When I installed my stove a friend suggested using inside air to feed the stove. My house has plenty of drafts to supply fresh air. Lately I've been thinking that this may actually be encouraging the drafts with a negative pressure pulling cold air from the outside in the far reaches of the house making those rooms tough to heat. I wonder if a stove intake for fresh air would help to create a positive pressure in those far rooms making them warmer?
outside vs inside air
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I still do not have one set up yet on my stove but your exactly right about encouraging drafts because that air will have to come from somewhere.
There are quite a few threads with a ton of good reading on this topic if you do a search for outside air kit or OAK.
Having your stove make and model in your sig is very nice to have also.
There are quite a few threads with a ton of good reading on this topic if you do a search for outside air kit or OAK.
Having your stove make and model in your sig is very nice to have also.
Pellet-King
Minister of Fire
I dont belive in outside cold air, in the back of my pellet the air tube has a round hole so it would suck inside air anyway, OAK might be ok cause the air is heated as it goes down the pipe, cold air will make your stove colder.
The air coming out is the same as going in, which make equal pressure, thats bull about draft's, find them and seal them with silicone caulk, around windows esp sil area and bottom of door's
2 year's a go my house was gutted and restored, new doors and windows, couldnt believe the draft's I find past few year's
The air coming out is the same as going in, which make equal pressure, thats bull about draft's, find them and seal them with silicone caulk, around windows esp sil area and bottom of door's
2 year's a go my house was gutted and restored, new doors and windows, couldnt believe the draft's I find past few year's
krooser
Minister of Fire
A stove is also sucking the oxygen out of the house... how many hi-efficiency furnaces use inside air for combustion? None... they all use outside air for a reason. Safety is one reason...
Pellet-King
Minister of Fire
Just checked my vents around the house and we have forced air, theres cold cellar air coming from them!, closed them down and added magnetic vent covers over them.
my cellar is a toasty 45 degree's!!
my cellar is a toasty 45 degree's!!
SmokeyTheBear
Minister of Fire
Pellet-King said:
That cold heavy air doesn't travel up from the cellar unless it is being sucked out of it. Is there anything that you are running that sucks air into it, like maybe your pellet stove?
This subject has been done to death, but maybe just one more time?
I ran my stove for 2.5 seasons without an OAK.
This season I've installed an OAK for the stove (with the same fuel, etc) and the stove now performs better in every way.
Of course this is just me, and maybe thousands of others.
I ran my stove for 2.5 seasons without an OAK.
This season I've installed an OAK for the stove (with the same fuel, etc) and the stove now performs better in every way.
Of course this is just me, and maybe thousands of others.
Snowy Rivers
Minister of Fire
Just one more time, OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOK
We have two stoves running almost continually during the winter months (if its mild out maybe only one)
The original furnace (HVAC system) has a fresh air "Blend" vent that allows fresh air from the roof area to be sucked into the top of the open air plenum thats above the furnace.
This plenum is open to the utility room and this area has louvers on the door that leads to the rest of the house, Plus the door is usually left open.
The pellets stoves have been running fine now since winter 1993 without OAK's
I did install an OAK in my new raised hearth but have yet to actually hook it to the stove.
The stoves we have do not run with outside air specifically and the OAK port is simply a little stub pipe on the rear of the stove that is flanked by rows of louvers in the back cover.
When the stove is off, cold air just blows in through the pipe.
We have never had an issue with air "turnover" in this house.
Heating has never been an issue, even during very cold wetaher ( 10F)
The whole big deal is how tight your house is.
If you have plenty of air flow through the house the stoves will work fine without the OAK if the house is tight and all sealed up, the OAK is a needed to operate the stoves safely.
Here in our house, whenever a little cooking odor gets loose (Burnt fish, toast ???) the airflow to the stoves will suck that smell right up and it keeps the house from getting stale.
I personally like the little bit of fresh air coming in, the house is a healthier place to live me thinks.
Now there is certainly too much of a good thing too.
A very tight house is not healthy, every bit of everything just stagnates inside.
To be healthy, you need an air turnover to replenish the oxygen and to elminate bad things.
If I let a Pooooof of smoke loose during a routine "Pot stirring" that I do a couple times a day, the smell will be gone within a very short time. Yupppp right back into the stove and outside it goes.
Having air whistling across the floor and stirring up the dust bunnies in the corner is definately too much.
Just some thoughts
Snowy
We have two stoves running almost continually during the winter months (if its mild out maybe only one)
The original furnace (HVAC system) has a fresh air "Blend" vent that allows fresh air from the roof area to be sucked into the top of the open air plenum thats above the furnace.
This plenum is open to the utility room and this area has louvers on the door that leads to the rest of the house, Plus the door is usually left open.
The pellets stoves have been running fine now since winter 1993 without OAK's
I did install an OAK in my new raised hearth but have yet to actually hook it to the stove.
The stoves we have do not run with outside air specifically and the OAK port is simply a little stub pipe on the rear of the stove that is flanked by rows of louvers in the back cover.
When the stove is off, cold air just blows in through the pipe.
We have never had an issue with air "turnover" in this house.
Heating has never been an issue, even during very cold wetaher ( 10F)
The whole big deal is how tight your house is.
If you have plenty of air flow through the house the stoves will work fine without the OAK if the house is tight and all sealed up, the OAK is a needed to operate the stoves safely.
Here in our house, whenever a little cooking odor gets loose (Burnt fish, toast ???) the airflow to the stoves will suck that smell right up and it keeps the house from getting stale.
I personally like the little bit of fresh air coming in, the house is a healthier place to live me thinks.
Now there is certainly too much of a good thing too.
A very tight house is not healthy, every bit of everything just stagnates inside.
To be healthy, you need an air turnover to replenish the oxygen and to elminate bad things.
If I let a Pooooof of smoke loose during a routine "Pot stirring" that I do a couple times a day, the smell will be gone within a very short time. Yupppp right back into the stove and outside it goes.
Having air whistling across the floor and stirring up the dust bunnies in the corner is definately too much.
Just some thoughts
Snowy
i disconnected my OAK only because at least once a week something would always clog the intake that is outside wether it be snow, a leaf...etc, and the stove would be over fed with pellets and completely black. while i dont like sending the air i already heated up the pipe and out i also dont like breaking the stove down every time this would happen
Souzafone
Feeling the Heat
For my situation no OAK works great, but may not for most. Our stove is at the north end of our small (1200SF) ranch. All windows are new, the house is well insulated. During the day when no one is home the 3 bedroom doors are closed. Whoever gets home first opens the doors in the evening, the cold air in the bedrooms gets sucked out, and within about an hour the whole house is up to wherever the thermostat is set, usually 70.
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