Improving the efficiency of your wood stove.

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

isaaccarlson

Addicted to ArboristSite
Joined
Oct 22, 2009
Messages
1,431
Reaction score
297
Location
WI
For those who have an air inlet that is not on the stove door, why not pipe it outside to get fresh air for the stove instead of drawing air from the house, only to have it replaced by cold air(which will cut down on efficiency and create more drafts. Kinda seems logical, don't ya think? Why pull the warm air from your nice cozy den and replace it with cold air? Its kind of like running the air conditioner and heater at the same time.:blob2:
 
In my mother-in law's case

it solved the problem of the house out-drafting the short chimney. It now burns vigorously as opposed to barely smoldering and blowing smoke out the inlet!!!! Keeps pet mice out of stove also;)
 
We call that a balanced flue over here, some people run a duct under the floor to the fireplace if they are smart enough building new, others run a duct down next to the the chimney.
I have Heat recovery ventilation so ,most of the heat is recovered anyway as the old stuff is exhausted.
 
For those who have an air inlet that is not on the stove door, why not pipe it outside to get fresh air for the stove instead of drawing air from the house, only to have it replaced by cold air(which will cut down on efficiency and create more drafts. Kinda seems logical, don't ya think? Why pull the warm air from your nice cozy den and replace it with cold air? Its kind of like running the air conditioner and heater at the same time.:blob2:

You are talking about an 'Outside Air Kit' (an "OAK"); either google it by that name or swing on over to ********** - the hearth forum located here:

http://www.**********/econtent/index.php/forums/viewforum/2/

Sounds like they like them.

Shari
 
I should clarify: A lot of the newer EPA freestanding woodstoves have a punchout on the back of the stove specifically designed for an OAK.

Shari
 
I should clarify: A lot of the newer EPA freestanding woodstoves have a punchout on the back of the stove specifically designed for an OAK.

Shari
The wood stove shown in your avatar looks very good. I assume it is yours. Pray tell, Shari, does it have an OAK with a pipe leading to the outdoors that feeds air to the fire as it burns?
 
The wood stove shown in your avatar looks very good. I assume it is yours. Pray tell, Shari, does it have an OAK with a pipe leading to the outdoors that feeds air to the fire as it burns?

WD, Yes it's our stove but it resides uninstalled in our garage someday to be installed so for now we use the fireplace with a blower system. Nope, it is not an OAK stove.

Shari
 
Outside air being a benefit is a myth that's been busted.


Baloney. If done right, it's absolutely amazing!


If the myth's been 'busted' as you say, then it had to have been done by those two jokers on that "mythbusters" T.V. show.


Try peddling that 'bead' of knowledge to the Native Americans, some of whose ancestors used to dig covered trenches from the fires inside their teepees to the outside in order to efficiently feed them while keeping their backsides warm....


TS
 
It seemed like such a good idea until it was tested......

Here is the myth busting information:
http://woodheat.org/outdoorair/outdoorair.htm

Not to beleaguer the point, but the testing you refer to was done in 1989. USA required new EPA stove standards in 1991 or 1992 or thereabouts. I have no idea how the new EPA requirements relate this 1989 testing. I could be wrong, but I seem to recall the Canadian members on heath.com stating all new stove installations in Canada require an OAK. (There are differences in Canada vs USA stove installations as covered in manufacturers installation instructions.)

Shari
 
Thanks for clarifying, Treeco. Your earlier apparent blanket statement seemed to indicate that they don't help, period.

Ideally, one can use one's wood stove as a thermal heat pump, affording clean, heated outside air to mix with interior air and be sent throughout the home, helping to create a slightly positive pressure, so that whatever former draft inlet locations in the home, instead become outlets. In tight homes, such a setup can be made to work very well indeed.

And in today's orwellian atmosphere, positive pressure can be a good thing.


TS
 
I don't think any gains would be worth the risks with an older non airtight stove.

My Quad was designed for outdoor air intake, and the crew that installed the thing initially had the intake in my 3 season room when they were stopped. We ran it like that for a while with a window open until I got a hole punched through the floor and plumbed things to the outside.

I could notice a very small advantage in vaccum at the intake with a window open. Once plumbed outside though, the difference on windy days CAN be seen if the wind is just right. A hard south wind acts like a blower fan and the intake has to be closed a bit, so it's a good thing it's airtight.

I'd hate to see where an atmospheric change caused Carbon monoxide to build up in the house with a non airtight unit.

Just some thoughts.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote
 
I don't think any gains would be worth the risks with an older non airtight stove.


If one is still using a non airtight stove, then all bets are off, and I do mean, ALL....



TS
 
As per NFPA 211-9.3
Air for Combustion and Ventilation
Solid fuel burning appliances shall be installed in a location and manner so as to allow satisfactory combustion of fuel,proper chimney draft,and maintenance of safe temperature. Where buildings are so tight that normal infiltration does not provide the neccesary air,outside air shall be introduced.
 
As per NFPA 211-9.3
Air for Combustion and Ventilation
Solid fuel burning appliances shall be installed in a location and manner so as to allow satisfactory combustion of fuel,proper chimney draft,and maintenance of safe temperature. Where buildings are so tight that normal infiltration does not provide the neccesary air,outside air shall be introduced.[/QUOTE]

CK,

...and therein lies the answer to the discussion of OAK vs no OAK....

Thanks for the quote!

Shari
 
the best thing i did

I did a lot of research found good and bad. well finially did it took about one hour - hole saw- dryer duct. THE BEST THING I DID. heats the whole house with no drafts and no problems two years now.
 
Back
Top