Hey guys and gals, I'm new to the forum and am looking for some advice when it comes to heating our bi-level home. We have our Harman 25th anniversary pellet stove in our lower level, the ceiling is drywall with no vents. Walking in the front door there are six stairs up and six stairs down, the stairwell is open to the lower level, meaning not enclosed. My questions are, how do I get the warm air from the lower level to come up? I have 2 ceiling fans, one in the kitchen and one in the hallway leading to the bedrooms, which way should I have the fans rotating? Should I install a ceiling fan above the stairwell? If I do, should I be pushing air down or pulling up? Would cutting vents in the floor for each bedroom be a good idea?
Help with heating bi-level
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Huntindog1
Minister of Fire
If your trying to get the heat to rise from the lower level up to the top level , I would try and just let the natural warm air rising get warm air upstairs. The ceiling fans work in special situations but if the fans get to mixing the air flows in different directions you might block the natural air flow from just warm air rising naturally.
If you want to try a fan point a small fan at the top of the main floor stairs down toward the lower level. The fan sitting on the floor will push the denser floor level colder air down in the lower floor where your pellet stove is , then you should feel higher up at the ceiling of the stair well a flow of warmer air coming back upstairs. Tape a small piece of toilet paper at the top of the stair well and you will see visually that when you turn the fan on point down to the lower level the paper will be moving out showing the warm air flow back up out of the lower level. You always want to blow the colder air towards the heat source as cooler dense air moves better this way and the light warm air will flow back for you.
These little 9 to 12 inch fans work great for moving air. On low and quiet they move alot of air.
If you want to try a fan point a small fan at the top of the main floor stairs down toward the lower level. The fan sitting on the floor will push the denser floor level colder air down in the lower floor where your pellet stove is , then you should feel higher up at the ceiling of the stair well a flow of warmer air coming back upstairs. Tape a small piece of toilet paper at the top of the stair well and you will see visually that when you turn the fan on point down to the lower level the paper will be moving out showing the warm air flow back up out of the lower level. You always want to blow the colder air towards the heat source as cooler dense air moves better this way and the light warm air will flow back for you.
These little 9 to 12 inch fans work great for moving air. On low and quiet they move alot of air.
adrpga498
Minister of Fire
I have the same style house and Huntindog1 nailed it. I use a small fan pointing towards the stove from the base of the stairwell.
Andy S.
Feeling the Heat
I have the same stove and a similar setup. I've done all the toilet paper tests (and even used "science" as an excuse to enjoy a cigar in the house). The only place I part ways a little with Dog is placement of the fan. I think the bottom of the stairs pointed towards the stove might get a better result while being a little easier to manage. My expectation would be that the air in the stairway below waist level will be moving down and the air above is moving up.
In my case I'm usually arriving to a cold house on the weekend. It will take me about 12 hours and some space heaters to get the upstairs to 70*. Once accomplished the stove is able to maintain the upstairs at no less than 65* (about 1500 sf total house).
Good luck!
In my case I'm usually arriving to a cold house on the weekend. It will take me about 12 hours and some space heaters to get the upstairs to 70*. Once accomplished the stove is able to maintain the upstairs at no less than 65* (about 1500 sf total house).
Good luck!
Thanks for the replies, I'll give your ideas a try! Would any of you advise to use the 2 ceiling fans I have. (the one in the kitchen is behind a wall that separates the living area, which is where the stairwell leads to. There's about a 5' opening on each side of the wall leading to the kitchen from the living area. There is also a very small ceiling fan in the hallway almost directly off the stairwell that comes up from the downstairs area.) Should these be used? If so, which direction would you recommend? We have trouble getting heat from the pellet stove to the bedrooms and bathroom which are down that hall..... Thanks again for all the help!
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