2017-18 Blaze King Performance Thread PART 3 (Everything BK)
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I think it’s like pellet stoves. 3” for very short runs and 4” after that. I used 4” because it is a common duct size.
I have cut lots of holes through old stone for smaller ones like you would need for an oak rent a wet core drill. It takes a while but it will cut through.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Any concerns with any shifting or working things loose in the 40 feet of masonry vertically stacked above where I’ll be drilling? This is in the tallest part of the house.
I’ve used a core drill in concrete, but never tried it on the mix of red sedimentary and granite stone that’s found in my walls. Granite has a way of eating drills.
I have never had any issues at all. I have drilled lots of holes like it through old stone walls like yours. The core drills run slow with no hammering so not allot of danger of shifting.
Require---- No..
Help with cold air intrusion----- Yes..
Think about it, the air exiting the chimney(s) has to come from somewhere... Outside..
With the OAK it's still coming from outside, however, it's got a direct path to the stoves air intake, eliminating a lot of cold drafty spots from a house that's under a vacuum condition..
True oak kits are accomplishing several things. Like showrguy says you are no longer pulling a negative pressure on the house from the stove also you are no longer using the room air you just heated for combustion (basically throwing air you heated already right out your chimney).
In very tight homes/spaces an oak kit will also alleviate the lack of fresh air for combustion. In most cases a oak kits are very good and recommended
In very tight homes/spaces an oak kit will also alleviate the lack of fresh air for combustion. In most cases a oak kits are very good and recommended
In many old homes no. I am by no means against outside air. I will probably be inatalling an intake in my house because i am sealing it up quite a bit. But most old homes exchange air fast enough that the air lost for combustion air makes no difference.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Well, to put it very simply... if you're not sucking several CFM out of the house via the chimney, then you're not sucking that many CFM of fresh cold air into the house, thru those assumed gaps. In other words, it helps the house remain closer to neutral ambient pressure, so there's less propensity for bringing that fresh cold air in. Or for you sparkys out there, without voltage, there's no current flow.
The OAK removes the chimney, and it's potential to drop interior air pressure, from the equation.
Now, my turn for a question: Does the BK Ashford have a positive or sealed connection option for an OAK? I'm not into bringing a cold air duct into the floor behind the stove.
In the winter,
His house is not leaking warm air out...
It's the draft of the chimneys leaking/drawing cold air IN.... Around any little crack it can find..
(Banging my head against the wall)
I am also looking into putting a OAK on the Ashford. Is it possible to install the OAK directly on the wall behind the stove and is it possible to do it efficiently without ordering the OAK kit from a retailer? I think the kit is made so the installation is made through the floor.
While I understand the concept...... In a very leaky house any time there is a breeze there is air exchange, and its way more then any stove draw would take. I am using a OAK in a new construction house and while I believe it helps with modern construction I cant believe it would really help in ashful's situation. Will be cool to see his take on it once he tries it.
Yes a house will leak warm air out the top and suck cold air in the bottom.
Again not saying oaks cant be usefull. But in 100+ year old houses they will make no difference unless there are enough leaks in the upper levels to cause negative pressure at the stove. Which we have seen plenty of times.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Interesting theory, bholler. I’m going to have to think about this.
For the record, my house is much less leaky than some here might assume. Yes, I have 60 windows and ten doors, roughly half of which are 250 years old. But, the old windows are only single-hung, meaning the top sash is fixed and well sealed, and I keep well-fitted storm windows on all of those old windows. Half of the windows are contained in a 1990’s addition to the house, and are very good quality modern dual-pane windows. A few of the old doors are rough (the old front door actually lets light in around the perimeter), but I keep a draft socks across the bottom of those doors during the winter. Most importantly, the construction is all masonry and the roof is all raised seam metal over plywood over original cedar shake with porridged soffits... it ain’t leaking nothing. Old frame houses leak when the wind blows, but masonry houses... not so much.
My primary enemy is just scale. 60 windows and a bunch of exterior doors are going to make a joint hard to heat, no matter their age.
Some things to consider/brainstorm...
Fresh air kit.
-will reduce stove tendencies to pull a negative pressure on the room/house.
-may allow less heated room air out the chimney.
-may fix lack of combustion air issues.
-posibly affect humidity levels in the house(i wonder if a good determining factor on whether a aok kit will help would be if when you normally run your stove u have to add moisture to the air. If this is the case it may be an indication that while your stove is in use it is indeed pulling thay cold dry air from outside in your home while using the moist air in your home for combustion. Just a thought)
-may cause harder startups in certain situations (if the air your pulling into the stove is extremely cold it may be a little hard to get a draft going initially. (Possible but unlikely backdrafting thru the intake)
-possibly...causing long term issues if you have extreemly cold air hitting a very hot surface over a period of time is it possible to cause cracking?
Not saying these are all sound theories just stirring the pot....
Fresh air kit.
-will reduce stove tendencies to pull a negative pressure on the room/house.
-may allow less heated room air out the chimney.
-may fix lack of combustion air issues.
-posibly affect humidity levels in the house(i wonder if a good determining factor on whether a aok kit will help would be if when you normally run your stove u have to add moisture to the air. If this is the case it may be an indication that while your stove is in use it is indeed pulling thay cold dry air from outside in your home while using the moist air in your home for combustion. Just a thought)
-may cause harder startups in certain situations (if the air your pulling into the stove is extremely cold it may be a little hard to get a draft going initially. (Possible but unlikely backdrafting thru the intake)
-possibly...causing long term issues if you have extreemly cold air hitting a very hot surface over a period of time is it possible to cause cracking?
Not saying these are all sound theories just stirring the pot....
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