Opening Window for Draft Upstairs

[HummerBeachBuggy1982]

I was just wondering if anyone on here has a bi-level house with a stove or insert in the basement, I was wondering should I open a window upstairs or downstairs to get a better draft and get some air moving. I can get my downstairs sometimes to 79 degrees and the upstairs to about 71. Just looking to get some more air movement but in all very happy with my Regency insert.

 

[stejus]

How far away is the insert from the staircase that leads upstairs. I have my insert on first level of a colonial. My insert is about 12 feet away from staircase. If I stand on the bottom of that staircase that leads to the second level, I feel a natural draft of cold air pouring down the stairs from the second level. When it's real cold out, I use a small fan to move the cold air at the bottom of the staircase pointed to the insert to help move this cold air along to the stove.

Another trick I learned is to light a candle and walk around the room to see where the air is moving. Most of the air that moves will be around doors near the top. It's an easy way to see natural drafts without the aid of a fan.

 

[HummerBeachBuggy1982]

My insert is about 12 feet away from the staircase as well, I do feel the cold air at the floor level. So you do not open anything and the heat goes upstairs through natural air movement, maybe I will try the fan thing once it gets colder and blow the cold air on the floor towards the insert and see what happens. Thanks for the reply.

 

[Milton Findley]

If I am not careful, my stove thinks bathroom vent upstairs is the chimney, and tries to use it. It would love a window. The hot air will rise, the cold air will sink. A small fan might help things along.

 

[pen]

If this window you are opening is an outside window, cold air is going to rush in to that window since it is more dense than the stuff inside. Don't see how that is going to help warm up the house any but I can certainly see how it would help a stove that is "air locked" and not drafting properly.

pen

 

[Vincent]

I have a Bi-level with wood stove in the basement. I always open up the window down stairs closes to the stove. You can see the draft change. I always use newspaper to lite stove and warm up chimney. This works out pretty will. For air movement we have ceiling fans upstairs ran in counter clockwise and stove has a blower.

 

[BrotherBart]

I have been known to crack a window from the top upstairs in the farthest bedroom and with it open just a little bit there was a noticeable movement of warm air into the area. Of course some of it was being deposited in the great outdoors.

 

[maple1]

I think there is some misunderstanding here between chimney draft, and heat travel within the house.