Wood Stove Doesn't Seem to Heat Well Enough

[Jazzcrazy]

Hi all! I'm knew here and knew to wood stoves in general.

To me, it seems like we're burning way more wood than we should be. we've been burning since the beginning of October, and for some reason we've already gone through almost a full cord of wood.

We're trying to heat 4k sq ft by heating the basement. there's no door to the basement so the heat travels up the stairs. we also removed the insulation in the basement ceiling to allow the heat to come through the floor.

Any tips of how to get more heat coming off of the stove, or what we can do to make this work better for us would be greatly appreciated.

 

[bholler]

Hi all! I'm knew here and knew to wood stoves in general.

To me, it seems like we're burning way more wood than we should be. we've been burning since the beginning of October, and for some reason we've already gone through almost a full cord of wood.

We're trying to heat 4k sq ft by heating the basement. there's no door to the basement so the heat travels up the stairs. we also removed the insulation in the basement ceiling to allow the heat to come through the floor.

Any tips of how to get more heat coming off of the stove, or what we can do to make this work better for us would be greatly appreciated.

What stove are you using? Is the basement insulated?

 

[moresnow]

We're trying to heat 4k sq ft by heating the basement

Gulp! That's a large area to heat. Mostly from a basement.

 

[Jazzcrazy]

What stove are you using? Is the basement insulated?

the stove is a woodpro 2200. we removed the insulation from the ceiling in the basement so that the heat could come through the floors.

 

[Jazzcrazy]

Gulp! That's a large area to heat. Mostly from a basement.

it is, but we're using smaller heaters in the bedrooms. we're basically trying to heat everything else.

 

[bholler]

the stove is a woodpro 2200. we removed the insulation from the ceiling in the basement so that the heat could come through the floors.

Ok you are trying to heat 4000 sqft with a stove that claims it will heat 2000. That is the first issue. When i asked about the basement i was talking about the walls not the floor between. Absolutly removing the insulation in in the basement ceiling is a good move. But if the walls are uninsulated you will loose lots of heat out through them

 

[KJamesJR]

You could try installing some floor registers.

That’s a lot of space for that stove to try and heat. How large is your basement?

 

[Jazzcrazy]

Ok you are trying to heat 4000 sqft with a stove that claims it will heat 2000. That is the first issue. When i asked about the basement i was talking about the walls not the floor between. Absolutly removing the insulation in in the basement ceiling is a good move. But if the walls are uninsulated you will loose lots of heat out through them

oh...lol...yes, the walls are insulated. I'm going to be air sealing it here soon. it was done to a point before be bought the house, but it could've been done better...so i'll be doing that.

the stove is installed in the old fireplace that's in the basement. with a heat shield and vermiculite insulation.

 

[Jazzcrazy]

You could try installing some floor registers.

That’s a lot of space for that stove to try and heat. How large is your basement?

it's 4k sq ft including the basement. both are open floor plans. as far as the registers, we're trying to limit the noise since we have young children.

 

[vwmike]

I’m not at all surprised you’ve burned that much wood heating that much space from the basement!

 

[EatenByLimestone]

How are you operating the stove? Is the 4k on 1 floor or 2? How is the house insulated?

 

[Jazzcrazy]

How are you operating the stove? Is the 4k on 1 floor or 2? How is the house insulated?

the house is 2k sq ft basement and 2k sq ft main level. insulated walls and we took the insulation out of the basement ceiling to allow the heat to come through the floors. we run the stove at about 600 degrees most of the day, adding wood every hour to hour and a half during the day...

 

[bholler]

oh...lol...yes, the walls are insulated. I'm going to be air sealing it here soon. it was done to a point before be bought the house, but it could've been done better...so i'll be doing that.

the stove is installed in the old fireplace that's in the basement. with a heat shield and vermiculite insulation.

Does the old fireplace have a full liner and blockoff plate?

 

[Jazzcrazy]

Does the old fireplace have a full liner and blockoff plate?

yes. that's the heat shield i was talking about. also a brand new SS liner that is surrounded by the vermiculite insulation. it also has several extra seals i had installed after the first guys didn't seal it off correctly.

 

[bholler]

the house is 2k sq ft basement and 2k sq ft main level. insulated walls and we took the insulation out of the basement ceiling to allow the heat to come through the floors. we run the stove at about 600 degrees most of the day, adding wood every hour to hour and a half during the day...

What is your stove pipe temp? How are you running the stove?

 

[Jazzcrazy]

What is your stove pipe temp? How are you running the stove?

i'm sorry, can you elaborate on what you mean by how i'm running the stove?

 

[Highbeam]

the house is 2k sq ft basement and 2k sq ft main level. insulated walls and we took the insulation out of the basement ceiling to allow the heat to come through the floors. we run the stove at about 600 degrees most of the day, adding wood every hour to hour and a half during the day...

So your running the stove like a rented mule. Hard and hot! I like it. Feeding every hour! No wonder you’re blowing through fuel.

I run a large noncat like yours hard at 700+ and it still takes 3 hours to burn up a load. You must be partially loading or topping off the stove if you’re putting wood in so often.

Obviously your stove is too small but there aren’t many stoves out there that are capable of what you are asking. You’re in wood furnace territory.

 

[bholler]

i'm sorry, can you elaborate on what you mean by how i'm running the stove?

At what temperature do you start to shut back the air? How far do you shut it back? What temp is the stove pipe running at?

 

[begreen]

You’re in wood furnace territory.

Amen. Though an 8" stove pipe stove like the Regency 5100 would do better than the struggling WoodPro. Better yet, consider a wood stove per floor.

 

[Jazzcrazy]

At what temperature do you start to shut back the air? How far do you shut it back? What temp is the stove pipe running at?

the pipe is where our thermometer is and that's where we're seeing the constant 600 degrees. we have the air down around 700 to about half way to keep it at the 600 point.

 

[begreen]

Is this a magnetic surface thermometer on the stove pipe or a probe thermometer in a double-wall stove pipe? If surface thermometer, that's too high.

 

[Simonkenton]

Sounds like a good idea to remove the insulation from the ceiling. But it isn't.
I have a first floor wood stove and, since I built the house, this house is timber framed and there is just big 8x8 timbers to support the second floor.
Above that 1 1/2 inches of pine and 3/4 inch of oak.

I thought lots of heat would transfer through the floor and over heat the second floor. No. That wooden flooring is great insulation, like it or not.
The only appreicable heat comes up the stair case. And it is not enough.

I installed a grate in the ceiling, a regular 6 x 14 grate. Nothing.

You can certainly get that heat upstairs with a grate, or two or three, but you need a lot more than 6 x 14. Good luck.

 

[bholler]

the pipe is where our thermometer is and that's where we're seeing the constant 600 degrees. we have the air down around 700 to about half way to keep it at the 600 point.

Is that a measurment on the surface of singlewall pipe or an internal temp?

 

[Jazzcrazy]

Amen. Though an 8" stove pipe stove like the Regency 5100 would do better than the struggling WoodPro. Better yet, consider a wood stove per floor.

that is in the future...

 

[Jazzcrazy]

Is that a measurment on the surface of singlewall pipe or an internal temp?

surface of a double wall.