Added an OAK to Quadrafire CB1200 Classic Bay - Have you noticed a difference?

[Don2222]

Hello
After upgrading from the Magnum Baby Countryside to a Quadrafire CB1200 Classic Bay we added the air collar and connected the previously installed 3” diameter OAK and 4” diameter duravent pro venting.
Since the 3” diameter aluminum flex OAK is way to big for the air collar and knockout in the back panel we adapted it down to 2” aluminum flex and connected them together with steel muffler adapters and stainless steel muffler clamps to keep it all within code, we still could not get the 2” thru the back panel because it was so tight it was cutting the flex open so we made the cutout larger on 2 sides with a Sabre Saw! Anyone else do this?
Then the new optional air collar only had 2 pre-drilled holes in the bottom flange so it did not match the 4 pre-drilled holes in the bottom of the stove around the hole fot the OAK! Anyone see this? Therefore we just made new homes with Stainless Steel self tapers so the flange would be mounted squarely and look good!
Since the fresh air is fed under the stove and then up into the burnpot the air may warm up and dry out a bit in this damp NE cold weather and be more efficient?
So has anyone noticed a difference by using an OAK on the CB1200 ???
See pics

 

[Overfireinthehole]

Not really. Just more humidity.

 

[Tonyray]

started from day 1 with an OAK so cannot determine.