A man, a fan, and a plan....moving heat! (video)

[Bster13]

New video with my plan on moving heat:

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Old thread with video link laying out dimensions and layout of house, wondering if a BK insert will do the job:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/clarification-on-btu-needs-calc-for-my-home.102121/

Thoughts?

 

[claybe]

I have a BK princess insert. Upstairs is about 1400 sq ft and I just have a ceiling fan pushing the heat off the ceiling and the blower. I have a very open ranch floor plan and a hallway similar to yours off the main room. Main living area is at 72 right now and the back rooms are at 67 and the stove was started only an hour ago. I may start playing with fans, but I am comfortable and would highly recommend the BK insert

 

[Bster13]

72/67 would be pretty awesome, but I don't have a ceiling fan.

 

[Huntindog1]

We have a longer hallway than yours , I put a fan down at the end of the hall way on the floor , for your example it would sit in front of that door at the end of your hall way, maybe a couple inches away from the wall or door there. The fan is a small 9 " fan so it is low to the floor and is one of the high velocity types so on low it moves alot of air even tho its small 9 ".
fan.

The idea being that moving a small column of air at the floor level back towards the hot stove room causes air movement up higher towards the top of the hall way traveling back towards the back bedrooms. I think the separation of the low fan on the floor moving cold air which likes to migrate to the low floor level and the warm air up higher is an important separation of the two columns of air moving opposite directions. So I like the small fan low on the floor.

 

[dentman4411]

some other members have suggested to me what Huntindog has mentioned; pointing a fan from the non heated side of a room/hallway towards the stove. this pushes cold air into the stove heating it, and as it rises it pushes air down from the ceiling and creates an air circuit kind of like the forced air/cold air return in a standard HVAC system.

 

[WoodpileOCD]

If you search on air movement here you will find that most of us are proponents of moving cold air INTO the stove room which then forces the hot air out. I have tried it both ways and I can tell you from personal trial and error that a small fan on the floor blowing into the stove room is the best way to go in my house.

That being said, you have some very long distances to try to move your air. I'm just trying to get it one room away, either into the kitchen or the hallway to go up the stairs. One room is hopeless because it is completely isolated except for a door off of the hallway and the other is the dining room which we hardly spend any time in anyway but adjoins both the kitchen and hallway.

 

[Bster13]

So I should opt for the boiler or do u guys think I can move hot air decently with my plan?

 

[claybe]

Personally, I would go with both if you can afford it. Or, get the boiler and save up for a wood stove for a year or two (or look on Craigslist and something cheap to learn with). You have to season your wood for a year or two anyways. I have radiant heat as a back up. I installed the wood stove because I think it will save me money in the long run and I LOVE WOOD HEAT

 

[Hearth Mistress]

See Post #6 info about how I do it in an old 1860’s drafty draft hole bank barn. Good info on the link in my post from another thread too.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/when-you-say-small-fan-moving-hot-air.104376/#post-1356168

 

[ArsenalDon]

you can definitely move the air. We have 1500 sq feet on the ground floor and 1500 sq feet on the second. The ceiling fans push the air around pretty well and we can get the furthest bedrooms upstairs into the high 60s

 

[ArsenalDon]

you can definitely move the air. We have 1500 sq feet on the ground floor and 1500 sq feet on the second. The ceiling fans push the air around pretty well and we can get the furthest bedrooms upstairs into the high 60s

forgot to mention stove is on the bottom floor

 

[Huntindog1]

I used to have a wood furnace in the basement , the wood usage means alot more wood cutting, wood moving and wood storage.

The free standing stove I have is a pleasure to deal with as it uses 1/3 to 1/2 as much wood.

But if you bought one of those hi tech wood gasifiers furnances you should cut down on wood usage.

 

[Bster13]

I don't think I am comfy with the up front costs of a boiler and I think their efficiency has a lot to do with the installation and insulation of pipes and heat storage. Something I'm not willing to get into at this time, nor learn how to fix myself (I would be worried about support if I went with a boiler. Insert/Stove has a lot less moving parts).

 

[Huntindog1]

Make sure your house is really well insulated and windows are good ones and that will make a big difference.

 

[claybe]

I don't think I am comfy with the up front costs of a boiler and I think their efficiency has a lot to do with the installation and insulation of pipes and heat storage. Something I'm not willing to get into at this time, nor learn how to fix myself (I would be worried about support if I went with a boiler. Insert/Stove has a lot less moving parts).

Well there you go! Looks like a Blaze King Princess is in your future Go for it. Worst that can happen is you and the fiancé get to go camping in the living room in front of the fire place if you are not getting enough heat in the back room.

 

[FPX Dude]

C'mon dude, "Git 'r done", throw that thing in there and enjoy the heat. You might discover some neat tricks with venting those transom's or removing them altogether to help with heat flow and natural convection that will happen.

 

[dafattkidd]

Bster, I'd say get the insert and see how it works out in terms of moving heat. It may do better than you think with only the assistance of the blower on the unit. I had all these crazy ideas of how to move heat in my house and it turns out the best solution for us is small space beaters in the bedrooms that we only use when we want to close doors or if it's we let the house get cold we use I them to help get temps up in the farther ends of the house quickly.

Electric space heaters works well for us. We like having the ability close bedroom doors and not get cold, especially with a baby.

Also go get two years worth of wood if you have the space for it.

 

[Huntindog1]

Yep follow Dafattkidd advice go get you some wood now as these stoves have to have wood thats been cut stacked split (CSS) or at least 2 years.

The space heater is a good idea but I am stubborn about turning on our baseboard heat.

 

[Bster13]

I have scrounged 5+ cords since November, this was two weeks ago, and adding more weekly:

(broken image removed)

I just bought a small splitter, here is my review:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/harbor-freight-7-ton-splitter-video-review.105005

Feeling good on my way to 8 cords!

 

[claybe]

So what have you decided??? You have the wood, so what are you going with???

 

[Bster13]

BK Princess Insert during the off season (will hope to catch a deal). Considered a boiler for a short time, but don't think it's for me.

 

[claybe]

You will be happy with it Just get some plug in heaters to get you through this year. Let us know what goes down. You have a great start to you wood pile I am jealous.

 

[Bster13]

Wood pile this morning... mostly red/norway maple and oak with a little pine mixed in:
(broken image removed)

 

[Kevin Dolan]

Wood pile this morning... mostly red/norway maple and oak with a little pine mixed in:

Nice wood pile bster. My house has a lot of doors coming off a hallway with lots of places to stop heat moving. I have two ceiling fans, one in the stove room and one in a back room. They do surprisingly well. I have played with using a fan to blow cold air into the stove room and it does work but creates too much draft in passing. I will try to use a smaller fan as someone has suggested but I would be interested in hearing how you do with moving air once you get your stove.
Looking at your woodpile makes me feel like a rich man thinking about all the heat that will produce, it is a great feeling.
Good luck with your stove hunt and the new house.

 

[Bster13]

Well I won't know until next burning season, bu I'll be sure to post up. As I restack wood I'll use next burning season, I won't do it criss cross and I'll be able to cram a lot more in that space because I won't be wasting as much volume. I just had to do criss cross this time around to ensure dry wood for next year. But if I'm two years ahead (soon) I can stack normally. We'll see!