ᐅ Which Type of Chimney?

So far, we have spoken with three fireplace installers, and each prefers a different option for the fresh air supply. We will choose a room-air-independent fireplace and therefore need a fresh air supply from outside. The following options were recommended to us:

1. Pipe through the foundation slab with a mushroom vent in the garden
2. Chimney with two adjacent flues, one for exhaust gases and one for fresh air (e.g., Schiedel Xpert)
3. Chimney with concentric fresh air supply (e.g., Erutec FLAS)

Option 1 can be relatively inexpensive, but we don’t want a pipe or mushroom vent visible outdoors.

We like option 2.

Option 3 is supposed to preheat the incoming fresh air, improving combustion. On the other hand, I imagine that the warming fresh air might have difficulty sinking downwards, which could make its functionality dependent on weather conditions and therefore somewhat unreliable.

Do you have any good advice on this?

Choose option 1. The air intake/duct can be nicely concealed outside, for example behind a bush or similar. This way, it won’t be visible, and you’ll have more budget left for other features.

nordanney schrieb:
Choose option 1. The air intake/pipe can be nicely hidden outside, for example behind a bush or similar.

Why _that_ then? The original poster needs a chimney flue anyway, so the fresh air supply can be managed through that as well.

Regards, Bauexperte

At first, I planned to install the stove without an external air supply, but I ended up having a chimney installed similar to your option 3 (TONATec plus). I believe the additional cost was not significantly higher. After realizing how airtight a house can be (the stove only worked with open windows, which made the whole setup somewhat impractical), I was able to easily connect the stove—which I had chosen specifically so it could be converted—to the chimney with fresh air intake. You can hardly see anything except the short second pipe from the stove to the chimney. It works perfectly and looks neat. Option 1 would not have been an option for me at all.

Bauexperte schrieb:
Why _that_? The OP needs a chimney flue anyway, so the fresh air supply can be routed through that as well.

Regards, Bauexperte

Because the additional pipe can be installed for free with a bit of negotiation (in our case, it cost 50€). Then the cheapest chimney option is sufficient – that saves a good amount of money.

nordanney schrieb:
Choose option 1. The air intake/pipe can be nicely concealed outside, for example behind a bush or similar.

We would like to keep our garden and terrace design flexible and therefore prefer not to have the fireplace dictate where a bush should be planted.

Can anyone relate to the argument against this option?