Fresh Air Intake for new boiler?

nperkins

I just installed a Weil Mclain WTGO-3 Boiler with Beckett Burner. It is in my laundry room, which is a small, enclosed room (7x15), with barely any fresh air (1 small basement window that is almost never open). I have heard that there are fresh air kits that I can install on this, that will suck in air from outside, and make the unit much more efficient, similar to a wood or pellet stove with a fresh air intake.. Does anybody on here have any experience with these? Are they worth it?

yuri

Hoyme ( a Cdn Co.) makes excellent motorized dampers which can be interlocked to only open when the unit is calling for heat. http://www.hoyme.com/
Not sure if they are available in the US. Basically you core a 6" hole in the wall, run insulated flex pipe to the damper, drop it to the floor and goose neck it up like a sink trap near the burner.

nperkins

So it doesn't even need to be connected to the actual burner? Just right next to it?

yuri

Thats right. Close to the burner is best. Just needs to get air to it. Worth the $$ investment. W/O it you tend to get a cold draft/cost $$ all the time.

nperkins

Well I figure without it, its doing the same thing a fireplace does... Make it nice and warm near the heat, but suck the air from the rest of the house.. What about boxes that I see that enclose the entire burner? Do they make those for my burner? Its a Weil Mclain WTGO-3 with a Beckett AFG Burner. I see pictures of some, but they look plastic, and I dont know how i would trust them next to the cast iron door of the boiler.

yuri

There is another high end burner beside Beckett (can't remember the name) with that box built on and not as an add on device. Would have to be UL listed etc.

nperkins

I see Beckett makes a "sound Cover" seen here... http://www.beckettcorp.com/Product2/...sp?detailid=13 Looks like it has a duct on top for fresh air to come in, and encloses the entire burner... I might look into this, as it does kinda aggrivate me that my brand new expensive boiler is actually a hair louder than my 50 year old American Standard.

yuri

Looks like a sound cover only. Not meant to be sealed tightly to a fresh/combustion air pipe. If that ever got plugged then the burner would soot up/plug up the furnace with soot/fire hazard. Thats why gas furnaces have pressure switches. Wouldn't want to have to deal with the ins. co and fire inspector later. I have dealt with bad scenes like that a couple of times. NO fun.

nperkins

Apparently something like this is probably my best best... http://cgi.ebay.com/BECKETT-31231U-A...3286.m20.l1116 Then I just need to get a vent of sorts for the side of the house like what you posted in your original link, and i should be even more efficient... I did kind of like the sound box though... Maybe i'll fab something out of sheet metal with an air duct on it as well... Nothing with a PERFECT seal... But something nice none the less... I can only imagine now that i think about it, how inefficient that room must be... Especially when I have my clothes dryer going as well...

beenthere

Thats the guide for inside the burner, not for bringing in fresh air.

nperkins

ahhh... good thing you told me... Think my local plumbing supply will have the sound cover?

beenthere

Doubt it.

Probably have to order it.

nperkins

Yeah, they hadn't even heard of the beckett Cover... They said they have a cover setup made by Fields Control.. Any insight on this? Should I research it?

beenthere

Where ever you got the boiler from(supply house). They can order the cover from Beckett.

nperkins

Yeah... I'm gonna head down there on Thursday and see what they can do for me. I like the clean appearance of the beckett sound cover. My friend who is a plumber said there is a kit that you remove the oil pump, put in a longer driveshaft, and it surrounds the intake, but i would prefer to not disassemble my brand new burner.