Cold Stove House Temp Observation

Yesterday morn we let the stove go cold for first time since last October/early Nov. It got to 70 degrees here so didn't need it. Got home last night and house temps were exactly what they had been the night before according the same thermometer in the same location (68). We both froze all night. Got up in the morning and it was 66 as it dropped 2 degrees in the night and we were just plain freezing. Strange thing is when the stove is going those are the exact same temps it would have been and we are comfortable in those temps with the stove going. So I'm thinking when people quote room temps that not necessarily the whole story. Before you say my thermometer is off I have checked it against others and with an IR gun. Its just one of those phenomenas. My house on the 2nd and 3rd floor is 1800sqft with 35 windows (most 6'ers) 3 sets of double french doors, and the great room has an 18' ceiling. Unless I'm pumping continous heat into that space it feels cold.

DanCorcoran said:

It's the temperature gradient. Your thermostat should be located centrally, not near any doors or windows. When the heat is on, the thermostat reads 68 and the rest of the house around it (closer to the doors and windows) is also 68, due to heat circulation. With the heat off, there is a gradual cooling from the exterior walls to the central area with the thermostat. Thus the thermostat can be reading at or near 68, but the rest of the house is cooler. Try taking IR readings in various locations in the house, further from the thermostat. They'll be warmer with the heat on, cooler with it off.

If you have forced air circulation, turn it on without the heat. Soon the whole house will be at about the same temperature and your thermostat will be reading significantly cooler than 68.

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Thermometer is located close to thermostat but thermostat is of no consequence since it is turned off. I have many times checked temps all around the house and readings on second floor are pretty even only a degree or 2 off. 2nd floor for us is 1st floor for most others. Our main entrance is the walkout basement. As for getting above 68 on 2nd floor ain't going to happen. No amount of heat will get us there. Stove ran at 750 degrees for 2 hours last night before tapering off and still upstairs didn't move even a 10th degree. New stove on the way to hopefully remedy that.

The root of my problem is asking one stove located in a walkout basement to heat 2800sqft on 3 floors and the 2nd floor has an 18' ceiling. Just too much heat loss. My guess is when I start heating drywall instead of concrete I'll have the opposite problem.

Fake coal burner said:

Got to have temperature in house 78+ or its just darn cold. Double walled brick and lots of windows single pane 1100 sq. feet. The brick are like a big heat sink, always cold in the winter. Like heating a unfinished basement Lots of mass. Dog likes it warm to.

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Must not be near the heat sink my basement is because I have never seen anything over 74 degrees ever. Its just not possible to get it there and thats measuring the temp in the center of the basement 4 feet off the ground. Floor will be 68 and ceiling around 85 in that same spot.

corey21 said:

I have hit 87 in my living room with the Magnolia but that was last winter with really good wood.

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Guess that goes to show the difference in heat envelopes. I had a Magnolia sitting in same spot last year before the Elm arrived and we were freezing. And I was way over firing that sucker till I warped it trying to stay warm.

metalsped said:

Wow... you all like it sweltering! We keep our house at 66 all day long. 60 at night.

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That will prolly change when wood heat arrives.

I have woken to 57 also and it wasn't even close to -15. In fact if my house where 57 with it -15 I would consider that success. Thats a 72 degree delta. I never have achieved that here yet.

My house runs typically 35-40% in the winter.