Heating Alternatives

[Split this!]

Hey everyone, haven't been on for a while! Yes I'm glad to see the burning season finally end! I'm looking for some idea's on alternative ways to heat the basement during the burning season. My wood stove is on the main level of my split level house. It heats this level and the upper level very well, but we all know heat does not travel down. So I'm looking for some idea's! Right now I have 2 area's of the basement that need to be heated, 1 area is a large bedroom for my son, he needs his privacy, so the door is closed. I need to heat this room, and the rest of the basement.The rest of the basement is open doors so 1 source here would work. I use 2 of those oil filled electric radiant heaters now, but they are shooting my electric bill threw the roof! I know someone out there has this same issue, so send me some idea's. Thanks in advance, Split

 

[mayhem100]

Well you either need a source of heat on that level or you need to move some of your warm air down to that level. If you find you need to run two electric heaters just to keep up, then I'm skeptical that you can get enough of the cool air out of there and warm air in to make an air exchange worth your time.

How about a small pellet stove on a thermostat and maybe duct some of that air into the boy's closed room?

 

[CrappieKeith]

It seems to me that you need the right tool for the job.
If wood is you choice due to the fact that heating with wood is about as cheap as it gets for heating maybe a wood furnace that you hook to your ducting is the answer. Heat the entire home.

Outside of that your choices are back to zone heaters.
You can put in small gas or oil furnaces or even electric.
Then again you can put in wood or pellet stoves....but then how does your sons room get heated...you said the electric bill was killing your pocket book.

So really it seems to me a furnace is the choice.

You can start paying yourself now or you can wait and maybe do it later.
Get the correct wood furnace that gives you long burn times and you won't have a liquid fuel bill or electric for heating again....ever.

 

[wooddog 066]

Yeah go with a good outdoor wood furnace and plumb it right into your duct work no more splitting as much and dirt and smoke is outside pm me if interested in a great furnace!!

 

[Rookie1]

The HVAC guy that my work deals with is a heat guru. He has forced air oil furnace and woodburner. Hes tired of oil bills and cutting wood so now he uses two kerosine heaters and is happy with the way it keeps his house warm. Im going to try one this winter and see how well it works.

 

[dave_dj1]

why not install some ducting (4-5") from the ceiiling on the main floor down to the basement and run a small fan in the duct? It won't take much as long as fan is constant. You may (for sons room) want to cut some off the bottom of the door so that it can act like a cold air return. Maybe you could do this 3-4 places, in corners and box them in so they don't look like crap.
How does the house face? could you do some solar? There are some prety neat setups that won't break the bank. Some you can build out of soda.beer cans and a small fan.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Hey everyone, haven't been on for a while! Yes I'm glad to see the burning season finally end! I'm looking for some idea's on alternative ways to heat the basement during the burning season. My wood stove is on the main level of my split level house. It heats this level and the upper level very well, but we all know heat does not travel down. So I'm looking for some idea's! Right now I have 2 area's of the basement that need to be heated, 1 area is a large bedroom for my son, he needs his privacy, so the door is closed. I need to heat this room, and the rest of the basement.The rest of the basement is open doors so 1 source here would work. I use 2 of those oil filled electric radiant heaters now, but they are shooting my electric bill threw the roof! I know someone out there has this same issue, so send me some idea's. Thanks in advance, Split

Next year's burning season already started some time ago. If you have no wood cut, split, and stacked for next year, you are already behind.

That's why people very few people try to heat with wood.

 

[Split this!]

Thanks for the idea's, Yeah I've got next seasons wood already split in the dry, and a line on enough for the next year after that! I am starting to slow down thou. 20 years burning wood!! Yes it is an addiction! The heat you just can't beat!

 

[corrupt]

Get a small wood stove for your son. If he needs so much privacy he has to work for it.

 

[Highbeam]

Take one of his heaters away. Two is ridiculous. He shouldn't be hanging out in his room that much anyway and when he's sleeping, an electric blanket is a much better way to stay warm.