Wood stove to assist electric furnace?

[Dan Campbell]

Hello,
This is my first post and I would like to start by saying thank you for having me.

I have an issue I hope someone can answer.

I have a 2000SF home with two electric furnaces / heat pumps. My electric bills are huge in the winter $700 this past month. I have checked / replace the weather stripping and made sure I dont have a door wide open.

My wife attempts to keep the house at 73 to 74 deg and in VA thats tough.

My Question --

I have a wood burning stove (2 years old and bought from Lowes for $500) in the basement. Can I use my existing duct work and furnace fan to move the wood stove heat through the house? If so, where would I cut the location for the filter grille in the basement duct work?

Is this Safe? Many people say this is safe but I really want to research it before I do something I will regret.


Any thoughts or links to threads about this topic would be great.
Dan

 

[xjcamaro89]

Heck, if it keeps your basement really warm just open a cold air return (if you have one) in the basement and close all the ones throughout the house. Then just turn the fan on the furnace on (if you can do that, my oil furnace thermostat has a fan only button) Then when the fan is just running its only pulling hot air from the basement and distributing throughout the house.

Are you currently burning in the wood burner?

And because your asking if it safe, you arent trying to hook the chimney pipe up to your house duct work are you? Because that should never be done.

 

[Jags]

Cutting holes in the floor create a path for potential fire spread. That being said, there are fuseable link type grates designed for this. Some people have better luck than others using the furnace duct work and fan for moving stove heat around. Most find it very inefficient or darn near useless. It works for others.

Your best bet is to try to create a thermal loop. Hot air goes up in one spot and cold air down, in another.

 

[xjcamaro89]

What my brother did in his small house was he has a wood stove, not a pretty one, just all cast iron. He has his in the basement, he build a sheet meatl box around his and mounted a small fan in a hole in the sheet metal. Then he put duct work coming off the top of the sheet metal box surround to the duct work of the house, (he has a smaller house). Then he just turns that little fan on a little bit and it get the air moving up through the duct work into the house

 

[Jags]

XJ - I have heard of a couple of different installs like this - some report that it works well, BUT it is against every rule in the book for free standing stoves.

 

[xjcamaro89]

Ya, it seems to work very well. I think my brother did it cause he was in a rough spot at the time and could afford to run his electric furnace. He had a older wood burner given to him, and he had plenty of trees to cut down on his property. He has been using it for a couple years now. The box doesnt cover the front where you load or the rear where the chimney starts, it just covers the sides and the top.

 

[SPhill]

I'm not clear on something. Is the wood stove installed in the basement -- connected to a flue? Have you used it down there? If so, how did the installer recommend using it?

Or,is the wood stove just stored down there uninstalled? If so, I would recommend installing it on first floor living space, not in the basement with all of the issues mentioned above. I have a two story house with a heat pump in the basement and a wood stove insert on the first floor. The wood stove augments the heat pump very nicely. It prevents the electric aux heat from activating and minimizes HP cycles. When the HP does come on it circulates stove heated air though the house.

 

[ryanm527]

I too suffered from $700 electric bills last winter thanks to a large drafty house and an aging heat pump and that's why I have a wood stove now. I added insulation, weather stripping, fixed storm windows, everything I could think of over the course of a few years and every winter my bills kept going up up up!! I'm new wood stoves and still working out the kinks still, but even at that, the heat pump (on the first floor at least) rarely comes on anymore. My house is old and drafty but we're attempting to heat about 2000sf as well. A few parts of the house we keep closed off and we supplement a couple areas with space heaters. Still I am expecting the wood stove will rapidly pay for itself.

Since you already own it you're well on your way, depending on the output of the stove. I would highly suggest installing it on the first floor if possible. If for no other reason than convenience of keeping it stocked. If it turns out that it's too small don't be afraid to look at buying a larger unit altogether. With the alternative being those massive winter electric bills even a nice wood stove installed will quickly pay for itself. Especially if you are in a position to supply yourself with firewood. If done correctly I know several people who not only supplement, but entirely replace their heat pump use with a wood stove. Even in fairly large 2 story homes.