OAK condensing

[pourlepayssauvage]

Now that temps are running in the high twenties to low thirties at night my OAK to my Englander 10-CPM is condensing - enough so there are puddles of water underneath. I found some related threads here with a solution of insulating it, but someone also said that insulating was a bad idea on the chance that the OAK could become the exhaust under certain conditions. I don't think pre-heating the air would be a possibility. Just curious if anyone else has had the issue and what they did to remedy it.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

You can insulate it just make sure that what you use isn't going to be combustible like some of the commercial pipe wraps are.

I just let it drip onto the slate tile hearth pad I have. No big deal.

 

[tsmith]

Mine condensates too, but I havn't done anything to remedy it yet.

 

[smalltown]

When the outside temps really drop I get condesation on my OAK for about 5".
I have a small rectangular plastic tray the wife donated that butts up against the wall and sits on the hearth to catch any drips.

 

[nate379]

Sounds like you need to lower the humidity in you house. Should be 35-40% max for winter.

 

[ARGlock]

Hello Fellow Burners!!

I've got a quick question in regard to OAK's and didn't want to start a totally new thread. A friend of mine is considering installing an OAK with a used stove he recently purchased. His dad said a house needs some fresh air coming in and he advised againsed the OAK. My friend has a new house and it's very well insulated but in my opinion the cold air will come in from some where which is not good. Then my friend said the cold air from the OAK would cool the combustion air down and lower the heat output of the stove!! :-( I wouldn't agree totally with that statement. What do you guys have to say????

Thanks,

AR

 

[CtPaul]

Hello Fellow Burners!!

I've got a quick question in regard to OAK's and didn't want to start a totally new thread. A friend of mine is considering installing an OAK with a used stove he recently purchased. His dad said a house needs some fresh air coming in and he advised againsed the OAK. My friend has a new house and it's very well insulated but in my opinion the cold air will come in from some where which is not good. Then my friend said the cold air from the OAK would cool the combustion air down and lower the heat output of the stove!! :-( I wouldn't agree totally with that statement. What do you guys have to say????

Thanks,

AR

!! That is going to need a new thread!!

There is too much to talk about in that question!

 

[Bioburner]

Got a lengthy start on OAKS in thread named "Advice on which pellet stove or insert to buy"

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Oh god no, yet again? Use the damn search function and don't start a thread.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Sounds like you need to lower the humidity in you house. Should be 35-40% max for winter.

Could be, but it usually isn't that high to start with. Mine doesn't start until the temperatures approaches mid single digits and then it is only a few inches.

 

[heat seeker]

Mine condenses very little, not enough to even drip. It has frosted up, though, when the temps get near single digits.
If it ever does condense enough to drip, I'll put a small dish under it and let the water evaporate.
We do run a humidifier in the winter, so the house isn't all that dry.

I strongly suggest having an OAK, and second searching for existing threads.

 

[ARGlock]

Thanks for your input guys, any discussion on the topic is good! It was 5 am when I posted and I was not in my right awake mind. I generally search for topics but will try and use the XXXXXXXXX search engine next time.

AR

 

[lbcynya]

Selkirk Direct Temp for the win! No condensing since the oak is preheated.

 

[m159267]

Low teens & below will cause condensation & drips as OAK is only 2' long. I simply place a small folded towel beneath it.

 

[sinnian]

Hello Fellow Burners!!

I've got a quick question in regard to OAK's and didn't want to start a totally new thread. A friend of mine is considering installing an OAK with a used stove he recently purchased. His dad said a house needs some fresh air coming in and he advised againsed the OAK. My friend has a new house and it's very well insulated but in my opinion the cold air will come in from some where which is not good. Then my friend said the cold air from the OAK would cool the combustion air down and lower the heat output of the stove!! :-( I wouldn't agree totally with that statement. What do you guys have to say????

Thanks,

AR

 

[DexterDay]

Say its 70° in your home and 20° outside (50° difference without taking into consideration of preheating any).

Do you honestly think that a fire (think THOUSANDS of degrees) Will notice a 50° temp?

So your flame went from 1,550° to 1,500°…

Hello Fellow Burners!!

I've got a quick question in regard to OAK's and didn't want to start a totally new thread. A friend of mine is considering installing an OAK with a used stove he recently purchased. His dad said a house needs some fresh air coming in and he advised againsed the OAK. My friend has a new house and it's very well insulated but in my opinion the cold air will come in from some where which is not good. Then my friend said the cold air from the OAK would cool the combustion air down and lower the heat output of the stove!! :-( I wouldn't agree totally with that statement. What do you guys have to say????

Thanks,

AR

Add into the equation that the air is preheated (not even talking DT pipe) on all Stoves a little. Just coming in through the vent, then entering the path to the burn pot receptacle/area. Its prob nowhere near 50° temp differential.

My pennies

 

[Don2222]

Selkirk Direct Temp for the win! No condensing since the oak is preheated.

Hello lbcyna
I am in Total Agreement that the Selkirk DT is the way to go! That will stop the condensing!

My OAK is not condensing but the damp air with the rainy nights and mild temps makes the ashes cake up in the burnpot when burning on Lower Heat level 2.

Do you think the Selkirk will dry out the OAK air and stop the caked ash also?

 

[Bioburner]

Paper can start at 451+-, burns up to 1300 with forced air,but,hate buts, pellets have a higher density -lower surface area and have a higher ignition point. Yes a 50 to 100 degree colder air coming into a good burning fire is a very low percentage. But also is the factor of the airs density,a plus here. The triangle of fire is heat, air,fuel. We are messing with two.

 

[mepellet]

Selkirk Direct Temp for the win! No condensing since the oak is preheated.

And preheated by quite a bit too. I never took a temp of the oak connection on the back of the stove but I know it was very warm.

 

[lbcynya]

Do you think the Selkirk will dry out the OAK air and stop the caked ash also?

No. Moisture has to go somewhere, so once in the pipe the only place it'll end up is in the stove and out the exhaust.

But, it's also hard to believe moist air is contributing to the caked ash in a stove with an internal temperature over the boiling point of water, but I'll take your word for it.

 

[jtakeman]

One theory I heard was the moisture steams off inside the stove and the ash could be absorbing some of it.

 

[Don2222]

No. Moisture has to go somewhere, so once in the pipe the only place it'll end up is in the stove and out the exhaust.

But, it's also hard to believe moist air is contributing to the caked ash in a stove with an internal temperature over the boiling point of water, but I'll take your word for it.

There were 2 very rainy cool nights last week where I ran the stove all night on heat level 2. Most of the night it was fine but early in the morning where the moisture was quite intense on the 1st night the fire just about smothered out with the OAK connected.

The second night, I disconnected the OAK and under the same conditions there was no caked ash!

The oak is 2" in diameter and about 15 feet. Yes it is long.

The 4" pellet vent goes up 2' and 2' into the chimney, so I was thinking of using the Selkirk DT for the 4 feet to warm the OAK air after it comes into the house and before it goes into the stove?

Any more comments?

 

[CtPaul]

Don I don't think it would hurt anything....installing/buying 4' of pipe doesn't seem prohibitive

I have a full liner on my insert and I plan on pulling air from the chimney for the OAK. I am hoping that setup will preheat the incoming air enough to allieviate any problems.

 

[DexterDay]

Don, Because your venting into a chimney, it will be sucking the Exhaust/CO right back in..... A Big NO NO.

It cant be used in a situation like yours Don. It would have to run All the way to the top of the Chimney. So the nozzle could expel the exhaust and suck feesh air.

CtPaul, running your OAK is possible. Because you have a full length liner.

 

[mepellet]

Because your venting into a chimney, it will be sucking the Exhaust/CO right back in..... A Big NO NO.

It cant be used in a situation like yours Don. It would have to run All the way to the top of the Chimney. So the nozzle could expel the exhaust and suck feesh air.

Maybe he could run an exhaust liner of some sort from the dt in the base of the chimney to the top and then did a snorkel or something on top? Dunno, just throwing an idea out there. May not be possible or allowed.....