Heat Pumps and Electric Heating - Best way to get fireplace heat into return.
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i6pwr
08-30-09, 01:53 PM
I would like to get the heat from the blower fan in the insert into my return system without making it an eyesore of a job.
The insert puts out a great deal of heat but it's hard to get it to heat my rambler especially the back rooms on the 2nd level.
Fireplace is on lower level at one far end, the return is a 12x12 at the floor in the opposite end of the room. Even with the room warm and the fan on high, I run the air handler fan continiously but doesn't make much differecne upstairs, especially in the back of the house.
Wondering what is avail or what others have done to accomplish this. Looking at the wall on the right facing the fireplace is a storage room, which starts just to the rear of the opening to the stairs... and I have some access to the ceiling through the joists and they run left to right.
The supply trunk is in the ceiling to the right of the fireplace and I could possibly run a 4" line back to the return inside the housing...most likely I could run a line through the storage room to the airhandler but getting the air from the FP to the vens is the question.
I don't mind using a temporary eye-pleasing duct or tube going from the front of the FP to the ceiling and then running the line again through the storage room.
Any ideas on this?
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a180/gtofan1/DSC_0012002.jpg
The insert puts out a great deal of heat but it's hard to get it to heat my rambler especially the back rooms on the 2nd level.
Fireplace is on lower level at one far end, the return is a 12x12 at the floor in the opposite end of the room. Even with the room warm and the fan on high, I run the air handler fan continiously but doesn't make much differecne upstairs, especially in the back of the house.
Wondering what is avail or what others have done to accomplish this. Looking at the wall on the right facing the fireplace is a storage room, which starts just to the rear of the opening to the stairs... and I have some access to the ceiling through the joists and they run left to right.
The supply trunk is in the ceiling to the right of the fireplace and I could possibly run a 4" line back to the return inside the housing...most likely I could run a line through the storage room to the airhandler but getting the air from the FP to the vens is the question.
I don't mind using a temporary eye-pleasing duct or tube going from the front of the FP to the ceiling and then running the line again through the storage room.
Any ideas on this?
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a180/gtofan1/DSC_0012002.jpg
airman.1994
08-30-09, 02:05 PM
Think you are doing everything you should be. The fire place is not designed to heat your home. If you would like it to be you should build a home around a wood stove.
dac122
08-31-09, 06:06 AM
I bet if you read the install manual for that wood stove it will say to not tie directly into a furnace duct system. Having said that you could run an extra return closer to the stove as you can never have too much return. No way to know if it will have the desired affect, particularly since returns have great thermal loss since they are rarely ever insulated.
To get some other ideas post over at hearth.com. That is where I go for questions like this.
To get some other ideas post over at hearth.com. That is where I go for questions like this.