Questions about OAKs

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havlat24 said:
My point is, it isnt that far fetched to assume that a pellet stove will not be running for periods of time in the winter. Especially the thermostat controlled ones. We all know the inherit variables associated with winter.

Well, I see what your saying, but in my case, my stove ran 24/7 last winter from mid November to the end of March....maybe even a little longer, except for stoppages for cleaning.

Hey, all I'm saying is that IMO, I don't really see any downsides to running an OAK.

And since Harman stoves (AKA god's gift to pellet stoves some people think), STRONGLY recommends using an OAK, I would think that would be good enough for me. But as with anything, there are a lot of "armchair quarterbacks" who know better than Harman, or Englander, etc.

I ran an OAK on my Astoria, and am running an OAK on my Englander. if I bought another brand, I'd run an OAK on that. In the end, everyone does what they think is best for them.
 
macman said:
timbo said:
.....I ran a search on the complete document and it ain't there.

(broken link removed to http://hearthnhome.com/downloads/installManuals/P68.pdf)

Thanks Macman! I don't have that revision manual and my stove is new. My manual doesn't have that part about strongly recommending an AOK.
 
timbo said:
macman said:
timbo said:
.....I ran a search on the complete document and it ain't there.

(broken link removed to http://hearthnhome.com/downloads/installManuals/P68.pdf)

Thanks Macman! I don't have that revision manual and my stove is new. My manual doesn't have that part about strongly recommending an AOK.
No problem.
 
I have noticed a draft from the OAK when the stove is not running... it is very evident with the ceiling fans circulating the air.... but the draft is not felt while the stove is running. As macman said the stove is almost always running so this isn't really a problem for me. I did use high temp silicone on the exhaust pipe and OAK where they meet the wall to eliminate some of this. I'm sure PVC (if acceptable by code; not sure) would prevent some of this draft since the air seems to just pass through the flexible pipe. Also they make insulated flexible pipe but that may create a whole bunch of new problems (humidity).

Just my 2 cents...
 
Timbo,

Take a look at this thread that got alot of press when posted back in early September 2009. The revised manuals for Harman all state HIGHLY recommend OAK...

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/40852/

I put one in after the recomendation and so far so good!
 
Hey guys.... my thoughts on an OAK are this.....

I feel there are 2 areas (at least 2 :lol: ) of discussion regarding the OAK...

1) how well will the stove itself performs/ functions in a home with or without an OAK.

2) how does the stove and building work together to achieve what we want at the end of the day (comfort and $ savings .....among many other things).

The engineering of the stove decides 1) above. And you have to not mess with the engineering or bad stuff might happen.

As for 2) , heres my thoughts on the comfort and $$ side of things......

The exhaust blower on every pellet stove blows air/smoke outside. It gets that air from inside your home (if you don’t use an OAK (Outside Air Kit). The air in your home has been previously heated which has cost you $$ to heat it. Your are therefore blowing your $$ outside if not using an OAK.

A stove, however, isn’t smart enough to sort out the air it uses ie. warm room air ($$), or..... drafty cool air that gets sucked in through the cracks of your house (to ‘replace’ what’s blown out via the stove). Therefore it blows a mixture of both warm ($$) and cool draft air outside with the smoke.

As far as the draft goes, if you are relying solely on a draft (no OAK) for the make-up air for the stove (you need make up air in the home cause you can’t have a total vacuum in your home), I would rather localize and position the draft at the back of the stove (using an OAK) rather than say pulling it from any cracks in the wall from behind me (or anywhere) and having that cool draft pass by me on it's way to the stove…Buurrrrr! ( guess I'm saying we can eliminate most of the draft caused by the stove sucking for air, by putting the OAK at or very near the stove).

A stove using a thermostat on the wall, would come on less often using an OAK behind the stove as the room air wouldn’t be cooled as quickly by a draft , so in the long run less stove operation, which means less pellets burned, which means $$ saved.

In a nut shell, I think that by using an OAK, you will save yourself ($$) and have a less drafty and therefore more comfortable home….. as for whether your stove itself can function properly with or without an OAK, that would depend on the engineering of the specific stove. ....... there........ I'm done saying this about that...........IMHO… :cheese:
 
Medreach said:
Timbo,

Take a look at this thread that got alot of press when posted back in early September 2009. The revised manuals for Harman all state HIGHLY recommend OAK...

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/40852/

I put one in after the recomendation and so far so good!

Thanks medreach...great thread...
 
CanadaClinker said:
Hey guys.... my thoughts on an OAK are this.....

I feel there are 2 areas (at least 2 :lol: ) of discussion regarding the OAK...

1) how well will the stove itself performs/ functions in a home with or without an OAK.

2) how does the stove and building work together to achieve what we want at the end of the day (comfort and $ savings .....among many other things).

The engineering of the stove decides 1) above. And you have to not mess with the engineering or bad stuff might happen.

As for 2) , heres my thoughts on the comfort and $$ side of things......

The exhaust blower on every pellet stove blows air/smoke outside. It gets that air from inside your home (if you don’t use an OAK (Outside Air Kit). The air in your home has been previously heated which has cost you $$ to heat it. Your are therefore blowing your $$ outside if not using an OAK.

A stove, however, isn’t smart enough to sort out the air it uses ie. warm room air ($$), or..... drafty cool air that gets sucked in through the cracks of your house (to ‘replace’ what’s blown out via the stove). Therefore it blows a mixture of both warm ($$) and cool draft air outside with the smoke.

As far as the draft goes, if you are relying solely on a draft (no OAK) for the make-up air for the stove (you need make up air in the home cause you can’t have a total vacuum in your home), I would rather localize and position the draft at the back of the stove (using an OAK) rather than say pulling it from any cracks in the wall from behind me (or anywhere) and having that cool draft pass by me on it's way to the stove…Buurrrrr! ( guess I'm saying we can eliminate most of the draft caused by the stove sucking for air, by putting the OAK at or very near the stove).

A stove using a thermostat on the wall, would come on less often using an OAK behind the stove as the room air wouldn’t be cooled as quickly by a draft , so in the long run less stove operation, which means less pellets burned, which means $$ saved.

In a nut shell, I think that by using an OAK, you will save yourself ($$) and have a less drafty and therefore more comfortable home….. as for whether your stove itself can function properly with or without an OAK, that would depend on the engineering of the specific stove. ....... there........ I'm done saying this about that...........IMHO… :cheese:

You explained that well. I had no idea the purpose of an OAK. Now it makes sense.
 
For the record... here's my OAK integrated into my vent pipe.

[Hearth.com] Questions about OAKs
 
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