Can I run the Fan only for a call for heat on my thermostat? (first time poster)

[Jonny12gauge]

Greetings All!

Long time lurker, first time poster! First I wanted to thank everyone that made this site possible as I've come here over the years for info about my wood burning needs. Through this forum I've learned about awesome things like the Fiskars splitting axe, and I am no longer scared to burn pine lol.

Long story shot, we bought my grand fathers house 12 years ago, complete with a stand alone Briar Elite wood burner in the basement. The thing is massive! 3 years ago I had some extra duct work run in my basement to suck the hot 90 degree air out and re-circulate it through the house in the fall and winter. It worked magically! No longer was I just heating the basement I am never really in. Fast forward to today: My problem is I have to let the furnace fan run constantly, and it gets too hot in the house (good problem to have right?) I wanted to know if there was someway to setup my thermostat to just run the fan when a call for heat is sent to the furnace. As I type it out, it sounds impossible and sort of contradictory (calling for heat and not getting heat). I was looking at one of those Nest Learning Thermostats where I can program a fan schedule, but it would just be nice to let the wood burner run downstairs and when the upstairs needs heat we get heat and not drop $250 on a thermostat.

Thoughts?

P.S. - when I get time I'll take some pics of my wood storage and make you guys jealous of the system my grand father came up with

 

[begreen]

Can you post some pics of this setup?

 

[Dmitry]

I have three of wifi connected Honeywell thermostats .One in each zone. Didn't go with Nest because i don't want some equipment decide for me when to turn the heat on. I'm talking about "learning" future. These thermostats have mode when fan is running 25% of time just to move air around. Besides that you can see what temperature at your house in any room on your phone while you away. And you can turn fan or heat on and off while you are away . You don't need nest, you can buy cheaper wifi connected programmable thermostat. The main future on Nest is that its learning when you need a heat based on your pattern being home and away and turn it without asking you. Damn robots

 

[electrathon]

If you have a basic understanding of how the furnace fan is triggered... you can use a thermostat to start the fan on the furnace running without a call for heat. You already are somehow doing this it sounds like. Are you flipping a manual switch on the side of an old furnace or using a modern thermostat on a newer furnace? If it is the first, a simple fan thermostat wired to the switch and you are functioning like you want it to.