Creating A Draft

Worm Drive

We just installed a coal stove in a 2000 sq ft, 2 story house. The problem is, the stove is in our living room, at the front of the house and we are having a tough time getting the heat to the down stairs back half of the house. We have 5 different fans running to circulate the heat and still have a ten degree difference to the back bedroom and bathroom.

I was thinking of running a "cold air return" from the back room and bringing it up though the floor, near the blower intake for the coal stove. I have 6" insulated flex hose and an in-line fan.

Does that sound like a feasible idea for helping to create a draft to the back of the house? If so, which end of the return should I put the fan on, the intake or outlet?

The existing heat is hot water base board.

Any suggestions appreciated. Thanks

thom

6" won't move much. You're working against gravity. Rather than do a powered return, I'd do a powered supply. With the return idea you would still be taking the coldest air off the floor from the second floor and pushing it down where it just doesn't want to go.

Worm Drive

The back bedroom and bath are on the first floor, as is the stove. The upstairs is staying at a descent temp. I think I'll lay the vent out on the floor and wire up the motor, so I can see how it works without cutting a hole in the floor. I think you're right that 6" isn't going to move enough air.

HeatPro

The DIY concept here is to create a warm air system from a room heater by adding holes and ducts from the room. The room becomes the low-temperature plenum, which requires 5 times the air flow, as the rise would be uncomfortable ten degrees higher than comfort temp; not understanding why a furnace is made to give a 30-60 degree rise makes for dissatisfaction. There are limitations to making a room heater heat an entire house without actually installing a ducted furnace. Sometimes, it is best just to use one of the duct designs used for the past 100 years instead of patches.

HeatPro

I thought this might take some more explaining for posters not in the trade. A furnace that is designed for a 50-degree rise, must move enough air to cool the exchanger so the air coming out is 70F plus 50F = 120F. The fan and ducts are sized to allow that cooling of the exchanger. A 10F room rise would mean the heated air moved would be 5 times that by weight to move the same heat, so ducts would be 5 times the size and the fan to move it larger. Don't think the house can take duct 5 times larger in cross-section.