Direct Air vs Air from Room - for Wood stove. What's best for high humidity house?

[carbs for arbs]

Fantastic responses - thank you all very much!  A bit tied up right now, but will respond more fully soon.  Until then, thanks again

[renewablejohn]

Solution that has worked for us in an old stone listed farmhouse. Seal the house with triple glazing and swedish doors, fires vented from outside, lime mortar throughout, then Partel MVHR in pairs which removes any condensation.

[neiln]

It sounds to me like drawing the air from the room would be best for you.  If the first construction is of the age where it needs the ventilation, then vent!  My own 1930s semi is similar.  Solid walls which can be quite cold, built with 5 fireplaces and a range, when I moved in 13 years ago it was quite damp at times as over the years the c/h had replaced the fires and the air bricks and the house blocked up.  I put two stoves in and opened up all the air bricks and the place is much much drier.  The weather is very very humid at the moment though, I'm getting condensation on the inside of the double glazed windows which is a bit unusual.  It'll soon cool a bit more, and with the stoves the house will soon be much drier.  Wife and I really notice it if we are lazy and put the c/h on, how the humidity climbs quite quickly.

[Steven P]

 My thoughts on this, it is usually more humid inside than outside, we sitin the hosue breathingout mist air, we cook on and steam from the pans gets into the kitchen similarly a bath or a shower all filling up the house with moist air, and we keep out inside air nice and warm so thst it hold more. Outside, cooler air and it condenses, high up as rai, low down as mist. So inside air is moist. My hall sits at about 60 to 70% RH.. but I know Ineed to seal a bit more under the floors where the electricians stomped their boots through the tar coating last time it was rewired (1948 house)

 

What we find is that the upstairs is an open fire, if we get that going it draws a lot of air out the house, outside air comes in and it is drier.. and feels warmer too. Downstairs I actually have a vent directly underneath the stove to the under floor void, I estimate half the fire air comes from that, half from the living room, it burns OK and keeps the house warm. I think there are benefits both ways but think I would go with taking some or all the air from iside just to get the air changes going  after all that is  how the houses were designed

[Stubby]

21 hours ago, Steven P said:

 My thoughts on this, it is usually more humid inside than outside, we sitin the hosue breathingout mist air, we cook on and steam from the pans gets into the kitchen similarly a bath or a shower all filling up the house with moist air, and we keep out inside air nice and warm so thst it hold more. Outside, cooler air and it condenses, high up as rai, low down as mist. So inside air is moist. My hall sits at about 60 to 70% RH.. but I know Ineed to seal a bit more under the floors where the electricians stomped their boots through the tar coating last time it was rewired (1948 house)

 

What we find is that the upstairs is an open fire, if we get that going it draws a lot of air out the house, outside air comes in and it is drier.. and feels warmer too. Downstairs I actually have a vent directly underneath the stove to the under floor void, I estimate half the fire air comes from that, half from the living room, it burns OK and keeps the house warm. I think there are benefits both ways but think I would go with taking some or all the air from iside just to get the air changes going  after all that is  how the houses were designed

Also outside air , in the winter when its colder , is denser therefore containing slightly more 02 .

[openspaceman]

2 hours ago, Stubby said:

Also outside air , in the winter when its colder , is denser therefore containing slightly more 02 .

Doh, so you have to heat it up in the fire before dumping it out of the top of the chimney with greater heat loss than if you took air from the room that was to be made up from outside air anyway.

[Stubby]

10 hours ago, openspaceman said:

Doh, so you have to heat it up in the fire before dumping it out of the top of the chimney with greater heat loss than if you took air from the room that was to be made up from outside air anyway.

?  What I meant is air fed directly to the stove   (through a pipe ) from out side will be colder than air from the room so will contain more 02 which in turn supports a better combustion .  It all goes up the chimney what ever way you choose .

Edited October 14, 2021 by Stubby

[Woodworks]

26 minutes ago, Stubby said:

?  What I meant is air fed directly to the stove   (through a pipe ) from out side will be colder than air from the room so will contain more 02 which in turn supports a better combustion .  It all goes up the chimney what ever way you choose .

But it's say 20c cooler but it's going to heated to 350c plus. Cant see that will make much difference

[Retired Climber]

44 minutes ago, Stubby said:

?  What I meant is air fed directly to the stove   (through a pipe ) from out side will be colder than air from the room so will contain more 02 which in turn supports a better combustion .  It all goes up the chimney what ever way you choose .

Higher density air does technically contain more oxygen for a given volume, but it also contains more of everything else. For this application I can't see it making even the slightest difference. For an F1 racing team, air temp and density are very important, for combustion in a stove, not so much. 

[Stubby]

2 hours ago, Retired Climber said:

Higher density air does technically contain more oxygen for a given volume, but it also contains more of everything else. For this application I can't see it making even the slightest difference. For an F1 racing team, air temp and density are very important, for combustion in a stove, not so much. 

Ok . Just a thought . Room seal kits to pipe air directly to the stove from out side ( without the cold air being in the room ) I thought was a good idea that's all .