New Napoleon 1100C wood stove: install outside air kit or not?

[ReedMikel]

Hi All,
Just installed a new Napoleon 1100C wood stove and really like it so far. I bought their outside air kit and am debating whether to install it. The installer questioned the value of using outside air, saying "why bring cold air into the firebox?". But I've heard that the purpose is to supply combustion air from outside the house, rather than sucking in air from leakage points all over the house. I also have another consideration - our basement has a "Wave" ventilation fan which exhausts air from the house based on a humidistat setting. I have discovered that if this fan is running when I go to start a fire, I get smoke issues because of the negative pressure. I'm pretty sure an outside air kit would solve that, right? I'm all ears for your opinions...
TIA,
Mike

 

[dfelicia]

My former house had a negative pressure issue caused by a similar fan. The house would stink to the point of making us feel sick after a fire (regular masonry fireplace, not a stove). The chimney sweep said tapping an outside air source would fix it. We ended up moving, but the logic makes sense to me. Since you already have the kit and known negative pressure problems, I'd install it. The smell in the spring after rain is sickening.

 

[DiscoInferno]

I have an 1100C with no air kit, and have never had an issue. BUT: I have a fairly leaky house and no big exhaust fans. You have the kit, so you can install now or wait and see.

 

[ReedMikel]

I'm curious whether using outside air for combustion is generally more efficient? Seems to me that it would be, as this would avoid negative air pressure in the house - where cold air seeps in from all over. One concern I do have with an outside air kit is whether this results in cold air infiltration issues when stove is NOT in use? Maybe they make high quality kits that allow you to close some sort of damper when not in use?

 

[ReedMikel]

The more I research this topic, the more confused I become Seems like there's a lot of healthy disagreement about outside air kits (OAKs). Since I bought one with my new stove, I decided to install it today. Worst case, I'll disconnect it and fill the air intake with inslulation if I don't like it. I've had it burning most of today with the OAK. Seems fine to me - and the temperature feels more even between our 2 floors. Actually confirmed that the floors are more even, as my thermostats showed both at 68. The one thing I'm going to add is a shut off valve for the OAK, which I'll install just as the 2" metal pipe enters the house by stove. Interestingly, Napoleon does not include (or sell) such a shut off/valve. When I spoke with Napoleon today, the guy agreed that without a shutoff, the OAK will let cold air into our house when stove is not n use. When I asked why they don't offer a way to shut off the OAK, he gave a wimpy excuse something like "well, suppose you sell your house and the new homeowner doesn't know about the shutoff...". How silly! The worst that would happen is the stove would draw in room air just like it did before I installed the OAK. Somehow this smells more like a lawyer/legal issue - that Napoleon is concerned about something? Anyway, I just ordered a simple "gate valve" that I'll install just as the 2" pipe enters the house wall. This is a PVC valve commonly used in hot tubs to shut off water to pumps... I also routed the metal pipe so that it bends into a trap shape - something Napoleon advised to minimize cold air infiltration (I also read it on the web somewhere).

 

[ReedMikel]

Hmmm, not much feedback on this forum