How Can I Quiet Down an Alaska Direct Vent System?

Hi all - first of all, let me come right out and say I'm a coal heat newbie!

Just acquired my first stove, an Alaska Channing III with the Alaska Direct Vent system (not a Power Vent). We installed it this past weekend, haven't actually fired up any coal yet, but probably will this coming weekend. My first impression of this system is that the direct vent motor sounds are just too loud to have to accept 24x7. Since the stove is in the family room on the 1st floor of a two-story colonial, needless to say this thing will be running right near us. I inquired through the dealer and Alaska directly if the power venter system was actually quieter since the motor is on the outside, and the tech from Alaska thought they were still both about the same noise level and attributes the variation to makeup of the room, i.e. hard floors vs carpeting, high ceilings etc. He also mentioned that putting non-combustible padding under the legs, such as teflon washers, might cut down the noise due to vibration. I then did this with some high temp gasket rubber, and I'm not sure if its my wishful thinking or not, but this might have cut down the noise just a tad.

I'm curious if others out there with the same setup have done anything else to quiet this down a bit? I've heard talk of rheostats on the driect vent motor, but I'm hesitant to mod any stock electronics - don't want void any warranties, etc. You can't enclose this motor since it will then build up heat. There is just a small little fan cooling the motor.

Does anyone else share this opinion on the noise levels? Please let me know if you have any suggestions or comments. Either way, I'm gonna be warm in N.E. PA this year!

If you install a manometer on the stove, and use this meter to ensure that the stove has enough vacuum or draft on it to remove the exhaust gasses.. Once you have a manometer installed you can use a reostat to slow down the DV motor to quiet it down.. with the manometer to ensure you don't turn it down too far..and create a health and safety risk.

Forum member europachris has a DV keystoker in a finished basement, maybe he will offer a suggestion.

Greg L..

I have the same setup with a rheostat and Manometer and it has made a world of difference. Honestly, you get use to the sound of the stove anyway. I would think about closing the venturi hole in the DV and installing a barometric damper between the stove and the DV unit. I would also think that a PV would be much quieter since the motor is outside your home. I don't have one or have never heard one running but common sense tells me that it would be quieter.

Thanks for the input.

I'm reading other posts about manometers, etc, but I guess I'm just not getting it?

Does the manometer stay installed at all times, or just as an initial test? What model is good enough, and how exactly do you set it up on a DV system? As for the rheostat, before I go looking at the supply house, is this a device that goes in between the DV power and the power source with a 110 outlet? - similar to a timer setup?

I know these are basic and maybe dumb questions, but newbie material for sure! The dealer I purchased through (Woody's Fireplaces in Honesdale, PA) doesn't even sell any sort of draft meter, yet the Alsaka user guide says to test it for sure.

If anyone can direct me to the definitive link or post on installing the manometer on a DV system, I'd appreciate it. I'm searching here and finding mostly posts that assume some level of experience. I'll keep looking....

Also, without a damper, how do you adjust the draft of a DV unit? (if at all) Since by default it runs at full power, are you to assume its running with a strong enough draft? User guide does not get into this stuff for a DV.

Question to traderfjp: If you can lend any further detail of your setup, that would be great.

A manometer guages how much draft you have in the combustion chamber. Along with the rheostat you can adjust the pull in your stove. You don't want to much sucking action or all the heat will be pulled out of the stove and you don't want too little or you can have CO coming into your home. Many of the users here have manometers installed permanently but you don't have to install it that way. I simply drilled a small hole into my stove and ran copper tubing to the manometer and then used their tubing for the final connection. Also, the rheostat has to work with a pole type motor. I don't have the info. on hand for the rheostat but I'll see if I can fish it out.

Needless to say I discussed this a little bit with an Alaska tech and they are totally against throttling the speed of the DV motor. They claim that will cause it to run hotter and possibly burn out the motor since it will be pulling more amps running slower. I know thats the company line... I imagine installing a whisper fan of some sort next to their little fan can add some additional cooling. Keep the info coming since I might go this route eventually anyway, but for now I think I might fabricate some shrouds to install under the hopper next to the motors and junk. I experimented with this with some plywood and it did make a difference with the sound. I'll hve to make a hole on the blower side to get some air pull.

If you get the info on the rheostat, please pass it along. Also, which manometer? Looks like the Dwyer Mark II is the most popular on this site?

Thanks,
Steve

That's funny Steve because when I called 2 years ago one of the guys who works there gave me the idea to use a rheostat so I guess it is who you get on the phone. If you install the wrong type of rheostat I guess you could have problems. I'm been running mine with a rheostat for 2 years without a hiccup.