Basement or main floor?

[rob bennett]

Howdy,
I have an open finished and insulated basement. I also have a somewhat open 1st story floor plan. I want to buy a summit insert for the 1st story OR a summit freestanding in the basement. Will the basement stove heat the basement 1700 square feet and add significant heat into the upstairs? I have an open door and vents from the basement to the 1st floor.
OR would it be better to put in the insert and just enjoy more direct heat upstairs? I have too many options! I also have another chimeny on the opposite side of the house and an indoor brick bbq! FIRE everywhere!

Thanks
Rob

 

[struggle]

Both. You lose one way or the other. I have a Sopastone in my basement and the heat does go upstars and is our primary heat in the winter by choice.

The problem is some houses seem to have pressures that do not make heat transfer upstairs that easy and it seems almost impossible to heat the basement from what I have read here by having the stove upstairs.

Our basement does get quite warm when it gets really cold out to keep the upstairs warm. Also in milder temps the stove for us in the basement would be over kill but we have an upstairs fireplace.

If I had my choice I would have a central located stove uptairs as primary heater and a downstairs unit with the intention of being just an area heater to the basement.

In other words sopastone upstairs and cast iron in the basement. I bought my house used and it is the way it is.

It does work to heat from the basement as we have been for 7 years now.

 

[crazy_dan]

put the heat source where you will spend most of your time if it is upstairs then put it upstairs. remember that wood stoves and inserts are space heaters.

 

[Cearbhaill]

I don't know that there is any reliable way to know whether or not an insert/stove in the basement will heat the main floor or not- houses all differ.
It works extremely well in my house- my furnace very rarely kicks on at all. My basement is in no way airtight, but my main floor is extremely well insulated and has all new high efficiency windows and doors. The stairwell is about 10 feet from my insert and I do have a ceiling fan pulling up in the room at the top.

I love having it in the basement, as that is where I hang out the most. But I also love having all the mess and wood down there as well, and it is very handy to my woodpiles.

 

[swestall]

Insert of stove upstairs. By placing the heat in the upstairs you will be able to easily heat it with the correct appliance. You might need ceiling fans or something to move the heat around.
And, I'm also for getting some type of woodburner for that downstairs, for when you are there.

So, I guess I am with the previous post, BOTH, but large unit upstairs.