Indications that I need an outside air vent?

[BamaRama]

It's been mild here in the south so I haven't been burning wood. We just realized that the heater emits it's smokey smell when the bathroom fans or dryer are running. It's a 1500 sq ft stick built home and by all indications it's fairly tight.

I'm running a 13NC and the stove burns good. The only time I noticed a weak draft is when the wind gets over 15-20 mph. Then i get some , for lack of a better term, buffeting coals but have noticed no smoke in the house.

Do I need to install an air vent or just open a window in mild weather?

 

[JA600L]

Either or maybe. With the stove cold and a Match lit, does the flame follow the chimney or the house? Maybe try it as well with the bathroom fan running. Are the furnace and woodstove in a basement or are they on seperate levels? Try cracking a window and see if it helps.

 

[BamaRama]

It's single level Ranch style with stove in living room and cathedral ceiling. I have a gas pack furnace all on the outside. I'll put some incense in the stove when it's cold and do some experimenting with fans and windows. I really don't want to cut anymore holes but I will if I have to.

 

[Avalonolympic]

I installed the OAK and it works great. I do still have smoke in the house when loading. That's caused by the stack house effect. No biggy smells gone pretty quickly.

 

[BamaRama]

I haven't had a problem with back draft or smoke when the heater is operating. It apparently produces enough draft to overcome any of the other exhaust sources. Now that i think about it, wouldn't an outside air kit create the path of least resistance causing the draw from the fans through the stove to be worse when the stove is cold?

 

[fire_man]

I don't see how an oak would make things worse, it's a direct connection from the stove to the outside - so how could it make it worse with the fans running?

I'm with you on not cutting more holes if not necessary. Definitely confirm a nearby cracked window cures the problem.
Then, I would want to either commit to leaving a window cracked in mild weather or install an oak.

How tall is your flue? Is it possible you have marginal draft to start with and just need an extension?

 

[BamaRama]

Minimum overall from floor is 15 feet for this stove. I have 8 feet of chimney, 10 feet of pipe with two 45* elbows (8 feet), and the stove so it works out to about 18 feet effective length from floor. The part above the roof meets the 2-3-10 and is at the peak of a 45* cathedral. I don't think it has a problem with weak draft but this is the first wood stove I've owned. It burns good but I have nothing to compare it against.

 

[fire_man]

18 feet is pretty good height. Sounds more like a make-up air issue. I hear you on not wanting to add another hole in the wall but if you can prove for sure it just needs more make up air it would be worth it.

 

[Smock2015]

I was in the same boat not wanting to cut a whole just to try something and not know if it would actually work so I got a long piece of dryer vent and ran it to the closest window. Just to see if it made a difference before I cut hole. Filled space with a piece of foam to give good deal and make sure it was pulling from the pipe and low a behold it works good. May just leave it that way it the warmer months I can just take it out and I don't have a whole in the house. But that part depend how particular one is on looks and such