Outside air kit question

[PA452]

I'm looking at installing an outside air kit on two wood stoves, one on the first floor and the other in the basement directly below the first. I have a preferred location for the OAKs to exit the house, but it would mean running the basement stove OAK down out of the stove and then up to just below the first floor. Is running an OAK up ok or does the inlet need to be below the stove?

Another question that applies either way, if I would exit both OAKs to the outside of the house in the same location, I assume I would need to separate the inlets a bit? Anyone know roughly how much?

Thanks

 

[30WCF]

I don’t know nothing about nothing, but I would think if you had two stoves and they both tied into the same wall penetration, it would be just fine.

For some reason I think the vent has to be below the stove, but I don’t remember why.

 

[30WCF]

Maybe it’s so it doesn’t draw air up if the oak is above the stove, and act like a second chimney.
But if you have a 6-8” chimney and a 3” OAK both rising and competing for air, and the 8” chimney is 28’ above the stove, and the 3” OAK is 12’ above the stove, which one will draft harder and which one will provide air. Ideally , the OAK is below the stove, but it’s a basement. I’ve seen “basements” on hills. Can you crack a window just a smidge?

 

[Megunticook]

One concern might just be that you don't get moisture collecting in the air inlet and running down toward the stove. It's drawing cold air from outside into a heated space where the cold air may condense on the walls of the duct. In that case you would want it pitched slightly down and away from the stove.

Since presumably you'll have negative pressure in the inlet as the stove draws in air to feed the fire, I don't think you need to worry about it "competing" with the chimney which will have positive pressure from the stove exhaust.

 

[neverstop]

OAK piping and termination need to be below the stove. Otherwise you risk the OAK piping acting as a chimney and having the smoke exhaust through it.

 

[robllachance]

One concern might just be that you don't get moisture collecting in the air inlet and running down toward the stove. It's drawing cold air from outside into a heated space where the cold air may condense on the walls of the duct. In that case you would want it pitched slightly down and away from the stove.

Since presumably you'll have negative pressure in the inlet as the stove draws in air to feed the fire, I don't think you need to worry about it "competing" with the chimney which will have positive pressure from the stove exhaust.

Actually the warm air on the outside would be doing the condensing. Less of a concern but probably still pitch away from the stove

 

[Poindexter]

I had a back-puff into my living room once from outdoor conditions (one time only in 9 years) causing the chimney to run backwards. If I had had an OAK, which I didn't, and the OAK outdoor end was above the floor of the stove, then I could have had the whole stove running backwards. Typically OAK piping is not rated as a Class A chimney.