New home construction - PE Alderlea T5

[gajones58]

Hi....I am currently building a new home on the southern shore of Lake Ontario in WNY. I have purchased a PE Alderlea T5 to be installed in the living room. I have plans to place an HVAC intake near the stove to utilize the fan function to redistribute the warm air near the stove when I have a fire going throughout this 2,050 SF Cape Cod, so I think I have the issue of uneven temperatures in the house at least partially mitigated. My biggest unanswered question is whether to have an outside air kit (OAK) put in as part of the install. There will be an unfinished basement that I could run it to, but the stove will also be close to an outside wall that would be easy to access. My limited understanding is that the tight seal of new construction could potentially be problematic for a wood stove without the OAK.

Do any PE Alderlea owners have any experience with PE stoves in new homes, or have experiences with them with and without OAK's?

Also, was wondering if anyone had thoughts regarding the optional fan unit too. Was hoping that may not be necessary with HVAC fan setting.

Thanks in advance for any feedback or words of wisdom!

 

[kborndale]

I would definitely go with an oak in new construction. Also you can't put the HVAC return within 10 feet of the stove.

 

[stoveliker]

Make sure all HVAC ducts run within the insulated envelope - otherwise you're going to loose a lot of heat. (R8 ducts are poorly insulated as compared to R50 between attic and living space or so...)

 

[gajones58]

I would definitely go with an oak in new construction. Also you can't put the HVAC return within 10 feet of the stove.

When you say the stove, do you also mean within 10 feet of the piping (if return is ceiling based)?

 

[EbS-P]

any new construction should install an OAK. Furthermore, I think they also need HRV/ERVs.

Don’t skimp on HVAC. Pay for knowledgeable professionals that do the job well.

 

[stoveliker]

When you say the stove, do you also mean within 10 feet of the piping (if return is ceiling based)?

Tie a 10 ft string to (all corners of) the stove. If the string can reach the return, it's too close.

In general, it's best to avoid sucking air away from the stove room.
A more effective way to move heat is to blow cold air towards the stove, which will then be replaced by warm air that is pushed out of the stove room by the cold air.

 

[stihl_kicking]

Re moving air: Our house is a 28 X 48 Post & Beam open concept covered with stress-skinned panels (sandwich of 3.5" foam, sheathing, and inner drywall). There is an open loft with bedrooms/bath. It's pretty tight, we open the window by the dryer or kitchen stove to prevent negative airflow. We use a CO2 meter to know when to vent the house (can reach 1800). We are in north NJ and burn dry (14% or less moisture) wood split into 1.5"" logs for starting/burning, and add 3-4"" splits after it burns down. Use a garage based electric splitter vertically placed to sit if front of it and stack right onto a rolly cart to roll into the house thru the deck doors. The cart parks left of the stove.
We have a PE classic, and there is a "fence" with 4" gaps around it, built to prevent children getting too close, and a 1/2" wire cloth horizontally placed above it to deter a cat jumping up, to dry wet things, keep food warm after being laid under it to cook eggs, AND two metal 10" fans (no plastic) at the back right corner and on front left corner. These fans blow air on the stovetop and first 10" of single walled stove pipe that is exposed 22' to the ceiling triple wall to outside. They do well moving the hot air away from the stove. A ceiling fan above helps with distributing air to the upper loft and warms the bedrooms. A through the wall sensor checks the exhaust air temp, which we keep above 400 and can go to 1200 when firing up the stove with a log cabin stack of the 2" wood filled with kindling. An IR thermometer checks the stovepipe, which is about 240 deg close to the ceiling. Creosote production is about a large dustpan's worth burning 1.5 cords of mostly ash and pine in our O deg rarely-32 deg climate.
I modified the stove to keep the ash pit 2X2" door open, covered its hole with a 6" long metal box open to the pit door and directing air to the center. It acts as an air booster when starting the fire, and can be adjusted. A large metal dust pan from HF gets out the ashes, and if you remember to pull the coals forward with an ash puller I made, all you get is ashes. We never bank a fire, get the house from 62 to 75 within 2 hrs, add 4" wood as needed if it really cold out.