Gas and Oil Home Heating Furnaces - Power Vent or New Chimney?
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Gecates
08-07-03, 10:04 AM
I have a single story ranch and I want to install oil FHW heat. I have a wood stove hooked up to the only chimney in the house. Should I build an exterior chimney or install a power venter?:confused: What are the pros & cons of each?
Ed Imeduc
08-07-03, 10:54 AM
I would say if you have the room build the new chimney for the oil burner. Why have another fan run when you dont need to. Also on an oil burner you want a barametic damper so you can control the draft over the fire on the burner.;) ED
KField
08-08-03, 03:26 PM
Chimney Pros: Free draft. Height gets flue gasses up and away from people. It does its job quietly.
Cons: Cost of construction. Must keep stack temp high enough to prevent condensation. Might need barometric draft regulator if draft is in excess of what equipment requires.
Inducer Pros: Easy to install. Less expensive than a masonry chimney.
Inducer Cons: Noisy (yes they are, no matter what anyone tells you). They must be disassembled periodically for cleaning. That takes time and is a pain. They discharge at ground level and the odor is not pleasing. Plants hate it too. There is one more safety switch to malfunction. One more adjustment to be made when setting up the system. One more motor to maintain and eventually replace.
Another option if you can locate it somewhere inside the house. (Like in a closet or a corner of a room and box it) is a stainless steel chimney. Triple wall with solid insulation. I have had a Hart & Cooley metalvent chimney in my house for over 20 years and it is better than a tile lined chimney and easier to install. The hardest part is the roof flashing. At least that was the hardest part for me. A roofer would probably say different.
Good luck.
Ken
Cons: Cost of construction. Must keep stack temp high enough to prevent condensation. Might need barometric draft regulator if draft is in excess of what equipment requires.
Inducer Pros: Easy to install. Less expensive than a masonry chimney.
Inducer Cons: Noisy (yes they are, no matter what anyone tells you). They must be disassembled periodically for cleaning. That takes time and is a pain. They discharge at ground level and the odor is not pleasing. Plants hate it too. There is one more safety switch to malfunction. One more adjustment to be made when setting up the system. One more motor to maintain and eventually replace.
Another option if you can locate it somewhere inside the house. (Like in a closet or a corner of a room and box it) is a stainless steel chimney. Triple wall with solid insulation. I have had a Hart & Cooley metalvent chimney in my house for over 20 years and it is better than a tile lined chimney and easier to install. The hardest part is the roof flashing. At least that was the hardest part for me. A roofer would probably say different.
Good luck.
Ken
hvac01453
08-09-03, 07:48 AM
is the payback time...how long you anticipate living there...chimneys are also equivelent to leaving a window open especially when located on the end of the house as most are...