how much fresh air needs to fuel a wood fp insert

[reno_junkie]

I'm in a panic. The mason is in my living room now installing the marble. I have a 30 year masonary fireplace that I am having a Regency Wood Stove insert installed into. The installer says that as far as he is concerned I don't need to concern myself with connecting the combustion air intake to an external fresh air source. The building inspector says I need a 4" whisper vent in close proximity in the wall. My husband is saying if they can't get the fresh air directly into the unit and the air is coming from in the room, he doesn't want it. Is there a solution or a some information somewhere that can prove to my husband that we won't be sucking cold air from the bedrooms to fuel the fireplace.

[SeattlePioneer]

Read the installation manual for the fireplace carefully. It should describe what is needed for a combustion air supply, and your options for supplying those needs.

And this is something that's important. If the fireplace doesn't get sufficient combustion air, it will smoke into the room or not burn properly.

Many fireplace manuals worry that combustion air will be inadequate, especially in newer and tighter homes. It's not unusual for them to suggest that a hole be cut in the wall to supply the additional air needed.

So you should investigate this with care.

If the fireplace has a way of connecting up an exterior source of combustion air, I'd have a large bias towards using that option. Otherwise, you will be using heated room air for the fireplace, and every cubic foot of heated room air that goes into the fireplace means that a cubic foot of cold air has to come in from outdoors to take its place.


Seattle Pioneer