Regulating an Alaska Channing III with an Alaska thermostat.

I'm in search of someone who has an Alaska channing III on a thermostat system. I am getting plenty of heat out of the stove and my first floor is 75* ,but I can't get very good circulation to my second story the temp there is 65*. My stove is on the first floor with an open floor plan, and open stairwell at the far end of the room with the stove. I have a cold air return from the upstairs behind the stove as well to aid the circulation. I had a pellet stove for 5yrs in the same spot and the temp upstairs never was more than 3 to 4* difference even on the coldest days. The pellet stove ran off the same thermostat. I have played with the settings a little but I can't seem to narrow the gap in temperature. I have my low fire about 1.5" wide and the high fire is 3.5" to 4" wide. The room air fan is about half way up. I'm thinking I have the high fire set too high or I have too much difference between the low and high fire any input would be appreciated.

Hey Jim, don't have a Channing III, but the cfm output of my Alaska is similar to yours. Based on how my two story set up is working I would say you need more air out of the distribution blower. Mine ramps up to 100% speed when the Tstat is calling for heat (the Coal-trol takes care of that) which has been keeping the upstairs within 2 - 4*F.

Try gradually increasing the output on the distribution fan rheostat until you see a rise in temp upstairs. If it never goes up you may need some additional air circulation. You could put one of those door way corner fans in the hallway opening at the top of the stairs.

Hope you can get the upstairs warm, we might get some real winter weather one of these days!

Here's a couple of links for the fans. http://www.airboosterfans.com/index.html
http://www.suncourt.com/default.html
Stay warm, Jimmy

I tried putting the distribution fan to max and it didn't help. It actually made it a degree worse, and it blows pretty cool air when the unit is on low fire. The pellet stove only had a 135 cfm blower. The Alaska's is a 265cfm. I am going to get a corner fan of some sort to help push it along. I still wonder if my high burn is to high and making the thermo short cycle, but I have a thermometer in every room downstairs and they never vary more than a degree each way of my setpoint. Another point worth mentioning is that I put all new windows in this past summer and maybe that has changed my airflow throughout my house. One old window upstairs was pretty loose fitting, and I used to be able to feel a warm air current all the way up the steps now it seems to stop at the first floor celing.

Jim, I have a Channing III and have about an 8-10 degree difference between the basement and the upstairs. I think I'd need to run ductwork directly upstairs to even it out. I don't have a thermostat.

Coal or Wood, it doesn't matter, Big stove fan or Little stove fan matters some but thats not your problem. When I moved into my house the Stove was at the far end of an open room from the stairway. Upstairs was 62 while the downstairs was 78. The airlock was in the stairway, cold and warm don't exchange in the stairway as fast as there is no circulation only mixing occurs. I plugged up all the leaks upstairs and put in the cold air return in the ceiling down by Stove. That broke the airlock at the stairway, now the room at the top of the stairs is 68 while the downstairs is 73 to 75. You answered your own question when you mentioned the new windows verses the old leaky one upstairs that was acting as a chimney to pull the wearm air up the stairs.
Make Sense?
drujinin

I think Drujinin is on the right track. I have a cold air return through the ceiling right behind the stove. I have a landing 3/4 the way up and that is where the hot air stops I tried changing fan speeds no luck. I also tried putting a fan in the landing as well as other places but still no luck. I thought about putting a fan in the return duct blowing down the duct towards the stove but I don't know if it is going to work or be worth the time or money to install.

Since the fans won't push the air to the return then you have to pull air at the return. Best bet would be to try a fan at the return and see if you can get some convection going.

Since it worked before you plugged up the leaking windows you could also open a window upstairs a crack and see what happens. Our bathroom window upstairs is open a little quite often which always results in more heat pulled upstairs.

Good luck with the science project, just don't give up you will figure it out.