Keystone location and efficiency

[beulahv]

I have a Woodstock Keystone on reserve waiting for the feds to officialy release their guidelines (how long the wait) and for me to construct my hearth. The problem with the hearth is I don't know where to put it. I have two locations in mind. If my attempt at putting up an attatchment worked, you can see my choices. Location A I like best but will be a lot of work and no place to store wood nearby. Location B is easy and will work well but the stove ambience won't be as good. My biggest concern with location B is how much efficiency I may lose not being centrally located. Would there be a noticable difference 15 feet further away from the bedrooms? The house is about 920 sf. with 8' ceilings. Any input greatly appreciated.

If the attachment didn't work right I appoligize. Please direct.

 

[Todd]

I think if you like A the best, do the extra work to get it there, you will be happy in the long run. A centrally located stove will even out the heat much better throughout the house. If you have the stove at location B the bedrooms will be cooler.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

But cooler in the bedrooms is not all that bad either! I say go with your heart. Put it where you really want it.

Air can be moved, but quite the opposite way as normally thought. I've always thought it best to try to blow the warm air to where you wanted it. Not so! Our bedroom is at the far end of a hallway. Blowing the air towards the hallway does get some warmth in back but if we turn around and set a small fan on the floor blowing the cool air toward the warm it really warms up in that back bedroom then! And you do not need a lot of air movement. Our fan is set on the lowest setting and does a great job.

 

[begreen]

I like centrally located stoves. If location A will give you the best all around fireview and if it's a visual focal point of the room, then it's worth considering. Maybe a 32" wide, wood storage box could be built into the lower 2' of the bedroom closet behind the stove. It would of course be open to and trimmed on the LR side. Location B also has some good appeal. It puts the stove at the source of cold air entry (front and garage doors) and will mean less trecking in across the living room with daily armloads or slings of wood.

If the house is reasonably well insulated the core (LR, DR, Kitch) will stay warm regardless of stove location. If the bedrooms are a bit too cool, a fan, placed on the floor, blowing from the bedroom at the end of the hallway towards the large open living area may be all that's needs to achieve more even comfort.

 

[beulahv]

Thanks for the input folks. Some good points from a respectable bunch. However I'm still undecided. I suppose it comes down to what we can and cannot live with.
I like your thinking on the wood box BeGreen. Getting creative is how you have to do it when living in a small home. But how about 42" wide? The width of the TV next to A. Can't live without it. Ask my boys.

Back on topic, an idea I had for location A to further the heating of the bedroom behind was to construct the wall between stove and BR from non-combustible, but high K value material with 1" air space then BR wall finish. My thought is heat could transfer to the BR side, and be circulated into the room even when the door is closed. Viable? Not worth the effort?
Thanks again.

 

[begreen]

I'd wait a year before major house mods due to the stove location. In western Oregon's mild climate the Keystone might handle heating comfort just fine.

Note, heat + LCD TVs are not a good combo. If the tv is close to the stove location A, it makes location B more attractive. As to the importance of the TV to developing youth, well, that's another topic, probably best for the ashcan.