New Wood stove...Far end of house is cold.

[Usmc13]

Hey everyone, new to the forum! hopefully I can get some assistance. I recently purchased a Pacific Energy super le insert for my fireplace. I have a cape style home built in 1955 2500 sq ft. roughly 1000 sq ft on the first level. My question is how can i address the issue of my main living area being 70-80 degrees with the stove on but the far end of my house is still 67. Also, it is 64-67 on the second level if i don't run my baseboards heaters. I have attached the home layout. Thanks all!!

 

[begreen]

Yes, I can see how this would be a challenge to heat the left end of the house. The floor plan does not promote good convection.

Is the master BR warmer, more like 70º? Is there a basement?

 

[NickW]

Fireplaces & stoves are space heaters. There are many threads about the difficulty of moving air. Get a fan or two, place it/ them on the far end of the house and blow the cool air toward the fireplace.

 

[Usmc13]

Thanks for the quick response, The master is a bit warmer due to being above the heated space below im guessing. There is no basement house is on a slab. I am contemplating if some sort of duct with a fan would work coming out of the first floor running through the crawl space upstairs and into one of the far bedrooms.

 

[brenndatomu]

Get a fan or two, place it/ them on the far end of the house and blow the cool air toward the fireplace.

This ^ ^ ^ ...even a small fan, on low, will usually do the trick.

 

[NickW]

I have something similar in my house. It helps some, but not a ton. Also be aware of the potential fire spread hazard in case of an "event"... It is recommended to have a fire damper in the duct that will shut in case of said "event"...

 

[begreen]

Thanks for the quick response, The master is a bit warmer due to being above the heated space below im guessing. There is no basement house is on a slab. I am contemplating if some sort of duct with a fan would work coming out of the first floor running through the crawl space upstairs and into one of the far bedrooms.

As proof of concept, take a table or box fan and set at the end of the hallway on the floor, pointing toward the stove room. Run it on low speed. Leave the far bedroom doors wide open. In about 30 minutes there should be a notable decrease in the LR temp and an increase in the 1st fl BR temps.

If this works then the ducted idea might work. Where is the crawlspace upstairs? Is this a knee wall area?

 

[Usmc13]

Begreen, yes the crawlspace is upstairs in a knee wall area. my ducting for the central air is in there as well as water pipes. Thanks everyone for all the comments!! going to try a fan on the floor. I have a oscillating fan on a stand that is roughly 3' high. Would a fan on the floor work better?

 

[begreen]

That might work, especially if the knee wall area is insulated. In that case intakes for the far end upstairs and the downstairs could be in that duct run with the output blowing into the stove room.

A low fan is better. The idea is to move cool air down low, toward the stove room. Warmer air will replace it at the 6-8 ft level.

 

[bholler]

Begreen, yes the crawlspace is upstairs in a knee wall area. my ducting for the central air is in there as well as water pipes. Thanks everyone for all the comments!! going to try a fan on the floor. I have a oscillating fan on a stand that is roughly 3' high. Would a fan on the floor work better?

Yes on the floor will work better

 

[Usmc13]

Awesome! thanks everyone for the help! Hopefully this helps! ill try the box fan and see how it works.

 

[Markolc81]

I keep my house at 67 when not running my stove. I'd be happy with that LOL.

 

[Usmc13]

I’d be happy at 65 with a sweatshirt on haha but the little ones enjoy a toasty 70* room to sleep. Haha

 

[GrumpyDad]

Fireplaces & stoves are space heaters. There are many threads about the difficulty of moving air. Get a fan or two, place it/ them on the far end of the house and blow the cool air toward the fireplace.

why would you blow cold air from cold areas toward the stove. That will force outside air to replace, which will be colder, wouldnt it?

 

[NickW]

why would you blow cold air from cold areas toward the stove. That will force outside air to replace, which will be colder, wouldnt it?

No. It enhances natural convection. Cold air is denser than warm air, therefore easier to move with a fan.

Blowing cool air toward the stove will pull the warm air from the stove room into the area the cool air came from better than trying to push the warm air back to the cool area and forcing the denser cool air out.

 

[brenndatomu]

No. It enhances natural convection. Cold air is denser than warm air, therefore easier to move with a fan.

Blowing cool air toward the stove will pull the warm air from the stove room into the area the cool air came from better than trying to push the warm air back to the cool area and forcing the denser cool air out.

Exactly

 

[GrumpyDad]

No. It enhances natural convection. Cold air is denser than warm air, therefore easier to move with a fan.

Blowing cool air toward the stove will pull the warm air from the stove room into the area the cool air came from better than trying to push the warm air back to the cool area and forcing the denser cool air out.

Hey worth giving it a shot anyway.
The colder area has a fireplace, but Id like to run this on low to keep wood burn lower, and just have the fireplace for some additional heat and ambiance. Then I have across a 20' area another area that is only heated with baseboard heat

 

[NickW]

We all have to remember there are 2 used for air in heating with wood.

1. Heat inside the house. This is where the challenge of circulation presents itself. This air is not "used", it is moved around.

2. Combustion. This air is used in the burning process and goes up the flue.

2A. In older construction before "tight" houses the combustion air typically comes from inside the home. Due to the constant air exchange through the walls anyway there really isn't any harm being done. The combustion appliance doesn't really use enough air to enhance how much air is coming through the walls. My house is an example of this. Open fireplaces are terrible heaters because of the volume of the warmest air going straight up the flue.

2B. In newer "tight" construction outside air is used via a duct connected directly to the air intake on the appliance. It is more restrictive on just how much air the appliance can get, but is absolutely necessary to have or you will be fighting negative air pressure by trying to draw air through "tight" walls. Even with the outside air negative pressure can be a challenge on cold starts especially if a bathroom fan or dryer is running. It is an easier path for the air to come in down the chimney than through the scuttle/make up air on the furnace. Once draft is established and the doors on the stove can be closed the only air the stove gets is through the outside air intake. Cracking a door or window near the stove is often necessary to establish draft. The cabin we are building is like this.

Sorry for being long winded. Many here have helped me understand this better, so I thought I'd share a synopsis with some of the newer members.

 

[begreen]

why would you blow cold air from cold areas toward the stove. That will force outside air to replace, which will be colder, wouldnt it?

Not at all, you are not pulling air from outside, the fan is within the house envelope. Cold air is denser than warm air. It is more effective to move it, down low. The displaced cool air will be replaced with warm air from the stove room. If you want to see this effect tape a 12" strip of toilet paper to the top of the opening to the stove room. It will be moved toward the fan by the warm air replacing the cold.

 

[ajayabb]

Not at all, you are not pulling air from outside, the fan is within the house envelope. Cold air is denser than warm air. It is more effective to move it, down low. The displaced cool air will be replaced with warm air from the stove room. If you want to see this effect tape a 12" strip of toilet paper to the top of the opening to the stove room. It will be moved toward the fan by the warm air replacing the cold.

I assume clean toilet paper. 😂. Sorry couldn’t resist

 

[brenndatomu]

I assume clean toilet paper. 😂. Sorry couldn’t resist

Your choice

 

[begreen]

I support frugality, but saving used toilet paper is pushing things. 2nd time around might wipe out a relationship.

 

[brenndatomu]

I've done the TP air flow test...it's really shocking how much air movement there is in the house...even just walking from one room to the next (at a normal pace) will cause a lot of air flow.