How To Circulate Heat From A Wood Stove
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How To Circulate Heat From A Wood Stove

How To Circulate Heat From A Wood Stove

Wood burning stoves produce more heat than most fireplaces. A person who buys a wood stove typically buys it for more than looks and expects high heat output. While you won't be disappointed with the amount of heat a wood stove can put off, problems may arise if the heat isn't circulating as well as it should. When this happens, a high-functioning stove can appear to be low quality or ineffective.

How To Circulate Heat From A Wood Stove
Wood Stove

If you know your stove isn't having operational problems, this article is a great tool to learn how to circulate the heat from your wood stove effectively. Learning to do this will ensure you get all the that you can out of your stove and fill your home with comforting warmth all winter.

Things to consider before installing your wood stove:

If you want to circulate the heat from a wood stove well, the best way to do that is to keep that in mind during your installation. There are a few things that can be done while the appliance is being set up that will help circulate the heat more efficiently.

If your home has central heat, you can place the wood stove next to a return air duct. Return ducts can pull heat circulated from the stove, into the furnace, then disperse it throughout the house. There are also specialty thermostats that will allow the HVAC blower to switch on at preset intervals. This allows the fan to circulate the heat through your home without running constantly.

How To Circulate Heat From A Wood Stove
flex duct

Another option to consider before installing your wood stove is getting a dedicated air circulation system for the stove that pulls air from the ceiling of the room and moves it through the house. Separate ductwork in the attic paired with an inline duct fan will be able to easily achieve this.

If you don't have a ceiling fan in the room where your wood stove is, installing one is a fairly simple way to keep the heat moving throughout the room instead of staying stagnant at the ceiling level. A less labor-intensive option is adding a stove blower to push heat away from your stove and around the room it is in. You'd be surprised how much heat isn't enjoyed by stove owners simply because it hovers around the stove and many people sit across the room from it.

Things to consider when your wood stove is already installed:

Once your wood stove is installed, adjusting the HVAC is sometimes not an option. So, there are a few options that you can consider to help circulate the heat. First, leave all the doors to the rooms in your home open. When you close doors, you prevent heat from moving around your house. Many wood stoves are capable of heating several thousand square feet. But they will heat significantly less space if there are obstacles in the way that don't allow the heat to spread.

Also, using properly dried wood is essential. "Green wood" or wood that hasn't been given enough time to dry will burn inefficiently and produce a lot of smoke. Neither of those are helpful for getting the kind of long-lasting, high heat-producing fire that you are looking for.

How To Circulate Heat From A Wood Stove
wood coverage

Lastly, you can install doorway fans. Much like a fireplace blower, a doorway fan helps push heat around your home. While a fireplace blower pushes heat from around the stove itself, a doorway fan will draw heat away from the ceiling and out of the hallway.

There are so many options that can help you circulate heat from your wood stove better. We have discussed a few here today that we hope will get you on the right path to utilize your stove to its full potential. If you have more questions about wood stoves, check out our library of articles here or call us at 800.203.1642

About the Author

Collin Champagne

With over 13 years in the industry, Collin is a National Fireplace Institute (NFI) certified technician and managed content for the eFireplacestore and eCanopy brands. He has achieved the highest NFI certification possible as a Master Hearth Professional and is certified in all three hearth appliance fields: wood, gas, and pellet. With experience with sales and in-field installations, his expertise shines through his technical knowledge and way with words.

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