Getting the heat upstairs

[azsteven]

Hey y'all...

So we have a 2-level house, 4 rooms down and 4 up. The house was built in 1880 and 1907 (addition), and let's just say that it's the antithesis of an open floor plan.

We have a VC Montpelier Insert in the downstairs family room, and it runs great, produces plenty of heat.
The family room is about 80 degrees, but the upstairs is about 60 right now. It seems to me the the heat is getting "stuck" near the ceiling of the family room, and having a tough time going through the small doorway to find its way up the staircase.

I've considered cutting a vent hole of some kind in the wall near the ceiling, to let hot air flow from the family room through to the staircase on the other side of the wall.

Here's a picture of the family room, to give you an idea:

From this view, the doorway is to the left of the fireplace, and around the corner to the right. The stairs are on the wall behind the fireplace, so the place that I'm thinking is a candidate for the vent would be to the right of the fireplace just below the ceiling.

Has anyone done something like this? Any other suggestions?

 

[mrfjsf]

I have heard of others cutting a vent at the header of a doorway and having success. I personally think I will work. Every doorway acts as a damper, holding back the heat in that room. By making a passage for the heat to flow, you are "in a sense" removing the damper. How is the rest of the house, as far as heat travelling? Is your house insulated? Beautiful woodwork BTW.

 

[azsteven]

I have heard of others cutting a vent at the header of a doorway and having success. I personally think I will work. Every doorway acts as a damper, holding back the heat in that room. By making a passage for the heat to flow, you are "in a sense" removing the damper. How is the rest of the house, as far as heat travelling? Is your house insulated? Beautiful woodwork BTW.

The heat travels well in the family room and adjoining kitchen --- basically an open space without much of a header in between. The other side of the house is colder, but still comfortable. The house is semi-insulated: 15" of cellulose in the attic, but nothing in the walls. We've talked about the drill-and-fill insulation in the walls, but it's such a major mess (and we have 2 little kids) that we keep putting it off. We also have all new windows, not that you asked, but...

As to the woodwork, looks are deceiving! This room has cheap pine stuff, stained to look fancy but nothing fancy... The other side of the house (living room) has the fine moldings from 1880, but they were all painted white long ago.

 

[begreen]

drill and fill insulation from the exterior is no mess at all.

Before you go cutting holes, take a table fan and put it on the hallway floor, outside of family room, blowing the cool air into the stove room. Warm air from the family room will replace the cool air and should help get more heat upstairs.

 

[szumbrun]

Agree with Begreen. Try the fans facing into the room first on the floor - maybe one in each doorway on either side of the fireplace. In my setup, the stove is sort of in the corner of the house and there are 4-90 degree turns the heat has to make to get to our bedroom upstairs! The fan facing into the family room with the stove makes us feel comfortable in our room with the heat.

If you find that the fan blowing into the room works great, maybe you can install a more permanent fix using a powered fan vent on the walls going into the room. Something like the room to room aireshare ventilator by Tjerlund.

Also, try experimenting with different fan speeds, looking for heat sinks near doors, windows, etc.

 

[soupy1957]

Or..........if you have a forced hot air furnace system, (like I do), you can turn on the blower only, and let the blower system do the work of the fan FOR you.

Also make use of any ceiling fans you have installed.

I like to open a small window in the room where the stove lives, as well.


-Soupy1957

 

[blel]

I use a small clip on fan on the nosing of the top step, blowing down the stairs. Angle it so it blows right along the top of the treads. It really helps getting the heat upstairs.