New build, ZC fireplace in great room, advice on moving heat around?

[tcurrie]

Hi everyone, been reading around this site. Just thought I'd ask for any advice on how we might maximize heat from our fireplace to the rest of the house, specifically the bedrooms at the other end of the house.

Fireplace is a Kozy Heat z42, not concerned with heating the main house and even the master bedroom. Originally requested the heat duct kit to dump into the end of the hallway near bedroom 2 & 3, but there will be no heat duct kit installed as of now, it was backordered and not recommended by the installers/dealer due to not working very well and requiring fan replacements often. The house has central HVAC with heat pump. The fireplace dealer even recommended just using that to move the air/heat around first before trying the Kozy Heat ducting kit.

My builder said he was thinking about cutting opening/grill vent type of thing into the hallway to help move air around. But not sure what he was thinking and not sure how effective it would be or not. The bedrooms will have ceiling fans but I don't think that will help create convection.

Wondering if anyone here has any clever ideas other than opening up walls (we're already drywalled and almost done with construction) and adding a custom duct/fan system that goes into the bedrooms? Thanks for any ideas!

 

[kborndale]

Put a small fan on the floor in the hallway blowing cold air towards the stove.

 

[begreen]

It's not a great plan for heating via the fireplace. Bedroom 2 can easily be ducted, BR 3 is a bit more complicated but doable if there is an attic above. The blowers can be replaced with a better option if needed. Gravity feed into BR2 might be sufficient.

The door for the hallway to BRs 2&3 makes circulation from the main room harder. The MBR and bath are likely SOL for getting heat from the fireplace.

 

[tcurrie]

Thanks for the input. Yeah I was a bit disappointed when I found out they didn't do the ducting kit to the rooms, I went and talked to the fireplace dealer myself and they were not very enthused about them.

I do have an attic space above the bedrooms that could be used to duct to bedroom 2, and obviously bedroom 3 is a straight shot. I'll consider that for next winter and see how everything works, we'd have to open up that wall to do so now.

Surprised you think the master is not going to get heat, it's right off the great room.

I thought someone might mention a fan, from reading this site the advice is usually move cold air toward the stove correct?
Would something like this moving air from the floor of the hallway straight through to the corner of the great room be effective?
Amazon product ASIN B0BFK144X5

 

[tcurrie]

P.S. There is no actual door in the hallway, I see it kind of looks like it from the drawing.

 

[qwee]

If you haven't built it yet consider a masonry heater instead. Probably weighs about the same but heats better. You can find info about what they are and find builders @ https://www.mha-net.org. They come in kits. If you get the inner part constructed any competent mason should be able to do the outer part.

 

[EbS-P]

It’s always best to move cold air to the stove. Hvac fan rarely work out well to move heat around.

Through wall fans are fairly easy retrofits if you have power near by.

Does the great room have a flat ceiling?

 

[tcurrie]

Already built, no masonry heater.

It's a vaulted ceiling with a large ceiling fan. Think that through wall 300 CFM fan will get enough convection coming down the hallway if I install it at floor level end of the hall?

 

[stoveliker]

I think a 300 cfm fan is on the large (and possibly noisy) side.

I have. 188 cfm (at no load) fan heating my whole house - moving cold air into the (825 sq ft) basement where the stove is, so warm air is pushed up to the (1700 sq ft) living floors.

 

[EbS-P]

Already built, no masonry heater.

It's a vaulted ceiling with a large ceiling fan. Think that through wall 300 CFM fan will get enough convection coming down the hallway if I install it at floor level end of the hall?

I’m of the mindset that continuous lower cfm promotes convection. Too much and you just stir all the air up. I have 15 vents and blower 1400 cfm call it 100 cfm per room. Much more than 150 on a 6 inch fan it gets loud.

I like the AC infinity product I have 12” blower behind my stove.

 

[tcurrie]

Good to hear. Looks like that fan has multiple speed settings and running at full (loud) wouldn't be needed.

 

[begreen]

Surprised you think the master is not going to get heat, it's right off the great room.

It'll get some heat. How much will depend somewhat on the house insulation and amount of window area. In cold weather, it will likely be several degrees cooler because it is cut off by a 28" door opening. A table fan running at low speed on the floor in the MBR, blowing cool air down low into the stove room would help raise the temp.

This could also help, with the BRs 2&3, but the right angle turn is going to reduce effectiveness.

Ceiling fans in the great room will also help to a degree.

 

[tcurrie]

Ok, gotcha. I wasn't expecting it (nor wanting it) to heat the master like the rest of the open area. I like the bedroom cool (cold?) my wife would prefer it exactly 71.5 degrees.....but she's coming around! The kids have gotten used to fairly cold rooms as the current house has beds/blankets right next to baseboard heater and so we leave it off so they don't wake up on fire! Of course as they get older they'll spend more time in their rooms and it'll be nice to be able to keep it a little warmer for them.

If I can keep the great room in the high 60's and the bedrooms 5 degrees or so cooler that'd be perfect. Guess I'll know soon enough.

 

[begreen]

It may work out ok if the house insulation and sealing are good. A space heater in a bedroom is also an option. There are safe electric heaters (oil-filled radiators, hydrotherm portable hot water baseboard heaters, etc.). Consider putting in a good towel warmer in the master bath and maybe get a nice electric blanket with dual controls.