Adding outside combustion air to my oil furnace

BKB

House is 6 years old and very tight. Have a forced hot air oil furnace sucking air from the basement. I notice things tend to get sucked under the basement door when furnace is on, or on windy days when the chimny has a good draft. I had a whole house air leak test and it confirmed that there is a constant vacuum in the basment. I would like to add a fresh air inlet for the furnace. Was wandering if it is acceptable to run a 4'' hose to the cover of the unit and block off some or all of the louvers in the cabinet. Dont know if pulling super cold air into the furnace will lower efficency, cause poor starting. The basement is all open and i do work down there and would rather not just add a 4'' hose always blowing cold air on the floor like is recomended. I could brag to my friends that my heating unit has a cold air intake and adds 20hp.

Steve_24

Outside air

I'd check with a professional (I'm just a well informed homeowner), but here are some things to consider:



Building codes specify exactly how much fresh air must be available. Does your installation meet code?  Whether or not you need outsde air depends on the volume of the boiler room and the btu output of the burner.  Even if your setup meets code, it is desirable to bring in combustion air from outside in order to reduce cold air infiltration.



See  if there is an outside air package available for your burner. I believe that Beckett and Riello offer these.



Another option would be to install a makeup air fan such as the "fan in a can" offered by Field Controls.



Whatever you do I suggest you hire a well informed professional. Unfortunately is can be very hard to find people who are expert.  Good luck!

Al Letellier_21

outside air for combustion

This is always a big issue in super tight houses and the lack of sufficient air can lead to some very bad soot contamination and health issues for the occupant. The other post gave good advise....seek a professional to solve your problem.

I generally use the Fan-in-the-can approach as it allows the incoming air to temper a little before entering the burner. Cold air injected directly into the burner can and will alter the flame quality. Never alter the existing burner in any way that is not approved by the manufacturer. Doing what you suggest, running a line to the burner and altering the intake box is asking for trouble. I do a lot of insurance forensic work and you take on a lot of liability when you alter a burner. It got its UL label by being in the state it was when purchased and altering the burner in any way can void any warranties and listings by testing agencies.

Get a professional to do this work for you.