Pacific Energy 30: Cold air coming out blower vents?

[Daveesrig]

I am a first time owner of a fireplace insert and am very impressed by my PE30's ability to heat the house with great looking fires. But, when I'm not burning, a lot of cold air comes in through the blower vents -- even with the air intake closed as much as possible (I'm not even sure it has an impact). The installer said that the blower air circuit admits some outside air through the air intake and that I can theoretically add a damper to it outside but that I must put a big note on the unit in the house so I don't try to start a fire with it closed. Also my wife reasonably nixed the idea of having to go outside to open the intake damper each time to start a fire.

Question is: do all inserts have this issue? Do air intake controls generally control air coming into the blower circuit as well or just into the firebox? Are there solutions I'm not thinking of? Thanks!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[venator260]

I have the little brother to this fireplace.

I would think that the blowers and the air intake for the stove would be separate, as you wouldn't want air forced into the stove by the blower. I do get cold air when I'm not running the stove, but it comes out from around the air control for the stove.

 

[Daveesrig]

Thanks. The installer said the blower air circuit gets some fresh air through the same port as the fire box. There is a "Y" connection separating them. Explains why a back draft situation once smoked up our house.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk