Heat Circulation with Diagram

Hello all, I did a diagram of my house and was wondering if someone could suggest how my heat will circulate. Some brief notes on the diagram.
Basement will have an Alaska Channing III 85k btu vented out a chimney. (A) It will heat sections (A) and (B). Sections (C),(D) and (E) are always closed.
1st floor (F) has a floor register which is 8x12". (G) is kitchen and is open. (H) is bathroom and is open and also has another floor register same size as the other. (I) is Office, can be open or closed. (J),(K) are bedrooms and would be closed at night and open during the day.

My thoughts are, the heat will go up the register that is above the stove. I also believe it will go up the stairway. I am not sure if the 2nd register outside the bathroom will act as a cold air return or will be bringing up heat. The stairs will probably also return cold air. I was thinking of putting in "passthrough registers" above the room doors at (H,J,K) to allow heat in, and putting in floor registers in (K,J) to bring cold air down to the floor of the basement. Any thoughts would be appreciated.



Thanks
Chris

Chris,

I think if you powered the vent in (h) to push heated air into that room and power vent two returns in (J) (K) then the air from (h) should be drawn in under the doors to heat those rooms.

I think by doing that then the vent above the stove and the stairs would freely allow the heat to raise up through them.

Couple of questions

1. Is the stairway wide & always open? (like ours is a split entry ranch & the stairway acts like a chimney & col air return)

2. Is the basement finished? Ceilings?

Stiarways is always open and the basement cieling is open floor joists with not insulation except at the ends at the outside walls.

So your saying, that you think the register outside (H) will indeed bring heat up and not act as a cold air exchange sending cold air down? or are you saying to get one of those register power fans to draw the heated air up through the register outside of (H) and push it into (H), and with the returns in (J,K) it will also feed those rooms with heated air?

Adamiscold wrote:Chris,

I think if you powered the vent in (h) to push heated air into that room and power vent two returns in (J) (K) then the air from (h) should be drawn in under the doors to heat those rooms.

I think by doing that then the vent above the stove and the stairs would freely allow the heat to raise up through them.

I think an ideal situation would be if you could run a duct from a bedroom (J or K) floor return to the stove's blower inlet, you would create a loop which would draw the warm air upstairs most efficiently. Otherwise, a floor vent in each bedroom would work also. (The more ways you have for the warm air to find its way upstairs & the cold air to return downstairs, the better off you'll be.
Have Fun!! (it becomes a hobby!! )

I think an ideal situation would be if you could run a duct from a bedroom (J or K) floor return to the stove's blower inlet, you would create a loop which would draw the warm air upstairs most efficiently.

I would put in a duct return that connected both (J and K) together like a V and then straight back towards the blower inlet on the stove. That would keep both bedroom returns evenly balanced and each would naturally and evenly draw in heat from (H) under the closed bedroom doors. I would maybe add something like this http://www.airboosterfans.com/duct-fan.html in both the return duct (J and K) and the feed duct (H) to help maximize the heat be distributed through out the house.

I like the idea of bringing both (J,K) down to the basement, the question I have, the garage (E) is not heated... and (J,K) will be vented down into the garage and then sent into the basement (F) down near the floor through the wall between the garage and the basement living area. Will the travel of air from the 1st floor bedrooms be affected going through the duct work through the colder air in the garage making its way to the basement?

Chris

Use insulated ducts in the garage.

Use insulated ducts in the garage.

Agreed, at a minimum you want all your seams taped and sealed so no air escapes. I would insulate all ducts just to prevent any heat loss whether it be the feed or the return ducks. A little over kill but you want every last drop of air you have in the ducts to get where you want it to go.

Doing some more reading and doing some thinking here, I was wondering if you think I could make the register thats inbetween (H,I) in a cold return. Do you think it will draw enough from (J,K) to be worth while or should I just go with the new cold return registers in (J,K)? I don't mind taking baby steps here... and the register is already there... but if anyone knows its a lost cause becuase of the placement, I will skip it and move to putting in the registers in (J,K).

Also would like to ask if anyone thinks I would need anymore registes in the floor space in (F) to help the heat to rise.

Chris

I was wondering if you think I could make the register that's in-between (H,I) in a cold return. Do you think it will draw enough from (J,K)

The whole point in adding cold returns in (J,K) is to help naturally draw heat from the hallway feed vent (H) under your closed bedroom doors to add heat to those two rooms. In order to use (H) as a return vent you would need to put feed ducts in (J,K) which would make those rooms way to hot since you have those doors closed, which you wouldn't want since they are bedrooms.

Also would like to ask if anyone thinks I would need anymore registers in the floor space in (F) to help the heat to rise.

Chris I would leave just the one vent for now and see how it works for you. Since you will be having a duct system installed to feed the vent in the hallway (H) and using something like this http://www.airboosterfans.com/duct-fan.html to help pull the air upstairs you should be ok.

You are already putting money into the new duct feed and return lines with fans in them, I wouldn't spend any more money until you know for sure that it's needed.

heres another one guys.
happy to post Im on my way to a coal winter but have questions about where to put my registers.
I have a Tee placed on my keystoker which the man I bought it from used 2 ducts (and his home was literally 10 times larger than mine)
Im not sure where to put these registers and hopefully someone will enlighten me.
I did make a "drawing" of my house..(a rough one at that) but just so all you brainiacs could get an idea.

The Keystoker will be placed in my basement under C. (between B. and C.)
In A. there is a hole in the closet that allows the bathroom pipes to get into the basement.

I have old old wooden floors..not tongue and groove so there are spaces inbetween the floor in the Foyer and living room. you could actually feel the cold air coming thru in the winter.

The Kitchen is Tile.

And I'm hoping the air could get up to the upstairs which is lead to by walking in the front door and right up the steps.
the basement steps are under the upstairs step.

It is a cape type home. one large bedroom above the living room and one smaller bedroom above the kitchen. Both are to the left and right, dircetly off of the stairs.

I figure that the bathroom and laundry room are just going to be hot because of the placement of the stoker??
1500 sq. feet and although we just replaced the windows on the 1st and second floors the basement is a bit drafty.

So, If there be any "draftologists" out there... I would sincerely appreciate any suggestions as to where to place these registers. Its already starting to get cold here in NEPA and.. I HATE THE COLD!

Thanks Bunches, ya'll

Peace
boxer

Just try a few ducts at a time.You can always add what you need and where you need it later.

Your needs may change as the weather changes.Just the ducts in your pics may be OK for the next month but may be differant in Jan.
DON

I agree and thats how I'm going to go about it... Just going to use what I already have, then see where its defficent and address it then. I know what to do, and once I get the stove and it shows me for sure whats going on with my flow, I will make changes if need be.