DANGEROUS? to have fresh/ cold air intake above the stove in basement install?

[KentsStove]

Basically I posted a question on Reddit that seeks to have brought several strong and differing opinions.


Today I connected a 4" insulated duct into my Englander 2400 wood stove.

However, I came across some people online saying that if it's installed above the stove that it can reverse the draft, act as the chimney and cause a serious fire. Others seem to say that woodstoves, like mine are built with this inlet on the back/bottom for a reason and plenty of wood stoves in basements have fresh air intakes installed the same way, without concern.

My only reason for the install was to eliminate issues with smoke kicking back into my house at times, which only seems to be mitigated when I opened a nearby window. Further research lead me to believe a fresh air intake was my best option. Today I installed it, and for all purposes it did seem to change the negative pressure in my home. No windows in my upper level were constantly covered in condensations and steam for the first time, ever.. so I guess the big question is.

Am I worried for nothing? Is this dangerous?

 

[KentsStove]

On the outside of my house the exhaust is only about 1.5' from the ground.

 

[begreen]

They are correct, this could be a bad situation in the case of draft reversal. What is an Englander 2400? I haven't seen this one.

 

[GG Woody]

Correct, it is not advised.
I also don't know how much heat the insulated flex can handle, I don't like flex and wouldn't have it that close to the stove.
I put a O.A.K. to ours but I left an air gap just incase. Best case scenario is it gets most of its combustion air from my duct but if pressures were to change it cannot vent backwards.
Your install has a short vertical rise for the OAK, I would maybe hope that it at least has metal flexible duct inside the insulation.

 

[begreen]

On the outside of my house the exhaust is only about 1.5' from the ground.

Assuming this was supposed to mean the intake. This too could be an issue, like when it snows or if leaves build up in front of it.

 

[KentsStove]

They are correct, this could be a bad situation in the case of draft reversal. What is an Englander 2400? I haven't see

They are correct, this could be a bad situation in the case of draft reversal. What is an Englander 2400? I haven't seen this one.

Englanders 32-NC,

 

[KentsStove]

Assuming this was supposed to mean the intake. This too could be an issue, like when it snows or if leaves build up in front of it.

Yes but I would keep it clear with a shovel.

 

[stoveliker]

I believe your install is against code in the US.
That could have consequences for the willingness of insurance to pay out if things go wrong.

Was your install WETT inspected?
And should it be reinspected after your modification?

Are you going to stay awake when you get a snowstorm overnight to ensure the intake stays open?

Generally running a wood stove when it's cold outside*decrease humidity* in the home because the outside air that leaks in to the house to make up for the air used in the stove has a low humidity.
Now that "drying" is not present anymore, so I suggest that the change in condensation on the windows is an unrelated coincidence.

 

[KentsStove]

I believe your install is against code in the US.
That could have consequences for the willingness of insurance to pay out if things go wrong.

Was your install WETT inspected?
And should it be reinspected after your modification?

Are you going to stay awake when you get a snowstorm overnight to ensure the intake stays open?

Generally running a wood stove when it's cold outside*decrease humidity* in the home because the outside air that leaks in to the house to make up for the air used in the stove has a low humidity.
Now that "drying" is not present anymore, so I suggest that the change in condensation on the windows is an unrelated coincidence.

Yes my stove/Chimney was WETT inspected at the time. No issues, I have since contacted the guy who inspected it, to ask him questions on the new fresh air install but he hasn't replied yet.

 

[stoveliker]

Regarding the smoke issue, negative pressures are a thing in basements. This is because your home also acts like a chimney; warm air goes up (draft) creating a lower pressure downstairs - just as in your stove.
To mitigate this as much as possible you should air seal upstairs as much as possible (windows, and especially the ceilings into the attic) so air can't escape there. In effect close the chimney that is your home.

This is assuming the smoke rolls out when opening the stove door.

If smoke came out of the air intake at times during the burn cycle, you're in higher danger as right now that could lead to a draft establishing in the flex tube (*because it's going up*), and the hot gases are a fire hazard if not contained in a flue designed to keep hot gases.

 

[weee123]

Glad you took my advice on reddit and came here. Told you they would be able to explain it better than I can. Also, nice choice in stove 😉 welcome to the forum.

 

[begreen]

Introduce an air gap to eliminate the risk it becoming a flue.

Yes but I would keep it clear with a shovel.

That might not work out with a heavy overnight snowfall. Why was it put in so low? It looks like there is room to go higher.

 

[KentsStove]

Glad you took my advice on reddit and came here. Told you they would be able to explain it better than I can. Also, nice choice in stove 😉 welcome to the foru

Introduce an air gap to eliminate the risk it becoming a flue.


That might not work out with a heavy overnight snowfall. Why was it put in so low? It looks like there is room to go higher.

There was definitely room to go higher, but from what everyone is saying. It's unsafe to do it this way, as it may cause air intake to act as a chimney.

Apparently I should have went way lower. And it's not safe to have it above the stove

 

[begreen]

There was definitely room to go higher, but from what everyone is saying. It's unsafe to do it this way, as it may cause air intake to act as a chimney.

Apparently I should have went way lower. And it's not safe to have it above the stove

The deed is already done whether it's 3' higher or 5 ft. With an air gap, it can safely go much higher. Or if this is a daylight basement, can it go low, through the wall where the wood is stacked?

 

[janice_m14]

Interesting... we bought a house in 2022 with an existing wood stove in the basement that had an OAK running into an adjacent interior wall then along the unfinished basement ceiling before exiting the house. Our home inspector and chimney inspector didn't say anything about it, and the seller was a dear, dear man who had been the town fire chief.

We just bought a new stove, and the dealer/installer said he connected the outside air duct to the bottom of the stove. He said we might as well connect it since we have it. However, a week or so later, my husband must have looked under the stove because he noticed that the installer had not actually connected it. The duct was just hanging out underneath the stove.

I looked at the stove owner's manual, and it says relying on room air is the recommended approach. I contacted the manufacturer to ask about it, and they said they're somewhat indifferent about the air supply--pros and cons to have an OAK or not. They agreed that as long as I have it, I might as well connect it since it would also stop the cold air from exiting into the room. They sent me a free start collar, and I was planning to connect things up any day now. (If memory serves, I don't think the manufacturer was aware of the basement setup though.)

From this string, I'll have to do more research and perhaps just cap off the duct. Always learning!

(We don't seem to have any draft issues, and no noticeable smoke exits the stove when reloading.)