looking for suggestions on upstairs heat transfer

[Lyndmc]

I have a medium size Dutchwest stove, I'm struggling to get the heat upstairs. I have to keep my fire low or we can't be in the room and the upstairs freezes. I've already cut a grate between the floors above the stove, and at one point I had a fan above the great to try and pull the heat up.

Based on an experiment that my father in law suggested, it seems as though the cold air falling down the stairs is keeping the warm air from rising up the stairs.

Any suggestions based on my floorplan?

 

[stoveliker]

I push cold air from the room above the stove into the basement where the stove is through a register, duct (fire damper), and inline fan. Then the warm air rises thru the open stairs to the main floor.

But the basement is warm (79 F) when the living room is 69.

 

[Lyndmc]

A slight curve to that plan is that the hole in the ceiling and the hole in the floor is part of the return plenum. The idea was that warm air could be pulled from the basement in the summer and preheated air could be pulled through the furnace, electronic cleaner, and humidifier. If I were to force air down, it may upset the return system.

I had a round duct booster fan in that space between the floors drawing up in the past.

 

[stoveliker]

Ok. I don't have forced air, so I don't know how that would be influenced (i.e. whether it's significant). The main point is that to move air, pushing cold air works better and that a circuit (i.e.air can go around ina circle) works best.

 

[MR. GLO]

I'd cover the floor grate and put two big fans on low. One pushing air out of stove room/hallway towards the stairwell then at top of stairs...towards bedroom.

Id first try box fans with wifi govee temp gauges. Then try with floor grate open... cut holes as last resort.


Others say try pushing cold air down the stairs towards stove but they will be in the way of walking.

Seems likes your bedroom cant return the cold air because of the garage? Maybe best place for cold air return is hallway with bedroom doors open.

With basements some install return cold air vents at other ends of house. Here is a video.

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The cold air return in the video work if you have the setup for returns...but many have said on this forum they cause code issues.

 

[TradEddie]

Putting a fan on the floor blowing air out of the stove room will probably never work well, because you're only blowing the coldest air, and you're disrupting the return of cold air to the stove room. As others have said, blowing cold air from other rooms into the stove room usually works better. I had limited success with box fans, possibly because they cause so much turbulence, but when I put a tower fan on low speed blowing cold air into my stove room, the improvement was dramatic, and it's far less floor obstruction. Even then, don't expect too much.

TE

 

[begreen]

The drawing shows the 2nd floor stairwell completely enclosed with walls on all sides. Where does it open up into the room, living room side or kitchen side? Or are those walls downstairs?



This is a tough place to heat, especially the rooms over the garage. I can see how a convection loop can be created for the primary parts of the house (family room, lvg room, kitchen). The master bedroom and bedroom 2 are SOL as far as seeing heat from the stove. The best bet for them might be to fully insulated and seal tite the garage and its door, then heating the garage up to 55º.

 

[logfarmer]

Your stairs will be the “cold air return” and the grate would be the “supply”. I’ve done this in my house I have one small register cut it and will most likely add a fan in it shortly to get a little more heat upstairs.

 

[Dan Freeman]

I cut an opening in my kitchen ceiling (where my stove is) to the 2nd floor landing. I did get more heat up to the 2nd floor, but still wasn't pleased. I replaced the "passive" register on the 2nd floor landing with a Register Booster Fan, and that has made a big difference in the amount of heat on the 2nd floor.

 

[clancey]

I can see where that might work but is the fan noisy? Just wondering..clancey

 

[Dan Freeman]

I can see where that might work but is the fan noisy? Just wondering..clancey

Actually, rather quiet. You can also adjust the speed of the fans (there are two of them) on a 1through 10 level. I keep the setting at 7 and it is no more than some "white noise" that I hear only when I am on the landing.