Air Circulation improvements/tips

[Samcanadian]

Hi All!

After a long while, I've returned to this forum to get some more advice from the experts that post here!

We've recently moved to a new house (old house) that we've spent a lot of time and money renovating. We're very happy with where we're at, including the new Osburn Inspire 2000 insert we put into the existing brick fireplace.

We've spent one winter in it already, and due to the failed window seals and older construction it was a CHILLY one (Not to mention the outdated in-ceiling heat, which while surprisingly comfortable, wasn't practical for several reasons). We haven't exactly gotten ahead of the window situation though, as we've invested a lot into a set of Reynaers lift and slide doors to maximize our views.

MY question to everyone, is what's the best way to maximize the heat circulation that we get out of this Osburn? Currently, it's located in a large living room with 10' ceilings, that's adjacent to a kitchen and dining room with 8' ceilings. The difference in wall heights serves as a "Trap" of sorts for the heat in the living room, and while we can make the living room nice and toasty, I wanted to get a little more convection to make the entire area warm. For instance, it's 85f at the ceiling right now in the living room, and 75f in the dining.

I've got the fan running on the stove right now, and it does a good job pushing heat out and away from the stove but was wondering if it's worth the simple addition of another fan in the corner pointed up or down or whatever to get some more air circulating in this room to push it to the adjacent ones.

Thanks very much in advance for any help. I hope this hasn't been reposted a million times, and appreciate any time one would take to give some advice.

 

[Hoytman]

A floor fan (on low) placed at the furthest point in the house from the stove and pointing towards the stove.

If the house is broken up you could use two fans in separate locations both blowing back towards the stove.

 

[Samcanadian]

A floor fan (on low) placed at the furthest point in the house from the stove and pointing towards the stove.

If the house is broken up you could use two fans in separate locations both blowing back towards the stove.

The effect being in pushing the cold air from those points toward the warming centre?

 

[Hoytman]

Yep…creates a nice warm air convection loop and in a few hours far away rooms will be far warmer than without the fans.

Myself, I like to use small floor fans around 12 inches square, but these days those are hard to find locally, so regular sized floor fans will also work.

 

[Eman85]

I'm a ceiling fan user, our stove room has a cathedral ceiling. If we forget to turn the ceiling fan on we know it when we sit in the back room. It evens the temp out in the house and with no drafts down low.

 

[joop]

2nd on ceiling fan in reverse

 

[Dataman]

I use couple of box fans and ceiling fan running in reverse. I put filter on the box fans to get any dust. (Big Rubber Bands for Trash Cans). It works well. 17c (62.6f) from Pellet Stove, 2500sq ft house. Ceiling in Living Room is 20ft tall too.

 

[begreen]

It wouldn't hurt to try a 12" table fan, pointed up at say a 45º angle, toward the ceiling. That should help reduce the heat stratification in lieu of a ceiling fan. Experiment with location, try at the stove end of the room for a day and at the opposite end on another day. Let us know how this works out.

 

[Samcanadian]

Ok, I think i'll try the fan option first (Cheapest and quickest) and let you know how it pushes the heat around. I've got a hallway that the bedrooms branch off of that I might try placing a fan at the end of, to do what the others have said regarding pushing the cold air back to the warm centre.

 

[Hoytman]

Heat doesn’t like to be pushed, it rises, naturally (it’s lighter than cold dense air which pushes the hot light air upward). On the other hand cold air lays on the floor and can be pushed and/or pulled pretty easily. That’s why floor fans at furthest point of the house blowing towards the stove room helps pull heat along the ceiling into the furthest rooms making them warmer.

A ceiling fan in reverse also helps in the immediate room. It helps pull cold air from the floor and mixes it naturally rising warmer air and then pushes it along the ceiling to the outer walls.

With ceiling fans, depending on your ceiling style and height you may want to experiment with direction to see which works the best.

 

[30WCF]

That room looks like it could use a ceiling fan. Then point a fan or two from the back rooms blowing into the stove room. You can feel a warm breeze on your face when you are in the hall.
I just posted this in another thread too.

 

[begreen]

Ok, I think i'll try the fan option first (Cheapest and quickest) and let you know how it pushes the heat around. I've got a hallway that the bedrooms branch off of that I might try placing a fan at the end of, to do what the others have said regarding pushing the cold air back to the warm centre.

View attachment 320416

That is a typical ranch layout. The rooms down the hallway will always be cooler. Is there a basement in the house? If so, then an insulated duct system pulling cold air from the rooms and blowing it into the living room can be more effective.

 

[Samcanadian]

That is a typical ranch layout. The rooms down the hallway will always be cooler. Is there a basement in the house? If so, then an insulated duct system pulling cold air from the rooms and blowing it into the living room can be more effective.

Yes it’s a ranch style. We’ve got a fully ducted system with air returns in each bedroom. I run the fan for a few minutes every hour to keep air circulating, but the heat pump is currently running pretty consistently as it’s around -5c to -10c these days.

That room looks like it could use a ceiling fan. Then point a fan or two from the back rooms blowing into the stove room. You can feel a warm breeze on your face when you are in the hall.
I just posted this in another thread too.

Wow. Thats a great example. So that’s the hot air returning along the ceiling to the rooms where you’re pushing cold air out of?

 

[Samcanadian]

Here's our floor plan. I put in GREEN the proposed location of a fan, that ideally would push the cold air back into the warm centre of the house. Obviously fans in each bedroom would help, but honestly I don't mind a cooler bedroom at night. By the time 3-4AM rolls around, the last load of wood has stopped giving out enough warmth to keep the Fireplace Fan blowing and the heat pump/heater kick in.

 

[30WCF]

Yep. That TP wants to move back towards the bedroom pretty bad, even though the fans are blowing the other way. I’ve got a small 1100’ house. Those two fans move plenty of air. You may need several and try a few layouts to find what works.

 

[Samcanadian]

Yep. That TP wants to move back towards the bedroom pretty bad, even though the fans are blowing the other way. I’ve got a small 1100’ house. Those two fans move plenty of air. You may need several and try a few layouts to find what works.

Thanks for your help. I noticed the style of fan you had. Any reason for those in particular, or that's just what was available?

 

[30WCF]

I like them because they are less intrusive, and they do move a decent amount of air. They are quieter than the box fan and Vornado that we used to use. Of the tower fans I went with the dumb non touch screen and fancy bells. Most of the computerized ones turn off after so long. This is a utilitech with three speeds/on and off.

 

[Hoytman]

Here's our floor plan. I put in GREEN the proposed location of a fan, that ideally would push the cold air back into the warm centre of the house. Obviously fans in each bedroom would help, but honestly I don't mind a cooler bedroom at night. By the time 3-4AM rolls around, the last load of wood has stopped giving out enough warmth to keep the Fireplace Fan blowing and the heat pump/heater kick in.

View attachment 320557

Wrong location. Remember, the fan needs to pull air and then push cool air along the floor.

That fan needs placed in front of the green arrow tip…the door corner just above the tip of the green arrow. That would place the fan in front of the two bedroom doors effectively pulling cooler air out of the rooms.

A second floor fan could be used at the start of the same hallway to the far left of the green arrow tip.

Since there’s so many rooms on the right side of the house plan (rather than only two rooms) that is why it is recommended to use two fans. Plus two fans will move more air and do it faster even though both fans will remain on low.

A third fan just to the right of the bathroom door next the storage closet by the garage will help pull cool air from that side of the house.

We like cooler rooms as well, but in deep winter those rooms can get down right cold and use of the floor fan makes all the difference in the world.

Another thing…you want the fans as close to the floor as possible. Why? That’s where the coldest air in the house is.

If you try 3 fans, as mentioned, in the coldest part of the year, you will see why I recommended the use of three fans at these locations. (Place some temporary ribbon or toilet paper in the doorways to “see” the benefit now and especially when the fans are needed most during the coldest days of the season.

 

[Hoytman]

On those coldest of days is when you’ll really notice exactly what these fans are doing and how well they not only move cooler and even cold floor air, but if you use them often enough and long enough (at least a few hours or more when extremely cold out) you will eventually feel the air coming from those rooms along the floor will warm up some and the rooms will stabilize and warm up also. The same thing happens inside the home when it’s not as cold out and not quite as noticeable because you typically won’t use the fans as much or as long when weather is warmer, so you typically wouldn’t “feel” how well the fans work when strategically placed.

 

[begreen]

That's going to be a tough one. The fan in the hallway is not going to point toward the warmest area, the stove room. I think a ducted solution would work best in this situation if possible.