Connecting to Cold Air Returns

I just recently purchased a keystoker 90 and am ready to install it somewhere in my basement but I am having trouble deciding where. Initially my thoughts were as close to the furnace as possible so the air doesnt have a chance to cool as it gets over to the furnace. This means I would have to set the stove in the center of the basement as opposed to an outside wall. Does it really make a difference where I tie the hot air from the stove into the existing cold air return? Also, how far from the hot air tie into the cold air return should I go to cut in for the cold air return that I am creating for the stove itself?

put the new stove close to the old and take advantage of the free air flow that you get from stove fan
BBD

Are you using the built in blower on the Keystoker? or the furnance blower to pull the air from the keystoker. A bit more info would be helpful. do you just have the 6-8" hole in the top of the keystoker for the hot air?

To answer your question, I'd recommend placing the stove as close to the existing furnace as possible.

But, I'm not convinced that connecting a Keystoker 90 to your entire HVAC cold air return is the best way to go. Unless you have a very small duct system, I don't think the 90 would put out enough heat through the 6 or 8" hole on top to provide a significant amount of hot air to your main HVAC return. Furthermore, would not the HVAC fan, if you use it, also strip too much heat off the stove, thus cooling it too much? I estimated that I could probably service 2, maybe 3 registers with warm air from the Keystoker 90, and use a separate closed loop return (from the existing returns, or just create a new, smaller one). Anyone with a 09 have experience with all this?

WNY wrote:Are you using the built in blower on the Keystoker? or the furnance blower to pull the air from the keystoker. A bit more info would be helpful. do you just have the 6-8" hole in the top of the keystoker for the hot air?

I was going to set it up like the liesure line diagram and I am outfitting a jacket to it. There are already 2 large holes(8" dia) but I made a coverplate to be 1" above that and I was going to run 1 8" round duct off of that.

Mike Wilson wrote:To answer your question, I'd recommend placing the stove as close to the existing furnace as possible.

But, I'm not convinced that connecting a Keystoker 90 to your entire HVAC cold air return is the best way to go. Unless you have a very small duct system, I don't think the 90 would put out enough heat through the 6 or 8" hole on top to provide a significant amount of hot air to your main HVAC return. Furthermore, would not the HVAC fan, if you use it, also strip too much heat off the stove, thus cooling it too much? I estimated that I could probably service 2, maybe 3 registers with warm air from the Keystoker 90, and use a separate closed loop return (from the existing returns, or just create a new, smaller one). Anyone with a 09 have experience with all this?

Well if I am close to my furnace I can run a giant take off, off of the top of my hot air jacket that I made.

Well THAT would definitely change matters some! When you make up the jacket, post some pictures. I was going to just feed off the 8" hole, but thought about a full jacket... maybe next year. With the jacket, I think you'd have no problem getting enough heat upstairs.

My hotblast has 2-8" holes in the top.I angled them as to get the hot air going in the same direction as the oil furnace does.Then I put in a separate 10" return for the hotblast.My house is a 1500 sq ft drafty old house and it heats fine.The hotblast has 2-550 cfm fans.This is called a parallel system.This way you don't need to run the fan in the oil furnace.These fans draw 5 or so amps and that adds up if you run both.

If you can post a pic of your system it would be helpful.
DON

I just did a search on your keystoker.The fan that comes with it is not big enough to heat a house.Like was said before 2 or 3 rooms at best.
DON