Ceiling Fan over Wood Stove Insert

[Jersey Fire Bug]

I have a Regency I1100 fireplace insert and it puts out good heat but I also have
a cathedral ceiling in the same room with a ceiling fan.
Although the unit puts out good heat, it feels as though heat is being lost in the cathedral
ceiling.
My question is : what is the best way to run the ceiling fan ? I've heard that blowing it up
will push the air down the walls of the room but I have also heard that blowing down keeps the heat lower in the room. I would appreciate any input being I just got the stove and I am still
in the experimental phase.

 

[mayhem]

Really btoh methids are true...every house is different and each one has its own unique natural convection flows. You need to do some experimentation with your house to find which fan setting works best for you. In my house the best method is ti run the fan thats nearest the stove downward to push some of the hot air down the hallway on the first floor and let convection take it up to the upstairs loft, but my house has a great room that comprises about 3/5 of the interior volume of the house and the ceilings are 26' high and has an 11/12 pitch.

Don't discard any method of circulation too quickly. In my experience it takes a day to figure out if any one method will work well or not.

 

[Jersey Fire Bug]

Thanks !!
I tried blowing it down and the house is now a toasty 76deg while it is 33deg. outside !!
Was only getting up to 71deg when I was blowing up so that is a 5deg differential

 

[Valhalla]

Yes, different floor plans and stove placement may respond accordingly. Try placing a few thermometers in the rooms you want more heat in. Give it a at least a few days and record the actual temps. and the changes.

I have always preferred "downward" from my overhead fan winter and summer. But, it is just how it works over my stove and it's placement in our home.

 

[deadon]

I have a ceiling fan in my cabin which has cathedral ceilings. if I have it blowing up it sucks draft from the insert and I get some smoke in the room. Blowing down on low too medium speed works best for me.

 

[RedRanger]

Yes, different floor plans and stove placement may respond accordingly. Try placing a few thermometers in the rooms you want more heat in. Give it a at least a few days and record the actual temps. and the changes.

I have always preferred "downward" from my overhead fan winter and summer. But, it is just how it works over my stove and it's placement in our home.

Mostly agree with this assessment. In our case - 4 level split- have discovered not any difference at all with all the fans shut off(cept the blower fan on the insert). For some crazy reason-"heat just seems to rise"?

We do run the ceiling fan in the living room (3rd level) when we supplement the wood heat with the propane insert on that level.

Otherwise, the heat just seems to rise naturally. :roll:

 

[day52]

We have the insert/ceiling fan setup, too. For us, down seems to work better. Our ceiling is about 11' at the peak from a sunken living room. My buddy had a higher ceiling (about 15 ') and he claimed that shooting it up in the winter seemed to eliminate drafts better. In other words, as many have said it probably depends on the house, speed, size of fan etc. Just experiment , then report back.

 

[Jersey Fire Bug]

I have been experimenting. My cathedral is about 15' high and
I have a fireplace insert so "radiant heat" isnt that much. I am finding that blowing down
is seeming to work better but when I first got the stove in Oct. it seemed like blowing up
worked better !! Weird

 

[Valhalla]

I have been experimenting. My cathedral is about 15' high and
I have a fireplace insert so "radiant heat" isnt that much. I am finding that blowing down
is seeming to work better but when I first got the stove in Oct. it seemed like blowing up
worked better !! Weird

Jersey,

Yes, you are right! Possibly using the downward direction without sufficient stored heat, say in your or my cathedral ceiling area, will actually cause a perceived draft. So waiting until there is a higher temperature differential could be advantageous for some of us. In milder weather it may also feel like a draft, in colder times when the stove is going well, it is a warm and welcome downward breeze!

The bottom line is that having a reversible ceiling fan directly above or nearby a wood burning device is a huge advantage!

Enjoy your wood burner and keep warm!

 

[Valhalla]

Yes, different floor plans and stove placement may respond accordingly. Try placing a few thermometers in the rooms you want more heat in. Give it a at least a few days and record the actual temps. and the changes.

I have always preferred "downward" from my overhead fan winter and summer. But, it is just how it works over my stove and it's placement in our home.

Mostly agree with this assessment. In our case - 4 level split- have discovered not any difference at all with all the fans shut off(cept the blower fan on the insert). For some crazy reason-"heat just seems to rise"?

We do run the ceiling fan in the living room (3rd level) when we supplement the wood heat with the propane insert on that level.

Otherwise, the heat just seems to rise naturally. :roll:

Sonny,

Four levels! Very nice. Yes, I agree that measuring a temperature change is sometimes unrealistic and is also hard to justify. You are lucky to have some rooms at a higher level, unlike me. Hey, I'm just trying to get my heat down from my 15 foot ceiling over the Encore to the rest of the house. So my mission is to push the heat down and also over the once stove again, then horizontally to living room, kitchen and on to the bedrooms in the east end of the house. Our stove room is a new addition on the west side of the house. The other side of the house is cool for great sleeping! Yup, I trying to help heat move sideways... somewhat. Thanks for the input.

Next spring, I may put a small Jotul on the hearth of the living room granite fireplace. It is in the middle of the house. It is next years project.

Enjoy this fine winter and your stove!

 

[Jersey Fire Bug]

I love the summertime and can't stand the winter. But now I can see where I'm gonna be
looking forward to winters for now on !! I love the wood stove !!
Everytime the thing is running I find myself amazed that I am heating my house for free...(except for
the exercise of cutting and chopping) and I'm into that too
Thanks for everyones input on the ceiling fan. I experimented and blowing down lightly is the way to go !!