Addied an OAK to Quadrafire CB1200 Classic Bay - Have you noticed a difference?

Hello
After upgrading from the Magnum Baby Countryside to a Quadrafire CB1200 Classic Bay we added the air collar and connected the previously installed 3” diameter OAK and 4” diameter duravent pro venting.
Since the 3” diameter aluminum flex OAK is way to big for the air collar and knockout in the back panel we adapted it down to 2” aluminum flex and connected them together with steel muffler adapters and stainless steel muffler clamps to keep it all within code, we still could not get the 2” thru the back panel because it was so tight it was cutting the flex open so we made the cutout larger on 2 sides with a Sabre Saw! Anyone else do this?
Then the new optional air collar only had 2 pre-drilled holes in the bottom flange so it did not match the 4 pre-drilled holes in the bottom of the stove around the hole fot the OAK! Anyone see this? Therefore we just made new homes with Stainless Steel self tapers so the flange would be mounted squarely and look good!
Since the fresh air is fed under the stove and then up into the burnpot the air may warm up and dry out a bit in this damp NE cold weather and be more efficient?
So has anyone noticed a difference by using an OAK on the CB1200 ???
See pics

 

Did you seal the bottom of the back of the stove with a rope gasket? kap

 

No, there is a flange that goes down to the floor. I know some people put a bead of silicone all the way around the bottom edge of the stove but I spent so much time on the OAK connection and still not sure how much the benefit is. So sealing the bottom seams to be way overkill.

 

The benefit is you're not sucking out room air that you/you're heated/heating.

 

The disadvantage of an OAK in NE is if you are pulling damp cool air directly in to the burnpot it is a little less efficient and more clinkers and dampness that makes the black carbon in ash stick and the stove rust.
However pulling the air under a warm stove gives the air a chance to warm up and dry out a bit so that helps and Selkirk Direct Temp venting makes it even better by pulling in the fresh air around the hot flue pipe.

 

I live in the NE...have had multiple models of stoves in my house (Englander PDVC, EP, CB1200, Mt. Vernon OE and E2 and now a P68....I don't think there's really any proof of that, at least not that I've seen or encountered.

 

The Selkirk DT works better for me and a few of my customers, I have seen a difference but yes there are no claims or proof.

 

Your stove is exhausting air whenever the combustion fan is running. So whether you have an OAK or not, your house will still have to pull in outside cold air somewhere. That's my theory on OAKs and why I installed mine.

 

Uh-oh.....do I smell another OAK vs no OAK discussion coming???????

 

Well, might as well throw my two cents worth in here. If the stove is air tight enough, it is worth the oak. If not air tight enough, it will suck as much air out of room as it does thru the oak. For an example, I would not put an oak on my Santa Fe as it is not tight enough. Too many places to pull air from. But the AE on the other hand, is a tight enough stove, that an oak is well worth it. Have at it. lol kap

 

That is an interesting take and I am sure you are referring to those stoves with the Breckwell type airwash that pulls air through the bottom of Fireglass in the door using room air to wash the glass??
Harman feeds the air wash from the air inlet tube!
Does the Santa Fe have that type of airwash? Where else does it pull room air? I have a contour, does it have these leaks??

 

The Santa Fe has lots of openings that allow air to the fire chamber. The ashpan is not sealed. There are other areas thru out the stove that allow air to be sucked into the fire chamber. It is not built air tight, and yes, the contour is the older version of the Santa Fe. Not all stoves are built the same. Not all same brand name stoves are built the same. kap

 

I have the CB 1200 myself in the basement with no OAK and all is good . I did make a few holes that are covered with a screen mesh above the back entry doors . I have one back door with a small set of steps then a second storm door to the back yard . Also there are some bathroom vents so this should help with negative air pressure if that's the correct term