Woodburner heat

Gers

No mains gas anywhere wher I live, and it's very rural. There are electric radiators for when the weather is excessively cold.

My query is about the heat from my very efficient woodburner. I expected that the heat would move upstairs from the living room when I keep the door between them open. Not so. The heat only rises about halfway up the stairs - there's a highly perceptible 'line' where the warmth stops and the cold starts, even when the stove has been on all day like today. I find this odd.

Is there a rational explanation for this?

Can it be overcome?

Thanks.

silverwhistle

I've noticed this and I have a fan on my stove as well (more to do with the small space in which it is installed).


The chimney goes through my bedroom and the wall alongside feels warm to the touch and the house generally feels colder when I haven't had the stove on for a couple of days, so there is an impact on the general fabric of the house even if you get the phenomenon you observed.


It's possible to get above door and room corner fans to help distribute the heat and there may be other techniques as well.



PS how's the new garden in your wet weather?

fwor

In all probability, the explanation lies in the large volume of air in the upstairs rooms.

What is probably happening is that the stairwell restricts the amount of warm air that can pass upstairs, and what does get through rises straight to the top of the upstairs rooms - where the heat is rapidly lost through the ceiling and into the loft area.

As already said, forced circulation of air may increase heat transfer upstairs, but it may also make the downstairs rooms too cold for comfort.

Gers

Thanks for replying.

I do have an eco fan sitting on the stove to distribute the hot air in the living room. The house is a very old stone built structure with lath and plaster walls. It can be very cold though the stove gives out great heat when on.

What other techniques could I employ to push the heat further up the stairs?


PS - the new garden is still looking good. It's been far too rainy to use!

daveyjp

You would probably need an air handling system to move the air around. Lots of louvres, pipework and fans.

Gers

daveyjp wrote: »

You would probably need an air handling system to move the air around. Lots of louvres, pipework and fans.

A tad OTT for my small cottage! :rotfl:

I shall have to live with my demarcation line.

DaftyDuck

You need more airflow. You have an adiabatic lock. The warm air wants to rise upstairs, the cold wants to fall, but they hit each other, and just sulk. You could get the warm air to rise by slightly opening a window, letting all the cold escape. A fan on the top of the stairs, in the colder air, might help. I doubt a second staircase is an option...

Running up and down stairs will sort it, preferably flapping your arms madly.

Gers

DaftyDuck wrote: »

You need more airflow. You have an adiabatic lock. The warm air wants to rise upstairs, the cold wants to fall, but they hit each other, and just sulk. You could get the warm air to rise by slightly opening a window, letting all the cold escape. A fan on the top of the stairs, in the colder air, might help. I doubt a second staircase is an option...

Running up and down stairs will sort it, preferably flapping your arms madly.

:rotfl: no need for a woodburner after all that flapping!

As for opening a window - do I open the top or bottom of it? Got sash windows. :T

Gers

After a bit of idle time spent searching the net I've now spent a happy few moments blowing on my hand. :rotfl: fascinated by the wide mouth - warm air / narrow mouth - cold air effect.

Every day a school day!

silverwhistle

Yesterday evening I popped into my loft to grab some ski gear (nice and warm!) and when I came back down the loft ladder to the landing it was distinctly warm there. Even warmer in the lounge!

Similar effect to yours I think, but also illustrates the effectiveness of the loft insulation. When I go away for my 2 weeks in the mountain I open the loft hatch to avoid freezing up there.

Another alternative is to go out into the garden and split and saw some wood. This will also warm you..

Gers

Loft has loads of insulation - it was topped up last year as part of some 'free' service.

Chopping logs? Moi??? :rotfl: The large barn is stuffed full of lovely oak and ash, no need for chopping, I leave that to my lovely neighbour who supplies me with estate wood.

I won't freeze, the living space gets very toasty, it's just a puzzle. Perhaps I was naive to to think that the hot air would just whoosh upstairs. It's like moving from cosy to cold in one step up.

Still loving 'open mouth / closed mouth' - it's been worth the query to find that out.