heating elements in your wood furnace plenum

[Monaco]

Hello - I'm looking for a simple way to set up a but of add-on heating for the rare times when we want to leave the house and aren't there to keep the fire going in the furnace. Has anyone ever tied in a heat pump or heating elements to their wood furnace air handler?

 

[maple1]

You don't have any other source of heat? You mentioned heat pump - do you have one? If I read right, I don't think adding heating elements to something that didn't have them already is a good idea. Insurance companies would have a field day with that one, I suspect.

 

[Monaco]

All we have is a very nice expensive wood furnace and a fireplace.

 

[electrathon]

For rare occasional use buy a few electric space heaters.

 

[maple1]

Hmm, usually insurance companies also kick up a fuss if you don't have something other than wood as a primary heat source.

I would consider just adding in a few electric baseboard heaters. They aren't cheap to run, but should serve a backup purpose while being rather cheap & easy to install at the same time as keeping an insurance company happy.

 

[Monaco]

All we have is a wood furnace and a fireplace

 

[Monaco]

For rare occasional use buy a few electric space heaters.

We don't really like the idea of space heaters, looking for something to keep the house at 50 degrees in the winter occasionally when we're gone

 

[begreen]

We don't really like the idea of space heaters, looking for something to keep the house at 50 degrees in the winter occasionally when we're gone

This would require a proper plenum, control circuits, fan relay tie-in, safety switch and thermostat. It might be easier to install an electric furnace.

 

[brenndatomu]

Electric baseboard heaters...

 

[begreen]

Electric baseboard heaters...

Definitely the simplest solution if running the wiring is easy.

 

[bholler]

I second the baseboard idea. I am sure you could add a second heat source to your ducts but it will be expensive. And for use only a couple times a year i wouldnt think it would be worth it.

 

[ratsrepus]

Im an electrical contractor, and as said the simplest most economical way to achieve what your going for is with baseboard heaters. they make some very good units that are oil filled. The thermostats can be mounted on the units which saves fishing wire up the wall.

 

[maple1]

Electric baseboard heaters...

I said it first dangitall!

 

[brenndatomu]

I said it first dangitall!

Great minds n all...

 

[venator260]

As others have said, I would install a few baseboard heaters on the 1st floor. The units are pretty cheap to buy and easy to install.

 

[Ludlow]

If you have the room it would be more economical to run a heat pump versus any kind of strip heating. A good HVAC contractor can tie an air handler into your existing ducting of the wood furnace, provided you have the room. When the temps are below freezing it will switch to aux heat strips in the air handler. Not the simple solution but cheaper in the long run. Not sure how your ducting is set up.It would need to be of sufficient cfm for the air handler.