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I have several problems with fireplace heating and science of circulating its heated air.
We hail from Edmonton Alberta and have built a new home. Basic floor plan for main floor is 60 x 40 foot rectangle with 9-foot ceilings broken in the middle with a cathedral ceiling and loft over bedrooms. (See diagram)
House has R2000 standards plus what I could add to beef up the specifications.
– 2” Styrofoam under slab enveloping whole of exterior foundation up to attics and cathedral walls.
– 3” of bead board for exterior acrylic stucco application on top of the 2” Styrofoam.
– R90 in cathedral (blown) and attics, Wall cavities of 6” blown insulation.
– All OSB and studs sealed with several cases of foam in a can prior to insulating., all window openings and vents sealed with foam.
– Very few openings in vapor barrier on exterior walls.
– Front door air lock entry, etc, etc.
One of my concerns was the 1/3-2/3 rule for dew point in wall cavity but so far seems to be okay. I’m committed now; so unless there is an easy fix don’t tell me. Oh okay, tell me any way and put me out of my misery.
I admit to a propensity of windows in the walls but hopefully the future will allow me to design some sort of automated heat shield curtain to keep cold air out in the minus 30 degree nights. (Who am I kidding?!!!) I think the windows may be my downfall for this house as I have a quick cooling rate in the house in the winter evenings.
Heat supplied by natural gas boiler (Burnham-200, 000 BTU) with a fan coil and basement hydronic zoned heating. I want to do water coils on the main floor but ran out of time before we had to get in the house. Maybe when I retire I’ll do “Gypcrete” or alternative. (In my dreams)
There is also a cold air return in the living room.
The GOOD(hopefully the firebox unit);
The BAD (the amount of time spent finding the unit),
The UGLY (me even before the install issues).
After exhaustive research I finally settled on a fireplace that was rated for 80,000 BTU, (actually it comes in February 15/02 so if there’s a better model out there I’m all ears).
– Has two 7” top warm air vents (Both for gravity feed or a combination gravity and hookup to main plenum).
– Fresh air intake with a heat activated spring vent.
– Fan options include one for room the fireplace sits in AND/OR a main plenum feed.
– One optional fan is a 3 HP squirrel cage that mounts with a rubber hose assembly to main plenum.
– The other optional fan is a smaller kit designed to turn on to heat main room.
Now I figure to put the air intake in the gray-water (water from roof) cistern room that is built in the basement hoping the air won’t be so dry after heating. Air in the lofted room is circulated with a slow speed (56”)fan on a manual rheostat
We live on an acreage; at last count 25 cords were stacked out under tarps. Does any one wish to come over and help me chop it up?? I’ll supply the axe. (Okay and maybe dinner with a couple of cold ones too)
Okay on to my questions.
WHAT SAY YOU???? (Objecting Informed Opinions Welcome,)
Do they make fans with a reverse and a remote control that can hook up on a single 14/2-power configuration?
Will I have enough heat left in the 7” insulated duct going to main plenum to justify turning on the fan to circulate air. (20 foot run)
I understand that using both fireplace fans at same time unlikely, but would like main floor warmed with wood in the evenings.
The fresh air vent is controlled by a spring that reacts to warm air in firebox. I have heard that they breakdown over time. I hope to alleviate that problem by installing in basement so it can be changed out without ripping out an exterior wall.
Unit to be installed in an insulated chase flush with interior wall surface. Maybe I’ll bump it out 6” to create some depth on the inside.
Is the electricity draw just to push the heat out costing me more than the heat itself? (See also running the roof fan)
WHAT AM I MISSING???
My wife bet me that I wouldn’t get this unit in before the warm weather arrives, help me pleeeeeeeeeeeeease.
Signed; Kayne (Always looking for a better way, to the detriment of my fast-track projects) Kempton
[email protected]
Sorry diagram doesn’t seem so fit in this format.
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I heat our 2200 sq ft house with a fireplace and have for the last 16 years.
1. We live in the mountains of East Tennessee, and don't have anywhere near the degree days you have.
2. The house is well insulated....part slab on grade with foam insulation under, part full basement w/R19 in floor. Walls are double 2x4 thick with foam sheathing, R30+ , ceilings R38. Windows all Andersen casements, double pane.
3. Fireplace is in house center and brick wall extends thru and is exposed on bedrm wall on back.
Firebox is a 48" Heat-a-lator unit, no fans installed in airducts, gravity flow only. I built a set of steel doors that "clip" on a steel face frame I welded to the opening of the firebox. At night, I close the opening with these doors to prevent room air from being sucked up the flue. I built a grate out of 3/8" black iron pipe bent with a conduit bender in the shape of a "C", and a manifold of 1.5" square tubing top and bottom. About 20 rows of tubing Cs are welded to the manifold. Water is piped in the grate by a 1/12hp pump from a tank in the basement. The tank is an old 500 gal propane tank ( 3/8" wall....250psi rated) surrounded by foam board.
A separate pump draws water from the tank via another 1/12hp pump when a wall thermostat calls for heat. Water is circulated thru basebd radiators.
4. Wood use is about 4-5 cords/yr. Wood delivery is via a dumbwaiter system I rigged. Built a shaft to the basement as I built the fireplace, and have a 110v winch mounted to an I beam in the top of the shaft. Wood is loaded in the "car" in the basement and winched to the first floor, access door beside the fireplace. Ashpit also doubles as outside air source.
This is one way to do it.....especially if you already have a hydronic system in place.
*Got bored reading your preamble to your question.Nevertheless the answer is yes. They do make a fan controller that installs on your standard 2 wire configuration. The lower wall unit transmits to a controller that installs in the ceiling 4" octagon electrical box and operates the lights and fan speeds/direction.GabeBTW buy a bunch of electric heaters, sounds like your going to need them.
*Not sure I got what you're doin exactly. Sometimes less is more in this forum. Sounds like you have gas heat and are using a fireplace as supplemental. Here's our system which works well in N. Michigan. Oil furnace which runs off our thermostat (primary) Wood furnace in basement tied into main plenum. When it gets cold I stoke the stove and the oil furnace takes a nap while the wood furnace cheaply cranks the house to 70 degrees. When I foprget to stoke it the thermostat catches it and keeps us from freezing. If you can tie into main system do it (added bonus when it's really cold both blowers will kick on simultaneously and man does it get warm fast. However make sure you have some kind of closing door for the fireplace so you can damper it down or all your heat will end up outside. The more your fireplace works like a stove the better off you will be. P.S. ever heard of a log splitter.
*I too skipped most of the preamble. Wood heat:Don't forget that as you and your wife get older, the prospect of cutting and splitting up to 12 cords of wood a year to provide any serious cost savings with wood gets harder every year. Plan ahead. If you don't use "fireplace" for over 50% of overall heating needs, consider 'permanently' closing it up thermally during the coldest months.