Getting the heat upstairs......

[jwscarab]

My wood burner is in the (walk-out) basement. I installed a squirrel cage blower fan that runs on a thermostat and a speed control switch. Once the basement gets to 80 degrees at the ceiling (10 ft ceilngs - thermostat located at ceiling), then this thing kicks on!! It basically sucks the air into an air intake up by the ceiling - but not too close to the stove. Then it blows it out into two floor registers on either side of the great room on the main floor. I like the thing except it is a bit noisy which I am working on reducing by with relocating the fan, and using flex instead of ridgid pipe to keep the vibes down. Once the heat gets to main floor - its a wide open house. When the basement cools down due to the fire going out - the blower kicks off.

My basement has one open 3ft wide stairwell to the main floor (door off hinges) - period. I would rather tear this all out and have the heat gravitate up there naturally but it does not get too much heat up the stairs - its 20ft from the stove. I have considered cutting a few holes in the floor and adding grates just for hot air to raise.

Now that I told you about my contraption, If you have any better ideas I am all up for listening! Any comments? I dont care if they are good or bad, pros or cons, comments on my set up - I like to learn thru others experiences and thoughts!!

 

[savageactor7]

Well fry my hide ...that's sounds like an excellent idea for moving heat upstairs. I'm not a big fan of having a wood stove in the basement but damn...that is an excellent idea. As far as the noise goes let me ask...is that squirrel cage blower the kind that is used in furnace plenums...cause there usually quiet.?

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Grates from the basement to the upstairs has been discussed a number of times here. They are also an efficient way to move FIRE, should one occur, and may be against code.

 

[fossil]

Have you ever run the fan the opposite direction (or turned it around in the duct)? If you move cold air from upstairs down into the basement, the warmer basement air will find its way up into the house. I've installed an inline fan & filter that will take a suction from up to three floor registers in the most remote bedroom corners and push that air out through a floor register in my hearth just behind the stove. Haven't had an opportunity to try it out yet, but I'm optimistic. Rick

 

[Todd]

I wonder if that squirrel cage apparatus is affecting your stove operation by causing a negative pressure in your basement? Hooking up outside combustion air to your stove will help. Or like Fossil said, try turning the system around to push the cold air down, this will help by giving your basement positive pressure and push the heat up.

I've tried just about everthing, fans blowing up and down, floor grates, you name it. Last year I finally hooked up an Oak and low and behold the heat rises all by itself, no fans required. I think alot has to do with pressures and other appliances competing for air like clothes dryer, water heaters, and bath fans.

 

[begreen]

The best way to get heat upstairs is to put the stove in upstairs. Is there room in the great room for a proper heater? Unless the basement is a) well insulated and b) frequently occupied, there isn't much advantage to having it down there.

 

[jwscarab]

Awesome feedback guys! I may try the reverse flow idea, I like that!!

BeGreen - I respect your input a lot! Your input on the T6 has me sold I do agree in most cases the stove is better upstairs. My basement is a walk out - the grade level is at the basement floor on 2 sides (home is tucked into a hill). The basement is also the main entry of the home, and it is also the famliy room. I can wheel barrow the wood right into the door - and keep the mess down there. I do have 8" concrete walls and then 2x4 stud walls up against them with R13 batts. One day I would love to have 2 wood stoves Basement and main level

Excuse my ignorance, but Todd, what is an Oak??

 

[Todd]

Awesome feedback guys! I may try the reverse flow idea, I like that!!

BeGreen - I respect your input a lot! Your input on the T6 has me sold I do agree in most cases the stove is better upstairs. My basement is a walk out - the grade level is at the basement floor on 2 sides (home is tucked into a hill). The basement is also the main entry of the home, and it is also the famliy room. I can wheel barrow the wood right into the door - and keep the mess down there. I do have 8" concrete walls and then 2x4 stud walls up against them with R13 batts. One day I would love to have 2 wood stoves Basement and main level

Excuse my ignorance, but Todd, what is an Oak??

Outside Air Kit

 

[begreen]

I'm with Rick on trying to reverse the fan. If that works well, then isolate it's vibration from the floor joists. Using flex ducting will also help. Depending on the fan model, it may either be a multispeed unit in which you can wire into a lower speed tap. Or if it has a shaded pole motor, you may be able to put a speed control on it.

As for the T6, I think you'll be a happy camper this winter. An OAK is a good idea, especially if there are competing appliances for air supply in the basement. These would be items like a furnace, oil or gas hw heater, clothes dryer, bath fan, etc.

 

[jwscarab]

OK, I have it all figured out.....lol......like thats ever gonna happen!!

Anyway, I am going to reverse the fan, blow it into the lower level - but also swap out the blower for a smaller one - this thing pumps way too much air. Then I am going to suck the air down the two vents that I originally ran for supply, and dump it out at the basement floor. This should push hot air up the stairway! On top of all this I plan on 1 or 2 decorative cutouts/vents directly above the wood stove, which will also get air pushed up then when this kicks on.


I still plan on running the whole setup on my thermostst to kick on at 80+ on the basement ceiling. It should be a LOT quieter too - with the smaller fan and the air reversed.

I cant use the OAK kit because my stove is 15 feeet from an above grade wall.

I just cant wait till the stove gets in and my leg heals up and I can start messing with all this again!

Thanks everybody!

 

[fossil]

You might wait and see how the system performs before you go cutting more holes through your basement ceiling/upstairs floor. You're experimenting here...don't change too many variables all at the same time, or you'll never know what worked or didn't work. Just a thought from a fellow experimenter. Rick