Wood burning stove in basement

[bigbacon]

I'm trying to figure out how this was setup and used. Previous own of my house had a wood stove at one point (it was in the basement) but swapped it for this gas thing. We want to replace it with a wood stove of some kind. Gas stove has no gas tanks so I can't try it out.

What I am trying to understand is how the used it and I think I get it but curious what others thing.

the basement door is a split door so I guess they just opened the upper half and let hot air rise. there is also a return vent right in the front of this thing. I also guess they just turned on the HVAC fan and let it suck the hot air in and then distribute it upstairs?

our ground floor HVAC is compression and is terrible below about 40 degrees (talking like 4 hours to raise the temp .5 to 1 degrees). House also has an open foyer right by the basement door with a return up there.

Curious if that could pull heat to the upstairs. We also have a fairly large fireplace right above this gas thing which would could also but a wood insert into. Just not sure which is best although I kind of want both

Does this seem like a normal kind of setup? House was built in 89.

The upper floor air return is in the ceiling in the foyer area and would pull air from anywhere.

Attached some photos so you get an idea of what I'm talking about and placement of things. We eventually plan to finish this basement and would use a drop ceiling.

was thinking in the basement just a very basic flat top wood stove just not sure of the size or how to determine that.

 

[stoveliker]

I'm pretty sure the return that close to a wood stove is against code...

For heat upstairs, I'd put a stove (or, less good, an insert) upstairs. These are space heaters, and having something downstairs to heat the upstairs MAY work, but it may disappoint also...

And if you want both, does the chimney have two flues?

 

[bigbacon]

I'm pretty sure the return that close to a wood stove is against code...

For heat upstairs, I'd put a stove (or, less good, an insert) upstairs. These are space heaters, and having something downstairs to heat the upstairs MAY work, but it may disappoint also...

And if you want both, does the chimney have two flues?

Dual Chimney (should have taken an outside photo). Separate ducts in one large wide chimney if that make sense. all 3 chimneys in this house were inspected and cleaned about 4 months ago by professionals.

I'll have to look over the inspection from last year to see if it said anything about that return. Can't remember. I'm guessijng the gas appliance could have different code vs wood.

 

[Stelcom66]

I knew someone who had a large Regency(?) wood stove in the basement. It was a ranch house in New England - with vents in the floors in each room. It did a nice job. The house had no furnace, just an electric hot water heater. The house did have electric baseboard heating - the only time that was turned on is if it was in the teens outside.

My stove is in the living room, which I like. It's amazing how warm the 2nd floor is, which is now unused. I put up curtains in front of and on the side of the stairway to try to keep some heat from rising upstairs.

 

[john26]

might consider something like this
(broken link removed to https://www.drolet.ca/en/products/furnaces/)
(broken link removed to https://sbiweb.blob.core.windows.net/media/3962/pub046a_psg_en_2020_web.pdf)

 

[bigbacon]

I knew someone who had a large Regency(?) wood stove in the basement. It was a ranch house in New England - with vents in the floors in each room. It did a nice job. The house had no furnace, just an electric hot water heater. The house did have electric baseboard heating - the only time that was turned on is if it was in the teens outside.

My stove is in the living room, which I like. It's amazing how warm the 2nd floor is, which is now unused. I put up curtains in front of and on the side of the stairway to try to keep some heat from rising upstairs.

that was why I trying to figure out how they used it. the basement has duct work for heating and cooling plus that intake.

Since we plan to finish the basement that was part of the reason of maybe putting something there that could then draw the heat and push it through existing ductwork to the first floor and basement as needed.

A main floor unit in the fireplace might still be able to do that if the first floor intake can draw the hot air around the corner and then through everything.

I prefer wood over pellets unless the pellet stove can work without power. Having the option to use wood with no power to radiate heat is better than nothing.

I am in Northern VA if that matters.

 

[john26]

I bought on of these used to install in my basement I plan on hooking it up before next fall. I will tie one 8" round duct into existing duct work and leave the other 8" port open. I do plan on finishing the basement later.

 

[Stelcom66]

Not sure how you'd incorporate existing ductwork - I'd think a fan/blower in the basement would be needed for that, and maybe a new opening in the ductwork where the air is directed to? Or a fan pulling air into the ductwork opening. The house I'm familiar with just had complete small rectangular openings to the basement. By the nature of the heat it would rise through those and do a pretty good job.

The basement door was always left open too. The one plus about that house is without electricity the heating was satisfactory. But the idea
of using existing ductwork is a good idea too IMO. Just not sure - someone with HVAC experience would be able to give better advice. Overall though, the heating would probably be better if it could be done. And, since you plan on finishing some of the basement it would no longer be an open path to upstairs with a new ceiling.

Your climate is somewhat milder than New England where I am, but I'm sure still justifies a wood stove.

 

[Stelcom66]

I bought on of these used to install in my basement I plan on hooking it up before next fall...

Already someone who is more familiar with this than I! Looks like a good option if you have ductwork. My house does not.

I posted my previous reply before seeing this. The way oil prices are rising it seems like a very good investment.

 

[john26]

Already someone who is more familiar with this than I! Looks like a good option if you have ductwork. My house does not.

I posted my previous reply before seeing this. The way oil prices are rising it seems like a very good investment.

8" round duct could be added with floor registers not too hard to install and can be bought at box stores.
Picked up the Ashley used after Christmas for $250. Just running my inserts on the main floor saved $100 each month for November December and January on natural gas.

 

[bigbacon]

Not sure how you'd incorporate existing ductwork - I'd think a fan/blower in the basement would be needed for that, and maybe a new opening in the ductwork where the air is directed to? Or a fan pulling air into the ductwork opening. The house I'm familiar with just had complete small rectangular openings to the basement. By the nature of the heat it would rise through those and do a pretty good job.

The basement door was always left open too. The one plus about that house is without electricity the heating was satisfactory. But the idea
of using existing ductwork is a good idea too IMO. Just not sure - someone with HVAC experience would be able to give better advice. Overall though, the heating would probably be better if it could be done. And, since you plan on finishing some of the basement it would no longer be an open path to upstairs with a new ceiling.

Your climate is somewhat milder than New England where I am, but I'm sure still justifies a wood stove.

we have circular vents all over the basement that are part of the same runs that feed the first floor so in theory, heat could travel up those vents and then up stairs. most of the basement vents are almost right below a vent for upstairs.

 

[qwee]

One thing, is to figure out if there is insulation in the basement floor/walls. This could determine if you want the wood stove down there or up on the 1st floor. If there isn't insulation down there you'll being sending some of your heat into the soil. Might not be as big a deal for you, being in Virginia.

 

[Stelcom66]

8" round duct could be added with floor registers not too hard to install and can be bought at box stores.
Picked up the Ashley used after Christmas for $250. Just running my inserts on the main floor saved $100 each month for November December and January on natural gas.

Holy smokes $250 for that? ! ? I'd guess new could be over a thousand. Doing a good job too.

 

[Stelcom66]

we have circular vents all over the basement that are part of the same runs that feed the first floor so in theory, heat could travel up those vents and then up stairs. most of the basement vents are almost right below a vent for upstairs.

Now I'm thinking what my grandparents had in their house years ago. There were openings for the basement itself so maybe that could be a path for the heat to rise to the first floor.

 

[bigbacon]

I'm starting to think I'll just deal with the upstairs first and worry about basement later.

 

[bigealta]

Put a stove in the fireplace opening upstairs. its a no brainer. I learned this when having a koi pond. You want it close to the house where you can always see and enjoy it easily (not in the back corner far from the house/patio). Same with a nice glass door woodstove. Front and center in the living room, and close to an outside door for bringing in wood.

 

[john26]

that's exactly what I did

 

[bigbacon]

Yea the next step is to figure out what to get upstairs. local places that do installs deal with Osburn, Regency, Pacific Energy and Heathstone although they will install anything.

Least through them it would be a regency i2450 or Osburn 1700 or 2000 but thats all I know right now unless people have suggestions. I'd rather something new for this.

Fireplace is 36 wide, 30 deep, and 28 high

 

[bigealta]

If you want Jotul, I would not hesitate on a f3cb used. Don’t think they have any cracking issues? No ash pan.

 

[Caw]

I have an Osburn 1600 insert in my living room fireplace and it heats my 1600 sq ft two story cape with ease down to single digits here in MA. The 1700 is basically a 1600 that was updated to meet the new EPA regs.

My electric heat (set to 60 degrees in the far room) will only kick on for an hr or two at 4 or 5 am when the overnight temps dip below 5 degrees or so if I reload at like 11 pm. It's only happened once this year so far!

I think its a sharp unit and I'm happy with the quality. SBI (Osburn parent company) is also pretty easy to deal with should any issues arise. I'd recommend them.

 

[bigealta]

Here is the Jotul f400 but not sure it will fit in your fireplace?

 

[bigbacon]

I have an Osburn 1600 insert in my living room fireplace and it heats my 1600 sq ft two story cape with ease down to single digits here in MA. The 1700 is basically a 1600 that was updated to meet the new EPA regs.

My electric heat (set to 60 degrees in the far room) will only kick on for an hr or two at 4 or 5 am when the overnight temps dip below 5 degrees or so if I reload at like 11 pm. It's only happened once this year so far!

I think its a sharp unit and I'm happy with the quality. SBI (Osburn parent company) is also pretty easy to deal with should any issues arise. I'd recommend them.

View attachment 275128

thanks. I'm kind of leaning on the 2000 right now. its slightly larger although slightly less efficient. I guess my fear is the 1700 looking puny in our fireplace.

it seems priced well to me for a new unit. I also can't seem to find the 1700 anywhere. Is cleaning it out a pain or no?

 

[Caw]

thanks. I'm kind of leaning on the 2000 right now. its slightly larger although slightly less efficient. I guess my fear is the 1700 looking puny in our fireplace.

it seems priced well to me for a new unit. I also can't seem to find the 1700 anywhere. Is cleaning it out a pain or no?

It's very easy to clean. The firebox you can shovel right out. To clean the pipe you just pop put the front secondary burn tube, which is held in by one cotter pin, then take out the baffles. My liner is a straight shot 24' up the chimney so you just hit it with the soot eater and it all falls into the stove. The only PITA thing for me is that my hearth isn't raised so I'm on my hands and knees a lot. I have a gardening kneel pad I use which helps a lot.

I would have liked to get the 2000 actually but it wouldn't fit in my fireplace. The 1600 already protrudes 8" as it is. Like I said earlier, this stove covers us fully down to about 5 degrees where it needs a little help at the end of the night. A 2000 would have covered us below zero probably. I think its always better to go bigger if you aren't sure, you can always put less wood in. Also on that note, to anyone going insert, I'm a big fan of partially protruding setups. I get a lot more radiant heat than a flush mount and it's noticeable during an outage or just in general when the blower is off. I also think it looks nice but thats subjective.

About the size, my stove room is like 14 x 12, it's not big. We have tons of stuff in the room....including a giant 5'x4'x4' dog crate. Heres how it looks zoomed out. Also a great place to dry snow stuff and laundry lol. I think it fits our fireplace well but as you can see it's not a giant hearth. The couch is a piece of our old big ass sectional from our previous home. It's way too big for the room but it's free so it works for now. A new couch on the agenda for next year.

 

[john26]

look at the Osburn 3500 you can easily north south loadit with 16" splits and its useable firebox volume is 2.84cuft the 2000 is 2.02cuft

 

[Caw]

look at the Osburn 3500 you can easily north south loadit with 16" splits and its useable firebox volume is 2.84cuft the 2000 is 2.02cuft

Also for reference my 1600 is 1.85 cu ft.