Combustion Air...

Dave_13

Sorry guys, a little off subject but I'm sure there's good combustion guys here to give their opinion. I bought a house with a pellet stove and the combustion air was never piped to the outside as the manual states it should. What kind of affects would this have? To start, I know I'm pulling already heated air in the house and blowing up the chimney. Do you think that it really makes a big difference? Someone told me that the cold combustion air makes the process more efficient. Why? Also my house was built in '89- not a super tight construction. Any opinions here would be greatly appreciated.

Greg Swob

Cold outside air is...

First of all, 'free' in that your heater is not consuming costly heated air.

What does happen whenever conditioned air is consumed by a heating appliance is the home is caused to breathe in more outside air. In many instances, a small draft can be created through loosly fitting windows, doors, and other penetrations allowing cold air to infiltrate the dwelling making the occupants feel colder and less comfortable.

In 1989, many homes were built fairly tightly. Adding to interior air consumption may in relatively tight homes cause spillage of combustible gases from water heaters and other fossil fuel appliances via vents and draft hoods backdrafting.

In short, whenever possible, obtaining combustion air directly from the exterior provides an advantage of comfort, wise energy usage and improved safety. An appliance must always be installed following manufacturer instructions, codes and a blending in of good workmanship.

Greg