Is it possible to heat entire house by capturing heat from wood stove through return vent and just running the central heat fan? I can connect a wood stove to the old furnace chimney, (the new furnace is direct vent), through the existing 6"SS flex liner. the stove would sit directly under my return trunk line. I could cut in a return vent over the wood stove and just run the fan from the central heating system. I'll check with my town bldg inspector for local codes but are their obvious reasons why this would not be a good idea?
useing basement wood stove to heat entire house via central heat fan and return duct
- Thread starter woodawl
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I've done it, but it doesn't work as well as one would think. I'm not sure why it didn't, maybe it was my setup. The fan noise was pretty high also.
Matt
Matt
If you boxed the whole stove in and hooked it to your ducts it may be decent without a fan..or maybe a small one.
I did a deal years ago when I really didn't know what I was doing.
I made a barrel stove using just one barrel i put that in a good size steel box (old cherry tank).
Hooked a reg furnace blower fan and blew it into my cold air return box.
Even had a fan t-stat hooked up with a t-stat upstairs.
The bad part was I t'd into my oil furnace flue which went into a tiled lined block chimney.
Never really thought the chimney would plug from the green wood I was burning.
Anyways I happened to notice the furnace was sounding funny and I smelled a bad smell down there..I could have killed us.
That was over 30 years ago.
I did a deal years ago when I really didn't know what I was doing.
I made a barrel stove using just one barrel i put that in a good size steel box (old cherry tank).
Hooked a reg furnace blower fan and blew it into my cold air return box.
Even had a fan t-stat hooked up with a t-stat upstairs.
The bad part was I t'd into my oil furnace flue which went into a tiled lined block chimney.
Never really thought the chimney would plug from the green wood I was burning.
Anyways I happened to notice the furnace was sounding funny and I smelled a bad smell down there..I could have killed us.
That was over 30 years ago.
It did heat the house pretty well though.
Dang..I just meant to edit the first post.
Sprinter
Minister of Fire
Check the codes before adding a return. Most if not all codes require a 10' distance from a wood stove.
It will make a difference in whether your ducts are insulated or not, or internal or external. If not insulated, the ducts will likely lose too much heat.
It will make a difference in whether your ducts are insulated or not, or internal or external. If not insulated, the ducts will likely lose too much heat.
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