Could I, should I draw air from basement to heat house?

[hpcbmw]

I've got a heatilator fireplace. It's basically a big metal insert with tubes running behind and above it. It's an open fireplace, but it's setup to run a fan on each side of the fireplace to force air around the box and out the top. The problem is that the box is not well sealed. It came with a small fan on each side that results in a whisper of warm air coming out the top. I'd like to get more air volume through the pipes, as I'm sure I could extract 10x the heat if I could get more air through. The problem is that the available space between the insert and the masonry makes it impossible to install a larger fan.

I could hook up a fan setup externally, around the hearth/base, but it would look pretty rednecky in my living room. My house is built on a hillside, meaning I have a 10' basement under the fireplace. From the basement, I have a 4" x 12" gap that I can look in and see the walls of the fireplace and the walls of the insert, and the small gap in between. I'm thinking of placing an 8" or so fan in the basement, connected to some HVAC ducting, to force air through the heatilator and into the living room. Right now, I have the gap from basement to heatilator plugged with insulation.

Here are the two issues I can think of: 1. my basement is unfinished with a dirt floor and vents to the outside. Would drawing air from the basement into the house introduce dust, humidity or other bad stuff into my home living room? 2. Would I be creating some sort of pressure issue by pulling air from the basement and into the house? There is no direct access from basement to house- you have to go outside and down the hill and into a separate door to access the basement. There is no shared ventilation between basement and house.

In the past when I've posted about my heatilator, I get lots of replies saying "dump the heatilator and install an insert". I agree this would be the most efficient, but since I have an almost unlimited supply of wood available, my heating bill is rarely over $200 month (I live in Northern Cal) and the cost of buying and installing a used insert, chimney pipe, etc is over $3k, it would take me 10+ years to recoup the cost of the insert. In the attached picture, you can see the fireplace next to the deck. the basement door is right under the sliding door that accesses the deck.

Thanks for any ideas/input!

 

[maple1]

I can't see that this will gain you anything. You will in essence be pushing outdoor air into your living space.

 

[Woody Stover]

Weatherizing the house, then getting a modern stove with a stainless liner that can deliver heat to the living space..that's the way I'd go.
An open fireplace will always suck more heat out of the house, than it will ever contribute.

 

[hpcbmw]

"An open fireplace will always suck more heat out of the house, than it will ever contribute."
Don't believe everything the Fireplace Insert salesmen tell you. My open fireplace with a heatilator keeps the front half of my house plenty warm. I'm just looking for cost effective ways to increase my efficiency. Clearly spending $3k or more on an insert and $10k on double pane windows would be more efficient, but would not be cost effective.

 

[bholler]

"An open fireplace will always suck more heat out of the house, than it will ever contribute."
Don't believe everything the Fireplace Insert salesmen tell you. My open fireplace with a heatilator keeps the front half of my house plenty warm. I'm just looking for cost effective ways to increase my efficiency. Clearly spending $3k or more on an insert and $10k on double pane windows would be more efficient, but would not be cost effective.

It isn't about insert salesmen. It is about years of experience. Your may be better than most and actually contribute heat to your home. But it is still horribly inefficent

 

[Woody Stover]

"An open fireplace will always suck more heat out of the house, than it will ever contribute."
Don't believe everything the Fireplace Insert salesmen tell you. My open fireplace with a heatilator keeps the front half of my house plenty warm. I'm just looking for cost effective ways to increase my efficiency. Clearly spending $3k or more on an insert and $10k on double pane windows would be more efficient, but would not be cost effective.

OK, I'll admit that was an over-statement, and no doubt the heatilator harvests some heat. Nonetheless, I don't think I'd be burning an open fireplace in CA.
I don't talk to salesmen about my heating needs, since the ones I did talk to didn't seem to know much.
I certainly wouldn't spend that much on a stove setup, with your mild weather and the part-time burning you'll need. And no way I'd spend big money on windows unless you are also trying to beat the summer heat, though I can't see it being uncomfortable there with the low humidity you have. An EPA stove is a much more efficient and cleaner way to heat.
You can get a new, small value stove for about 500, or wait for the same thing used and pay a couple hundred. Lying in wait for a liner deal to show up on craigslist or marketplace will be about the hardest part.
It's possible you just like the ambience of the open, crackling fireplace, though a stove with big glass will at least give you the visual..