OAK Install -

[bdaoust]

What would be the determination if I need an OAK or not?

1,200 sqft house (Cape), P68 in basement. Insulation not awesome since I just had an energy audit done and they said I need a good amount - $2,000 my costs after their rebates and MassSav program!
He basically said I need more in attic and the outside walls have basically none.

Burnt many types of pellets, including Cleanfire Pacific which are suppose to have little ash. However seems like all pellets I've tried give me the same amount of ash based on the "dam of ash" that builds up in front of the burn pot.

I'm not the most handy person (can do basic stuff), so what would an OAK installed cost me roughly?

Thanks,

 

[DAKSY]

I suppose the cost of an OAK will depend on a couple of things. How far do you have to run your air supply? The cost of the tubing wil be dependent on the number of feet. Are you going to use the harman OAK/Vent kit? It's pretty costy....The Harman 2.375" tubing is $7+ per foot IIRC...I did my 61A with 3" tubing from Grainger & 2" PVC thru the wall. I held it together with a couple of SS hose clamps...All of it for less than $30...

 

[Madcodger]

The determining factor is not need unless the house is very tight. The determining factors are 1) Whether you want to use air you've already paid to heat, for combustion . In other words, use the expensive, rather than the free, air 2) You want to use your stove as a vacuum to suck excessive cold, dry air into your home because you've decided to pump out the warm, more moist air. 3) Some physical factor prohibits an OAK (i.e., stove won't accept one).

Call a local dealer and ask them for an estimate. This time of year, you may pay much more and have trouble getting on the schedule. If a thru-wall (not down a chimney) install is possible you can probably do it for $150 - $300, but that's just a guesstimate.

 

[P38X2]

If it's an unfinished basement, my advice would be to put your $ into moving the stove upstairs, if that's possible. Then, get yourself an OAK thimble (the Harman version is very nice, but a bit pricy), find yourself a reputable handyman and re-install it on your first floor. You likely won't need any additional venting and will NEVER have to worry about not having enough heat. The money you'll save in burning far less pellets will pay for the relocation of your stove in, probably, the first year.

Now likely isn't the best time to do this, especially if you opt to have a stove shop do it.

 

[newbieinCT]

The determining factor is not need unless the house is very tight. The determining factors are 1) Whether you want to use air you've already paid to heat, for combustion . In other words, use the expensive, rather than the free, air 2) You want to use your stove as a vacuum to suck excessive cold, dry air into your home because you've decided to pump out the warm, more moist air. 3) Some physical factor prohibits an OAK (i.e., stove won't accept one).

Call a local dealer and ask them for an estimate. This time of year, you may pay much more and have trouble getting on the schedule. If a thru-wall (not down a chimney) install is possible you can probably do it for $150 - $300, but that's just a guesstimate.

Thanks for the helpful information! We are installing a stove soon (I hope...just trying to decide and buy) - been reading about the importance of OAKs and I want to make sure we do it right. So happy I found this hearth.com - you guys are super helpful!
meg

 

[mikkeeh]

If you do it yourself, and your stove is on an outside wall, it shouldn't cost more than $50. 3" metal flex is available at Lowes/HomeDepot, stop my a local muffler shop and have a fitting made to connect to your stove......I think 2 5/8", but don't quote me. ($10 or so), some worm gear clamps, , caulk, and some screening to keep out critters., or terminate to something like a metal dryer vent cover. Not too difficult. But probably worth your time and effort.

 

[bdaoust]

It's a finished basement, but we have used that space yet. Previous homeowner had kids and the basement was their playroom.

If I took the stove out of the basement, can't that be a problem as there isn't any heatsource. For instance, pipes?

 

[briansol]

Is it IN the ground? my basement will never get below 55 being 3/4 in the ground on all 4 sides.

 

[bdaoust]

Yes it is.

 

[Micmann]

It's not really a determination whether to use an OAK or not. It's not a set of criteria one goes through to decide if it's necessary. It's just done because it's the best way to install a stove.

Whatever air is being pushed out by the stove is going to be sucked into your home from somewhere. If your stove pushes 150 CFM out, 150 CFM must come in, whether through cracks, bad sealing windows and doors, poorly insulated walls, attic stairs or crawl spaces, etc. And what will be sucked in will be cold. The stove without an OAK will add to or create a negative pressure home and the cold outside air will want to fill the vacuum. Your stove is in the basement and it may be nice and warm there, but perhaps the largest air leak in your home is say on the second floor. The second floor will be cold since the air is coming in there and making its way down to the stove, being sucked into the fresh air port, through the burn chamber and blown outside. The basement will be warm and the second floor will be cold (a hypothetical scenario that could happen anywhere in the house). This makes an OAK a definite install in my book.

My stove is a basement dweller as well. I used 3" PVC and ran it up the wall behind the stove and bored a hole through the floor joist to the exterior of the house. Installed a pvc90 outside to aim it down to keep rain and other things out. Works quite well and was only about $25.00

 

[mikkeeh]

My stove is a basement dweller as well. I used 3" PVC and ran it up the wall behind the stove and bored a hole through the floor joist to the exterior of the house. Installed a pvc90 outside to aim it down to keep rain and other things out. Works quite well and was only about $25.00

I've always heard NOT to use PVC as an OAK. Stange things can happen during a power outage, and its possible to have hot gasses/embers, go through the OAK. Hence the recommendation of metal pipe.

 

[mikkeeh]

If I took the stove out of the basement, can't that be a problem as there isn't any heatsource. For instance, pipes?

My stove started out in the basement. Mine is a walkout, so one wall is partly exposed. It gets cold down there since I moved the stove upstairs, but not cold enough to worry about freezing anything. I haven't checked it, but when outside temps were in single digits, I would guess the basement was in the 50's.

 

[Micmann]

I've always heard NOT to use PVC as an OAK. Stange things can happen during a power outage, and its possible to have hot gasses/embers, go through the OAK. Hence the recommendation of metal pipe.

You are correct. I recant my suggestion of PVC. I did it a dozen years ago before I also heard not to use PVC and just never changed it. PVC can withstand moderate hot gasses, and the design on my p61 would prove very difficult for any hot ember to reach the PVC, but other stoves may be more hazardous. Definitely install an OAK, just use metal as mentioned.