Testing Time for New Coal Users

e.alleg wrote: but why try to duct a radiant device when they make furnaces for that purpose that work a whole lot better and are easier to install.

uhhh... it was in the garage when I bought the house. Decision was made for me ;-)

av8r wrote:

I disagree with coalkirk when he says: "....You just arn't going to be able to heat your whole home with a stove unless you have a very small home. You'll have rooms that are hot, rooms that are warm, rooms that are cool and rooms that are cold."
I own a 44x26' split entry ranch that,

The physics of heating a split entry or a two story are very different from heating a ranch or 3 story home using convection only. Also, placement of the stove makes a big difference on how even the heat will be. It's pretty tough to get heated air to travel 60' into rooms on the same floor and keep all the rooms evenly heated.
Consider yourself fortunate that you have a home design that works well with your stove placement. Not all do.

Yes, the setup of the home and where the stove is very importent! When I had my 1 coal stove hooked into the fireplace downstairs family room at the end of the house it did a good job of keeping the living area nice and toastey, but took a long time to get heat to the bedrooms upstairs at the other end of my house! I have an 1800 sq raised ranch/ bi-level.
Now, after moving the EFEL to the Utility room in the center of the downstairs it heats the core of the house from underneath. I did have to cut one air duct from the laudry room to the masterbedroom on the north side of the house. That made a big difference. However the girls bedroom which is set back under the garage wasn't that easy. For that room, I created a heat-rator, which is an 8 inch duct over the 6 in blackpipe for about 6 feet with an 8in tee and duct pipe though the wall into the grage and up into the last bedroom. It's all hot air driven and is working fine. The temps at the registar was in the mid 90's. I also noticed that the utility room is not too hot anymore! When the outside temps are not too cold, the 1 coal stove will heat the whole house pretty evenly. When it is colder like last weeks low teens, then I had both stove cooking and that was enough. No frozen baseboard pipes either!