ᐅ Installing External Air Supply for a Chimney

Hello,

I have a Vaillant RecoVair ventilation system, a Bora cooktop with exhaust, and I want to install a fireplace in the living room. I have a fresh air supply connected through the floor slab, so external air intake.

My question is, is it possible to modify a standard fireplace to operate independently of the room air, using only the external air supply?

Thank you,

Erik

Many fireplaces have a connection for external air supply.

However, the local chimney inspector will probably complicate things. We needed a specially certified one. And we only have a recirculating hood.

You will likely need a pressure switch as well, but the chimney inspector will tell you exactly what is required.

ny_unity schrieb:

My question is, can a standard fireplace be modified to operate independently from the room air, meaning only with external air supply?

First of all, any decent fireplace has the option to be supplied with external air. Only the cheapest models lack this feature.

You might have an issue with my chimney inspector. Regardless of the model you buy, he will only approve the fireplace if a differential pressure switch is installed that can shut off the ventilation system, plus a window contact switch for the exhaust hood. I’ve experienced this recently. He doesn’t care even if the fireplace is certified...
It’s all doable, but if, for example, there is no power supply at the fireplace, it becomes much more complicated and costly. It’s already quite demanding as it is.

Oh man, there’s still a lot coming up besides the chimney... the air pressure monitor also costs over 500 €

nordanney schrieb:

First of all, every decent fireplace has the option to be operated with external air supply. Only the cheapest models do not have this feature.

With my chimney inspector, you would have a problem. No matter which model you buy, he will only approve the fireplace if a differential pressure switch is installed to shut off the ventilation system, plus a window contact switch for the exhaust hood. I just experienced this again recently. Even a certified fireplace doesn’t matter to him...
It’s all doable, but if, for example, there is no power supply at the fireplace, it becomes a lot of work and costs accordingly. It’s already quite demanding as it is.

In living areas, air is supplied, while air is extracted from the kitchen and bathroom – so why is a mechanical ventilation system considered a disadvantage? I just don’t see it. Or maybe my understanding of physics is lacking :-D

Nevertheless, negative pressure could develop inside the living space.