When summer is over, most people start getting ready for the upcoming cold days. Usually, they prepare blankets and winter clothes for immediate use. Also, most people get their home heating systems ready.
You don’t want to be at home wearing several layers of clothing, do you? Hence, you also have to take a look at your home heating system to ensure it is in optimal condition for winter. There are different heating systems used to warm homes. The most common ones are:
- Central furnace;
- Boilers;
- Heat pumps;
- Gas-fired space heaters;
- Electric space heaters;
- Fireplaces;
- Wood stoves.
Wood stoves are an economical option. In general, wood has lower prices than oil, gas, or electricity. Hence, in rural areas where wood abounds, this type of heating system is the most obvious option. It is even cheaper if you go to the forest to cut your wood. For many people, cutting and stacking wood is like a hobby. They also enjoy stoking the stove.
The emissions from wood stoves can pollute the air. Hence, the use of wood stoves is regulated in several countries. Fortunately, modern wood stoves are significantly less polluting. And that is good since wood stoves are some of the most reliable heating systems. While other systems may work with interruptions, a wood stove can provide heat constantly. All you need to do is to stoke the stove regularly.
A wood stove is a great solution to heat a single room. But if you need to move heat through your home, there are some things you have to do. Don’t worry. Here we tell you how to circulate heat from a wood stove to keep your entire home warm, even on the coldest days. Read on.
Placement of the Wood Stove
Before installing a wood stove at home, the first thing to consider is its placement. Since heat rises, the best place for a wood stove is in the basement. Alternatively, you can install it on the main floor. This way, the upper rooms will be heated more easily. To facilitate the natural movement of warm air throughout the house, you should leave the interior doors open. Otherwise, the rooms with closed doors will not be heated up properly.
Now, let us describe the different ways that you can use to circulate the heat from the wood stove to warm your house.
Fans
This is the simplest way to circulate hot air from a wood stove. Wood stove Fans have been used for this purpose for many years. Hence, the effectiveness of this method is proved. All you have to do is place a fan behind the wood stove. The larger the fan, the better. Make sure to keep a minimum distance of 24” between the fan and the stove. Also, remove any plastic cover the fan may have.
The fan will move hot air through the different rooms of your house. Hence, if possible, you must keep all the room doors open. If necessary, place additional fans at other points (the bottom of a staircase, for instance). If your wood stove is in the basement, you can install a fan on the floor of the main floor. You need to make a square hole on the floor and install a fan, similar to those used for venting bathrooms.
Insulation
To circulate the heat from a wood stove effectively, you must ensure that the heat is not lost. Hence, you have to insulate properly all the areas where heat is commonly lost. These are windows and doors connecting to the outside. A lot of heat is also lost in the attic. Hence, you have to place thermal seals on all your doors and windows. Insulate your attic properly also. If you have some extra cash, you can insulate your walls too. This is not so critical, though.
Sealing and insulating all the sources of heat loss represents a good investment. The initial cost may be a bit high. However, your investment will pay off when you start saving money on energy consumption.
Furniture Layout
Similarly to closed doors, some pieces of furniture may block the flow of hot air in a room. Hence, you must remove any obstruction from vents to allow the circulation of heat. Rearrange all your furniture in a way that hot air can reach all the corners of the room. This also has the advantage of preventing damage to your furniture because of long exposure to heat.
Curtains
Curtains can contribute to keeping a room warm. Dark-colored curtains absorb heat from the sunshine. Likewise, they absorb heat from inside, thereby preventing heat loss through poorly insulated windows. Similarly, if cold air enters the house through the window, the curtain will transfer its trapped heat to it. This will reduce the energy needed to keep the room warm.