What are my options for wood-burning insert with OAK?

[Marcus in the Darkus]

I have started to do some research on a wood-burning insert I can use in my 48-year-old living room fireplace that has never seen a fire. The existing opening is pretty decent size, as it will swallow up a Quadra-Fire 5100 if I want it to. Not sure I need anything quite that big. I've attached a pic. Note the cleanout, which is accessed behind the fireplace on the exterior of the house. Here are my criteria, and ideally, I'd like to find an insert that meets all criteria:

1) I want to provide outside air for combustion.
2) I strongly prefer a flush-mount installation. I have 18" from the vertical stone face to the front edge of the hearth, and I'd rather not have to extend my non-combustable surface.
3) I prefer contemporary styling.
3) I prefer porcelain enamel finish on the insert and on the surround.
4) I'm looking at inserts with firebox size around 2.4 cubic feet.
5) Need to heat about 1500 sf of floor area.
6) Would like to be able to load up the stove at 10:30 pm and quickly get a fire going again at 7:30 am.

Regarding OAK, can I use the existing cleanout? I've looked at several stoves online and have only found one that references an OAK in the literature: the Quadra-Fire Voyager Grand. Other insets I've looked at or researched thus far are:

- Enviro Cabella 1700 (no OAK, but I like it otherwise),
- Avalon (no OAK, but I like the size and styling; is it cast iron or steel?),
- Hearthstone Clydsdale (no OAK but I like it otherwise),
- Quadra-Fire 5100i (no OAK, probably too big for my application),
- Quadra-Fire Voyager Grand (only one I've found that mentions an OAK).

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

Regards,
Mark

 

[webby3650]

There aren't many options out there for inserts with an OAK available. It's gonna really limit you. Why do you think this is a must? If the home is 48 years old, then it's not gonna be tight enough to cause any problems. I would hate to see you rule out some very nice units because they don't have outside air.

 

[FyreBug]

Here's some good reading regarding the need of Outside Air. http://www.woodheat.org/outdoor-air-supplies.html

Bottom line? You are very unlikely to need it...

 

[BurnIt13]

I think you'd be surprised at how leaky a 48 year old house is. I have no data to back this up but I'm willing to bet even a fully remodelled 48 year old house is not even close to being as airtight as a new one.

My parents have a 15 year old house they built brand new. Codes in the late 90's weren't dramatically different than they are now. They have two Quadrafires running in the winter and no performance issues

Don't let the lack of an OAK hold you back.

****EDIT - For what its worth I have a 115 year old house that doesn't have a single draft but has no insulation in the walls. I have an OAK because my inspector wanted me to. If I disconnect it I can't tell the difference. I wish I didn't have it.

 

[Marcus in the Darkus]

Thank you for your replies. I want to provide outside combustion air to the stove because I want to reduce draftiness in the house, because I want to retain reasonable levels of humidity in the house, and because the I'm kind of an energy efficiency nut. I do not have any concerns about the house being so tight that I would need an OAK...the house already is drafty and I am currently taking advantage of a utility-sponsored weatherization program that should significantly tighten up the house (not to the point of mandating OAK, though). FyreBug, the article you linked was informative but, IMHO, it was clearly an advocacy piece prepared on behalf of the housing industry and was highly biased against OAK; the indoor comfort and retained humidity benefits of OAK were not even mentioned. Three months ago I moved out of a house with a wood stove and the dry air during winter was terrible...my skin gets really dry and my fingertips would split at the edges of my nails.

I'm not going to choose an inferior insert just to get OAK, but the availability of OAK will probably sway my decision. Thus far the Voyager Grand is the only wood insert I've found that has it.

 

[69911e]

I bought a PE Summit insert on the claim it supported an OAK. This was not true, all the oak does is open big holes from outside to the inside of the house. Obviously, I had a large cold draft...
It is a good stove and I did modify it to be a true OAK, but I would buy something else which is properly designed for an OAK.
I would do a true inspection of any you are considering to verify you don't have the PE problem and both primary and secondary air is supplied by the OAK.

 

[bobbyblades]

both quads have 4 inch opening in the back unit
dowload the install book you switch the plate to cover the inside air vent .
i got the same cleanout door in fireplce but it goes into basement . might remove it completely n squeexe flex line down suck up basment air maybe or run a line to outside from there.

 

[1jmiii]

I have a Pacific Energy Summit Insert, use its outside combustion air provision and really like it for all of the reasons you mention and the fact that I don't want any inside heat going up the chimney. With that said you should know that it aint as easy as they make it sound. If you just leave a cleanout door open you have exposed a very large and leaky sheet metal surface to cold outside air and does it ever want to get in! First step is to fabricate a sealed conduit between the outside opening and the small not-centered hole in the back of the insert's outer shell. Next consider that you are installing a large tin box in a very cold hole with nothing but a thin layer of 16 gauge steel between your living room and the cold interior surface of a brick chimney. Buy a small roll of high temperature metal foil tape and seal up all of the holes and open seams in the shell. Save the tape for use under the insert where the manufacturer left all kinds of holes and gaps in the outside combustion air conduit that is part of the insert. You will also want to devise a gasket to close up the huge slot they left where the primary combustion adjustment lever passes through. Now insulate between both sides, top and back of the shell and the fireplace hole with something completely nonflammable like rockwool. Install the insert using the leveling screws in the bottom of the insert to get it right. Hook up your insulated chimney liner and seal off the open area of the original flue so air cannot go up or down. Install the surround and other trim pieces important for wife approval. Now that you are ready to be warm with wonderful wood fire heat kneel down and load 'er up. Notice the amazingly cold and strong draft coming out from underneath the insert through the small gap left when you leveled it. Retrieve some of the rockwool scraps and carefully use it to caulk between the bottom of the enclosure and the surface it sits on. Wish I had done that at the back of the insert before I installed it.

All of this is doable and I am happy I did so, would do it again. I live out in the desert and my winter humidity is less than 10%; I desperately need an evaporative humidifier