Outside air kits

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Elfmaze

Elfmaze

New Member
Sep 18, 2014
40
Eastern PA, USA
I have always though that outside air feed is critical to maintaining efficiency in home heating. But my local dealers are all pushing me away from the outside feed. One guy explaned that when the seasons change the added humidity is not good fo rthe stove internals and another said its better for the fire to burn warm air.


Is there any truth to what these guys are saying? I hate to think that I don't trust a word that comes out of the dealers mouth.
 
If your house is as drafty as you mentioned in your other post, you might be alright.

However, Englander OAK is manditory.
 
The house is not necessarily drafty. you do not feel a breeze and there is not much from windows unless it is breezy. but it is a two story lath and plaster house with a free flowing attic. I think my draft might just be a slow chimney effect through the roof of each room and out the top.
 
My dealer fought me on installing an oak (even though i pre payed) no drafts now in my home, I just shove an old t=shirt into the oak (along with the exhaust liner) put a can of damp rid in the hopper and stove at the end of the season
 
If you don't use OAK, all that air that get's sucked in from the house has to be replaced from somewhere. It will find it's way in from nooks and crannies all over creating drafts.
 
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TimfromMA said:
If you don't use OAK, all that air that get's sucked in from the house has to be replaced from somewhere. It will find it's way in from nooks and crannies all over creating drafts.
Click to expand...
And at over 75cfm that's a lot of cool air.
 
there are really no disadvantages to having an OAK installed, the difference in performance as far as the fire from combusting with cold air versus hot is negligable.
the reduction in pressure caused by running the "house" air does magnify the cold air intrusion coming through those leaks.
 
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I also like the idea of giving the stove it's own source of air instead of the air in the room I am in.
 
I purchased a free standing stove and the installer strongly suggested I have the OAK kit installed. He said that the fire will burn better and less pellets will be used in the long run. IF you do not have an OAK as stated above the stove needs air for combustion and the only place to pull this air from is inside your home. If the stove pulls the air from the outside its going to be cold air coming inside your house that needs to be heated. The OAK pulls the outside air in the stove so that you do not have a lazy/limp flame you will in turn burn a hotter fire and your stove will work less hard IMO to heat the air inside your home.

I knew nothing about the OAK a month ago and by no means am I an expert however I am VERY glad I went with this kit.
 
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08specB said:
I purchased a free standing stove and the installer strongly suggested I have the OAK kit installed. He said that the fire will burn better and less pellets will be used in the long run. IF you do not have an OAK as stated above the stove needs air for combustion and the only place to pull this air from is inside your home. If the stove pulls the air from the outside its going to be cold air coming inside your house that needs to be heated. The OAK pulls the outside air in the stove so that you do not have a lazy/limp flame you will in turn burn a hotter fire and your stove will work less hard IMO to heat the air inside your home.

I knew nothing about the OAK a month ago and by no means am I an expert however I am VERY glad I went with this kit.
Click to expand...

I would think[ and may be wrong] but Without an OAK,A lot of the air in your house that needs to be pulled is the very same air you have paid to heat with Pellets..
wrong? right?
 
Tonyray said:
I would think[ and may be wrong] but Without an OAK,A lot of the air in your house that needs to be pulled is the very same air you have paid to heat with Pellets..
wrong? right?
Click to expand...

I would think you are right because the stove needs air for combustion so it PULLS the cold (unheated air) inside the house in turn using more pellets to heat that cold air. I get that houses have cracks and drafts but why pull cold air into a place you are trying to heat through those cracks is beyond me. For the $200 an OAK costs (my harman) it should be done.
 
08specB said:
I would think you are right because the stove needs air for combustion so it PULLS the cold (unheated air) inside the house in turn using more pellets to heat that cold air. I get that houses have cracks and drafts but why pull cold air into a place you are trying to heat through those cracks is beyond me. For the $200 an OAK costs (my harman) it should be done.
Click to expand...
Agree.. don't take up much space either..OAK on the left in dead space area..
 

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I had a discussion with a dealer about OAKs and I basically used it as the test to see if they were knowledgable. She said that an OAK wasn't needed and then I said well doesn't it make sense to pull the cold air from outside and use it for combustion and cycle it back outside rather than suck the warm air from inside and cycle it back outside wasting it? She said in theory it sounded smart but I was overthinking things. Bah... $1500 do it myself install with stove cost later I'm glad I saved the $3,500 on an "expert". That being said there's a lot of really good dealer/installers that frequent this board so it's definitely not all of them.
 
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With the Englander I didn't have a choice but I rigged it up with about $40 of dryer vent stuff. Not exactly a wallet killer.
 
It's an ugly basement install so it's not being showcased in better homes and garden. Haha
 
It surely will. I'm finishing the hookup tonight. Pics will be coming.
 
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