Airflow issue with Buck Burner

[TeamBC]

Hello folks... I purchased a cedar home two years ago that was built in the mid 70s. Lots of windows and multiple levels. The first winter, we went through 1500 gallons of oil... $$$. Last year I went through 250 gallons because I was burning wood in the Buck wood burner that came with the house. The problem is that it was still pretty cold in the house. The burner is located in the finished basement. The temperature down there is quite warm when I'm burning. The first floor doesn't get much above 62 and the bedrooms on the second floor are quite chilly. The only return I have in the house is on the second floor. I cut in some floor vents with small fans above the burner into the first floor. The burner itself also has a blower. For some reason, this isn't enough to get the warm air up from the basement. I only turn on the oil furnace when it gets too cold and when my kids are around. Other than that it is wood only. Some locals say to tap into the cold air return in the basement... others are against that process. I would appreciate any thoughts into getting better airflow...

Bill

 

[aaron]

Put a small fan at the top of the stairs blowing towards the stove. That should create an air current to get that warm air up to the upper floors.

 

[blades]

Seems strange that there is only one cold air return in the whole house. With out that counter flow of cold air your upstairs x2 is pressurized making it very difficult to move the warm air up. So one idea would be to keep the basement access door open if it is in the house same for up stairs if there is a door there. Might want to take a real good look at the duck work on the furnace perhaps some other returns were covered or blocked off during a remodel project ( strange things happen) You could also rig the duct work so that you could open the return side to the basement when the oil rig is not in use, would need to be shut when using oil furnace. Running the blower of oil furnace might help some but it sounds like it is starved for return air as well. Holes through the floor are generally frowned on now days when speaking of solid fuel appliances. Although in my youth that was the way the second floor was heated ( 2'x3' with a fancy iron grate) wasn't perfect but stayed above freezing most of the time.