We are using a handfired coal/wood stove in our fireplace on the first floor of our home. It is a Baker insert. We are getting much heat in the downstairs areas but not enough is going to the second floor. We are using the ceiling fans to draw the air up but it doesn't draw that well due to the floorplan of the second floor. We have an open stairwell for half of the staircase between the floors. We have 4 rooms on the second floor that all open off of the hallway. We have burnt wood twice since the stove has been installed(it hasn't been that cold yet). The first floor floorplan is mostly open so there is good circulation for the heat. We have been running the stove between 250-375 degrees as recommended by the Baker stove company. Should we run the stove any higher than that or would that would cause other problems? Are there any suggestions for a better distribution for the heat? We thought about floor vents between the first and second floors with register grates. Any suggestions or recommendations on this would be greatly appreciated.
We have a real nice stove from the Baker company and want to be able to enjoy it to the fullest advantage and also save $$$$ at the same time.
Thanks,
Steve