Why Install An Outside Air Kit With Your New Wood-Burning Fireplace?
Posted on: 20 January 2023
If you've decided to buy a wood-burning fireplace, then your installation service might recommend that you also put in an outside air kit. They can do this job at the same time as they install your fireplace; it won't add much time to the job.
What do air kits do? Why should you think about installing one?
What Is an Outside Air Kit?
Your wood-burning stove needs a supply of air to work. Stoves traditionally come with built-in vents which pull in air from their environment to provide oxygen to complete the combustion process which fuels the fire.
However, this system doesn't always work effectively in modern houses with efficient insulation. They don't have much air circulating around the home. So, your fireplace might have to rely on drawing down air from its chimney because it won't have much ambient air around it.
In this case, you can add an outside air kit. Here, your installation contractor creates a ducted pipeline leading to an external vent before they install your fireplace. They then connect the vent to the fireplace when it goes in.
The vent pulls in air to boost your stove's supply. You can usually close the vent inside your fireplace when you aren't using your fire to keep out draughts.
Why Install an Outside Air Kit?
If your wood-burning fireplace is in a well-insulated space, then it will have a limited oxygen supply. It won't have access to enough air and will create negative pressure in its room as it tries to source oxygen.
If your stove doesn't have an adequate air supply, then your fire might never work to maximum capacity. A lack of oxygen can prevent a stove from burning hard. Your stove will work, but it might never produce the heat you need if it can't combust at the right levels.
The negative pressure your fireplace creates can also cause problems. For example, smoke from your fireplace might start to billow back into the room. It won't drift up your chimney as it should but will be sucked back down by your stove's efforts to find an adequate air supply.
An outside air kit helps you avoid these problems. The venting system will give your stove enough air to go through a clean and efficient combustion process. Your fire will burn brightly and consistently.
Plus, the kit also ensures that smoke goes where it should. It provides enough air for your fireplace, and your stove won't affect ambient air pressure.
To find out more about these kits, talk to your fireplace installation services provider such as Southwest Brick & Fireplace
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