need some help with heat

[theracedude]

So i am moving to the mountains of North Georgia. The plan was for me to get a good wood stove in the main room and run it hot and turn on the central fan (the one used for my AC). I thought that i was going to be able to transfer the heat from the two air pick ups that are in the main room and move the hot air to the rest of the home. Problem is that the air that is picked up from the intake vents gets colder by 4 to 10 degrees when it gets to the room i want warm. Question is can i move warm air into a different room?

PS. I don't post often but i read every night and i want to say that this is the best forum i ever. You guy's are very helpful to me. Thanks, Randy

[KathyLauren]

Your air conditioning system is not designed to circulate heat from the wood stove, so it is not surprising that it does not do a good job.

The air intakes may not be in the optimum place. They might be picking up the warm air that you want to circulate, or they may be picking up cooler air. You are also probably picking up cool air from other rooms and mixing it with the warm air, unless you have blocked off all the other air returns. Then, you are moving the (hopefully warm) air a long distance through cool parts of the house to the central fan and back to where you want the heat. All the way, it is giving up heat to those areas.

You will have better luck using portable fans to blow the warm air directly through open doorways. If you really want to use the central fan, you could try blocking off all the air intakes in the house except ones that you know will pick up warm air only. Ideally, you want to collect the warm air from near the ceiling. If your intakes are at floor level, consider installing a ceiling fan in the room with the stove to move warm air down to floor level. Insulate all the ducts leading from the warm room to the fan and from the fan to the other rooms. This will prevent losing heat in areas that you are not trying to heat like crawlspaces or attics.

Remember, if you insulate the ducts, that you will need vapour barrier on the normally warm side (outside) of the insulation, since it is an air conditioning system.
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[theracedude]

Your air conditioning system is not designed to circulate heat from the wood stove, so it is not surprising that it does not do a good job.

The air intakes may not be in the optimum place. They might be picking up the warm air that you want to circulate, or they may be picking up cooler air. You are also probably picking up cool air from other rooms and mixing it with the warm air, unless you have blocked off all the other air returns. Then, you are moving the (hopefully warm) air a long distance through cool parts of the house to the central fan and back to where you want the heat. All the way, it is giving up heat to those areas.

You will have better luck using portable fans to blow the warm air directly through open doorways. If you really want to use the central fan, you could try blocking off all the air intakes in the house except ones that you know will pick up warm air only. Ideally, you want to collect the warm air from near the ceiling. If your intakes are at floor level, consider installing a ceiling fan in the room with the stove to move warm air down to floor level. Insulate all the ducts leading from the warm room to the fan and from the fan to the other rooms. This will prevent losing heat in areas that you are not trying to heat like crawlspaces or attics.

Remember, if you insulate the ducts, that you will need vapour barrier on the normally warm side (outside) of the insulation, since it is an air conditioning system.
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Yep, my pick ups are mounted down low and one is in the back room so you are right. I have a lot to learn...I have lived the last 44 years on an island with very hot weather. I understand AC! I will learn, Thanks for your help.