Outside air intake

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Lowellmotel

New Member
Nov 23, 2012
11
SE Ohio
So any advice on plumbing an outside air intake to a VC Vigilant or related stove? I'm thinking schedule 40 with a valve. This is for my house that has new windows and very little draft.

Any concern about air temp. or anything else?
 
Have you run the stove since the new windows were put in to see if you'd have any problems showing you need one?

Or, do you just want to put one in regardless? If I remember correctly, there is no dedicated port to accept outside on on this stove correct?

If so, was the plan to just let air dump next to the stove?

pen
 
Pen,

Stove not in yet. Pre EPA Vigilant just rebuilt.

It is more of a question of opportunity. Since I am cutting a hole in block and will be doing some masonry work, I have the opportunity to install a vent. I saw this done once by a crafty old guy, and I thought it was impressive.

Basically schedule 40 pipe through the wall with a ball valve, and a little more schedule 40 ending close to the air intake (there is not an inlet connection). We cut through the wall next week, and I wanted to have the "contraption" there to install. I was hoping someone with experience had an opinion on this. I CLEARLY may be over-thinking this.I have been lurking on this Forum since I bought the stove in august trying to learn. Finally getting to the install, had to have a Professional do it for my insurance company to be happy - $$$.

I'm kinda looking for warnings like "the cold outside air may crack the stove"... I have been around stoves, but this is the first in my own house.
Thanks for any thoughts!
 
Agreed; and off the top of my head, I can't think of a better setup than what you are describing.

Since you'll be doing one hole anyway, might as well make that second. Even if you don't need it, or find you don't like to use it with this stove, if you ever change to a new style stove that has the connection for an OAK, you may find you'll have a use for it.

I'd go for putting it in also.

Maybe someone else will have a better idea for it, but I think what you mentioned sounds pretty solid, just don't forget about the shields for the outside to prevent animals from crawling in.

pen
 
Thanks Pen!

And I hadn't thought about critters yet!

This Forum is really helpful. I'm glad I had to wait a few months before the install. I have learned a whole lot reading posts here.

Pictures coming soon.

Lowellmotel
 
Here's some good reading from the hearth.com wiki pages if you hadn't seen it yet https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/wiki/Outside_Air_Kit_-_Why/

Here's another option.



There are pre-made kits like that in the vid available, most that I've seen are metal. That would make it a bit more challenging when hooking up a valve if you really wanted, but doable.

Off the top of my head, I know you wouldn't want to run PVC all the way to the stove, but I can't remember ever reading that PVC couldn't be used in at least part of the setup, I'll have to do more digging.

here are come pre-made kits, but missing the valve you mentioned for it to work as a simple dump. http://www.woodlanddirect.com/Catalog?search=outside+air+kit&submit.y=0&submit.x=0

pen
 
Off the top of my head, I know you wouldn't want to run PVC all the way to the stove, but I can't remember ever reading that PVC couldn't be used in at least part of the setup, I'll have to do more digging.

Theoretically, with the right wind conditions and installation circumstances there is a chance, however remote, that the flue and outside air intake could swap functions. If that did happen, hot flue gases would do a number on a PVC pipe. That is my layman's understanding of the reason outside air installations are supposed to use metal ducting.
 
Great thoughts! I was going to use schedule 40 steel pipe (as I have a ton of scrap from work, thread it, and put a ball valve well away from heat).

My friends are busting my chops, as the guy in the video and I must shop at the same place. The mustache and "Denim on Denim" is not unfamiliar in my household...

I am now starting to think about how much airflow I might need, as I was thinking 1 1/2 inch inner diameter pipe. I also will think about some form of check valve for the the flue gas reversal phenomena.

Lowellmotel
 
Really interested to see what you come up with.

pen
 
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