.
The diff between a fireplace and a stove is huge..nowhere has much air sucked out of a room with a stove.
 
i am planning my stove installation. i had thought that ducted replacement air was needed for best efficiency. as otherwise, the stove would suck heated air out of the house = much like a regular fireplace does. but i was reading on the web, that that is not the case.

but, the stove does use air from the house, and moves it out the chimney. how is a stove better than a fireplace ?

idk if i am asking my question properly. i am concerned about replacement air.

It really is simply a matter of volume. An open fireplace will pull a tremendous amount of air up the chimney compared to a wood stove. Although the air being pulled from the stove is in fact from the house, the amount of air generally isn't significant compared to how much you normally leak and otherwise lose through opening doors etc. Just consider how much you suck out of the house when you turn on a bathroom vent for a while as an example.

OAKs (outside air kits) are necessary when you have an unusually 'tight' house - one that doesn't have enough leaks to equalize the air pressure. This leads to the stove not being able to draw up the chimney and thus not burn well. Although there is considerable debate over whether or not they are helpful for general use, it is relatively rare that houses are so tight that you MUST have one installed to operate the stove.
 
ok, i think i got it now = a fireplace sucks up way more air than the fire itself needs. a stove sucks up only the air needed for combustion. correct ?
 
ok, i think i got it now = a fireplace sucks up way more air than the fire itself needs. a stove sucks up only the air needed for combustion. correct ?

I believe that is a very good summary.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.