Coldfront
Addicted to ArboristSite
I think the biggest problem with free standing wood stoves not being able to put out the heat needed when it gets extreme cold is the basic heating ventilation problem of not having a cold air return system. I have a digital thermometer with a probe, a quick check in my main living area says 8" below the ceiling is 70°, I go to the floor 8" above the floor it says 63° I have 2 ceiling fans and 2 free standing fans on the floor to circulate air but still I think no place for the cold air to go. If I come home from work and need to raise the house temperature 10 degree's it takes a good 2 hours with the wood stove. If I kick on the gas furnace I can raise the room temperature ten degree's in about 20 minutes. I think it is all about the sucking out the cold air and blowing back up the warm air, I doubt my gas furnace is really putting out that much more btu's than the wood stove, but the air ducting is correct. If I could put cold air returns going into my basement into a plenum and then have that air sucked up into the outside air intake port on the wood stove might solve a great deal? When I only run the wood stove the basement is cold as hell.