Looking for Ways to Hold The Heat

I just installed a coal stove in my unfinished basement and it has a blower operating around 275 cfm. The unit is powervented to the outside and I"m burning rice coal. I was hoping that I would heat the basement and get a fair amount of the heat to seep up through the floor to the rooms above, minimizing my need for using our propane furnace. I've been operating it about a month and have noticed that the general feeling in the house is a little warmer, (basement a lot hotter), but I would like to find a way to retain more of the heat in the floor (basement ceiling). Anything out there on the market already or has anyone rigged something up to retain heat so the floor remains warm? It just seems like I have to run the stove hotter in order to see any appreciable difference upstairs.

Thanks

In retrospect, it would have been better to get some type of central heating coal furnace or boiler because that's what you are trying to do, heat your whole home. Now you're using propane and coal. Probably somewhat less propane but I don't know. What can you do now? Are your basement walls insulated? If not you are loosing alot of heat through these walls. Before my basement walls were insulated, snow would melt about a 1' away from the home. Now, it does not.

Other than using a bunch of fans or cutting holes in your basement ceiling (which is a violation of fire code in many areas) the best you can do is run the stove hot to have a greater effect. Maybe others will have some more suggestions.

How did you insulate your basement walls? Studs/glass, pour in fiber or foam board?

I glued 3/4" foam board with a silver foil covering to the block, then framed it with studs and installed r13 fiberglass insulation. I was finishing the basement anyway and so I installed sheet rock also. A world of difference and at least 2/3 of my basmenet walls were below grade.

Thanks, I have a block basement I've been considering insulating. The ceilings are to low to use it for anything but storage besides my children are grown. I was thinking about pouring that block insulation material into the wall. I plan on putting a boiler in this summer and I'm considering putting a hand fired stove in the basement. Not really sure why I'm putting the hand fired unit in except that I want one. Can't ever have enough heat.

I don't blame you. It's nice just to sit in front of the hand fired stove and have a cold one. I've got a hand fired Jotul 507 in my shop and sometimes I fire it up even if I don't have any work to do out there just for some peace and quiet.

pajay wrote:I just installed a coal stove in my unfinished basement and it has a blower operating around 275 cfm. The unit is powervented to the outside and I"m burning rice coal. I was hoping that I would heat the basement and get a fair amount of the heat to seep up through the floor to the rooms above, minimizing my need for using our propane furnace. I've been operating it about a month and have noticed that the general feeling in the house is a little warmer, (basement a lot hotter), but I would like to find a way to retain more of the heat in the floor (basement ceiling). Anything out there on the market already or has anyone rigged something up to retain heat so the floor remains warm? It just seems like I have to run the stove hotter in order to see any appreciable difference upstairs.

Thanks

I went though some similar issues, and I agree you shuold have bought a stoker boiler/furnace. I'm saying this b/c I have a Harman Magnum stoker and I've been struggling to get the heat upstairs and not have my basement be 100F.

Short answer: Cut a vent/s into the floow and run duct from your stove to those registers. LsFarm pointed out that you should have a register running to the inlet of your blower motor so that this creates a complete loop of air circulation. I did evertthing but but the return loop and my basement is MUCH cooler and my house is MUCH warmer and I'm burning LESS coal YEAH BABY!!!

billw wrote:Thanks, I have a block basement I've been considering insulating. The ceilings are to low to use it for anything but storage besides my children are grown. I was thinking about pouring that block insulation material into the wall. I plan on putting a boiler in this summer and I'm considering putting a hand fired stove in the basement. Not really sure why I'm putting the hand fired unit in except that I want one. Can't ever have enough heat.

ooops missed that part. So what kind of boiler you getting? I'm trying to figuire out what to get right now. Top of nthe list are Keystoker, Harman, AHS in no particular order.

Have you opened the basement door to the upstairs?

We have a hot gale blowing upstairs from the living room stove. Heats the 2nd floor better than the first. (1200sqft).

The basement door is open, unfortunately the door is at the opposite end of the house where I am looking for the heat to be! I'm going to look at putting a fan into the duct work, cut a hole upstream of the fan and pull the hot basement air up into the ductwork. Looks like some fun in the weekend ahead.