Outdoor Air Intake

Good morning all,
This question is out of place here but Sting or another kind member will help me understand.

I was fixing frozen pipes Friday at GF house and noticed the oil burner was running flat out. While I was waiting for the a pipe to thaw it was clear that the baro had been installed wrong and stuck closed off, and the burner was firing like crap.

Here is the question: The burner has an outdoor intake piping. Can I move it into the boiler room ?

I fixed the Baro and set it with a good draft meter, put in a new nozzle and adjusted the flame nice.
It just seams crazy to pipe 5 deg. air into a heating device.

Any input is appreciated !

Thanks, Dave

Dave,

The reason for the outdoor air intake is for a house that is too tight and does not have enough available air to allow a good burn.

Just like some here that open a window when burning their coal appliance and it increases their heat output.

Rick

I have a 4" pvc pipe open to the outside that opens into my coal boiler room. Better to bring the combustion air inside in a controlled manner. Otherwise its going to enter at every exhaust fan and cracks around windows and doors.

What those above said! Plus if the house is tight outside air increases the draft and raises your safety factor. Better to burn outside air than suffer the consequences of carbon monoxide.

My keystoker combustion fan and convection fan are very close to each other. I believe they are fighting each other for inside air, so I also installed a pvc pipe to the outside for both to share. This way the combustion fan has more air and the convection fan has some fresh air mixed with the return air. Yes, the pvc pipe is away from the exhaust outlet on the outside!

I also use a 4" pvc pipe, drawing in outside air. It is plumbed directly to the combustion fan. Have been using this setup for a few years now with no problems. I have no idea if it increases efficiency, but at least I know the stove isn't drawing air through openings in the house. I do have the intake located where it shouldn't get blocked by snow, etc. and I check it regularly. One thing that surprises me is the lack of condensation on the pipe bringing cold air into the warm room?

Plastic pipe insulates well, also the house air tends to be dry during the winter. There isn't any condensation on my copper cold water pipes in the winter either. During the summer they're soaked.

stokerstove wrote:I also use a 4" pvc pipe, drawing in outside air. It is plumbed directly to the combustion fan. Have been using this setup for a few years now with no problems. I have no idea if it increases efficiency, but at least I know the stove isn't drawing air through openings in the house. I do have the intake located where it shouldn't get blocked by snow, etc. and I check it regularly. One thing that surprises me is the lack of condensation on the pipe bringing cold air into the warm room?

Dew is released when you cool the air, not warm it. Toilet tank is cool, warm air hits it and gives up water vapor as it cools. Warming air allows it to hold more water, IE: clothes dryer.