OAK with HRV?

[windycity]

We're installing an Alderlea T6 in a new 2300 square foot 2 story house. It will have a combination of sprayed in foam and fiberglass batt insulation, and the windows are good. Because it's a "tight" house, we're putting in a heat recovery ventilator. I'm wondering if we really need an outside air kit for our wood stove. Our installer says nope. Says he hasn't installed one in 3 years. I've researched this to death, and people are pretty divided on the issue. Should I leave it off for now, and install it later if we need it? How will I know if we need it (other than a fire that's hard to start?). Also, we're in an incredibly windy area (50 miles an hour is common in the winter, with gusts approaching 100). Can all this wind make an OAK malfunction? I'd love to hear some pros and cons for an OAK in this situation.

 

[cannonballcobb]

I would say try it with out the OAK to see how it drafts. If she has no problems drafting then you should be good to go.

Can't think of any cons to an OAK, except cost for the kit and install.

 

[backpack09]

HRV? similar to http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200331508_200331508
http://www.northerntool.com/images/product/images/17278_lg.gif ?

These are typically seen as a bad thing because they cool the flew pipe too much and get caked up with creosote.

 

[ms440]

I have a new home that does have a hrv. It is very, very tight. I burned for about a season total w/o outside air and then hooked up an OAK and am much happier. It did work before, but it just seem to work better now. The problem with HRV is that they can only be so efficient. At the end of the day if you are getting a 70% efficiency exchange, that means more heat you need to come up with, and if you are trying to use wood for all your heat, I found I couln't make it back in my house and still be as warm as I wanted to be. I shut my HRV off in the winter.

 

[akhilljack]

i heat a 1200 sqft house in fairbanks ak with a osburn 1600 with out a stack robber but i have a 5 star rated house that is very tight. i also have an hrv that works good to clean the air. it dries the air a lot though so i put it on a timer for about 2 hours per day. my house is very tight but the stove still works fine the only problem i have is when i turn on my stove vent in the kitchen, i quess the microwave vents are more powerful than the reqular stand alone vents. as soon as i turn it on the house fills instantly with smoke. so all you do is crack a window slightly. you can do that to fire up the stove to get the draft going too if you have to.

 

[begreen]

HRV? similar to http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200331508_200331508 ?

These are typically seen as a bad thing because they cool the flew pipe too much and get caked up with creosote.

Not that. They are not referring to a Magic Heat unit.

An HRV is an air to air exchanger for the house. It preheats incoming air with outgoing exhaust air. Forced fresh air exchange can be required for tight houses. A good HRV can help a lot. I'd consider an OAK if the house is this tight. You'll still have exhaust fans and a clothes dryer running at times that may fight stove draft. Maybe pull the air from the crawlspace? Definitely avoid the windward side of the house for the inlet.

HRV
(broken link removed to http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_journal/how_your_house_works/1275121.html)

PS: What has been suggested for a flue cap? Anything offered as a solution for the strong winds?