Moving warm air

canuck_22 said:

My HRV output is in the same room as my P61A, it cycles 10 min fresh air and 50 min recirc, it has done wonders.

Click to expand...

Lfdp13RET said:

What is HRV?

Click to expand...

Wilbur Feral said:

Just to get the almost inevitable debate rolling, for this and the 100 other "moving heat" discussions we'll have on this type of forum... My two cents after burning for five years:

1) First, don't even think about cutting holes in floors between stories. Yes, it moves heat but it violates fire codes in many places, which exist for very good reasons. Also, trying to move heat to a second story with a hole in the floor often means you move it to one room or a hallway, and 2nd stories often have multiple rooms (generally bedrooms). Not that much is accomplished, with a significant increase in risk.
2) Attempting to move warm air horizontally with fans is a lot like trying to push a string.
3) Cutting in new returns in existing ductwork near a stove, then attempting to use the HVAC blower to move that air is worthless in many - but not all - situations. If your ductwork is well sealed and perhaps insulated it can work. But if not, your efforts will be futile. Return ducts are notoriously poorly sealed, especially in older homes that used joist bays as returns.
4) Putting a small duct fan in a return duct near a stove and trying to pull the air up is of only marginal value, and not worth the effort. It also effectively creates a direct path between floors for smoke, etc., so is not a good idea (see #1 above).
5) Using a fan to push cold air toward the stove is not a bad idea, but does increase the "draft" feeling in many cases. Not a bad thing to try, though, as cost and effort are almost nothing. Many reort it works especially well pushing cold air down stairs.
6) Putting the stove in the basement can help heat the upper floors a bit, but is unlikely to heat the whole house to a comfortable level. The same goes for a stove on the first floor heating the second story. Cool rooms will exist.
7) Remember, pellet stoves (and wood stoves, gas stoves, etc) are essentially large space heaters. If your home is carved up with walls, corners, hallways, doors, etc., you no longer have A space, but rather several. Performance will be affected.
8) if you want to heat your entire house evenly and use pellets to do so, you can have a relatively small, open floor plan, buy multiple stoves, or get a boiler or furnace fueled by pellets. One stove helps a lot, but won't replace the furnace/boiler if you don't want some rooms to be cool.
9) Yes, I have tried all of this EXCEPT #1, cutting holes in floors, for the reason stated there.

Hope that helps with the original question, and now I can just copy this note, paste it in for about 99 more threads, and quote a number.

Click to expand...

Wilbur Feral said:

Just to get the almost inevitable debate rolling, for this and the 100 other "moving heat" discussions we'll have on this type of forum... My two cents after burning for five years:

1) First, don't even think about cutting holes in floors between stories. Yes, it moves heat but it violates fire codes in many places, which exist for very good reasons. Also, trying to move heat to a second story with a hole in the floor often means you move it to one room or a hallway, and 2nd stories often have multiple rooms (generally bedrooms). Not that much is accomplished, with a significant increase in risk.
2) Attempting to move warm air horizontally with fans is a lot like trying to push a string.
3) Cutting in new returns in existing ductwork near a stove, then attempting to use the HVAC blower to move that air is worthless in many - but not all - situations. If your ductwork is well sealed and perhaps insulated it can work. But if not, your efforts will be futile. Return ducts are notoriously poorly sealed, especially in older homes that used joist bays as returns.
4) Putting a small duct fan in a return duct near a stove and trying to pull the air up is of only marginal value, and not worth the effort. It also effectively creates a direct path between floors for smoke, etc., so is not a good idea (see #1 above).
5) Using a fan to push cold air toward the stove is not a bad idea, but does increase the "draft" feeling in many cases. Not a bad thing to try, though, as cost and effort are almost nothing. Many report it works especially well pushing cold air down stairs.
6) Putting the stove in the basement can help heat the upper floors a bit, but is unlikely to heat the whole house to a comfortable level. The same goes for a stove on the first floor heating the second story. Cool rooms will exist.
7) Remember, pellet stoves (and wood stoves, gas stoves, etc) are essentially large space heaters. If your home is carved up with walls, corners, hallways, doors, etc., you no longer have A space, but rather several. Performance will be affected.
8) if you want to heat your entire house evenly and use pellets to do so, you can have a relatively small, open floor plan, buy multiple stoves, or get a boiler or furnace fueled by pellets. One stove helps a lot, but won't replace the furnace/boiler if you don't want some rooms to be cool.
9) Yes, I have tried all of this EXCEPT #1, cutting holes in floors, for the reason stated there.

Hope that helps with the original question, and now I can just copy this note, paste it in for about 99 more threads, and quote a number.

Click to expand...