OAK for the 30

As I suspected.
I'm gonna' quit asking questions and just do this.
Then, I'll report any findings as I , uh, find them.

 

Well, the HD in Gaylord didn't have any 3" flex or term., so I'll need to order online.
PITA. I was right there.
I did get some other minor supplies though, so not a wasted trip.

 

I am an OAK fan.

My NC30 in the shop is on a slab and so can't have an OAK (without extreme weirdness) but in the leaky shop I don't mind. What I found odd about the NC30 is that on several occasions I have managed to get smoke pouring out of the OAK nipple on the back of the stove during cold startup with the door cracked. Maybe having an OAK would have made this path less desirable for the smoke.

In my house I have had a hearthstone heritage and now a BK and both took 100% of their intake air through the OAK snout. I think it is a superior installation and have never heard of an actual negative. My OAK intake is from my ventilated crawlspace under the home so the air is always relatively warm and not affected by outside wind events though I have not been convinced that the windward/leeward side of the house is an actual issue.

I have also never heard anybody regret installing an OAK.

Let's not forget humidity. It's bad enough to be sucking out heated room air and then paying to reheat the outside air but you are also sucking in dry cold air from outside and then heating it so your RH will be much lower without the OAK. Who likes dry air?

 

Good, I thought I was alone in that "smoke out the back" thing. In my case it was when the stove and chimney were ice cold and inside temp matched outside temp in the 30s. Getting smoke moving up the chimney takes some heat that was quickly being absorbed by the cold steel. In a warm house it might not happen as easily.

 

Another good point Highbeam.

 

Another strong point for having the complete length of the OAK to be made of metal. No PVC.

 

I've got the flex and term in the checkout at HD website.
I took the hint a few posts back.
The flex will eliminate the need for 4 -5 elbows.

 

So, made a run to Lowes in Gaylord yesterday evening.
Found the 3" flex and a clamp, but no 3" term, so I'll use the 4" one I have with a 4"-3" reducer they had. Had to buy a hole saw too.
Now, just need to modify the dryer vent term.
I'll post pics as I progress.

 

Got a start on putting the screen in the termination by pulling the flappers.

Got the mesh trimmed to fit inside that space.

 

Used some very good caulk to adhere the mesh to the termination, then used a couple spare firebricks to hold it while it dries. There's a "hood" that needs to be installed and may need to be caulked as well.
This caulk takes up to 7 days to "cure", but I'll probably cut the hole tomorrow, and install the flex to the term. and stove.

 

Ok, just shoot me. What a maroon.
While looking at the hole saws, I kept thinking I'm putting in 3" stuff, so that's what I got.
HOWEVER, I'm using a term. I got for the regular dryer hookup, which is 4".
So, how does a 4" pipe fit into a 3" hole (extract minds from gutter type places)? It doesn't. Don't bother doing the calcs.
I'll be doing some cypherin' on this until I get it figured out, or until I can take back the 3" and get the 4".
Time to call my brother and see what he has.

 

A hammer and some lard should make it fit.

 

I can probably get the 4" local, but it was too late to check when it dawned on me I screwed up.
We do have Crisco in the kitchen though.

 

There are other methods to get a fairly round hole cut, but a hole saw is nice and clean,.....and easy.

 

A point to consider as your Oak run is very short also for those that have stated smoke out the Oak, after passing through sill area drop a vertical run down about 4 ft or more then loop back up to the stove ( if you have a basement). This helps alleviate/ modify any external wind suction as well as increasing the run length for a bit of temperature modification prior to introducing it to the stove. You could run all the way down to the floor into a plenum box and then to the stove for more dwell time in the Oak supply line. A similar principal can be used for those lacking the basement aspect.

 

Hey Dave
you might want to check that dryer vent term, all the ones I found had the 4 inch pipe inside of a plastic housing so the hole actually needs to be 4.25.
Dave