Can you run your return duct to/from the stove and heat the air directly, kind of like the way an insert uses a fan and jacket to shove the heat out from behind? Seems to me that would be a lot more efficient. Or does that kind of thing violate safety standards?
If you insure your house you may also want to check with your insurance company to see how your modifications may effect your policy.
Sorry for the mess. But this is our homemade garage stove and behind the Latisse is the furnace. I thought about going into the return (right side) because I would not have to worry about anything but empty duct.
Here is a thought-get rid of the stove and replace it with a wood furnace and run a duct over. My neighbor heats an entire large colonial with a wood furnace. I even remember seeing a new gasification style one.
You have to be REALLY careful if you are running air heated by a stove into your ductwork. The last thing you want is to have a malfunction and not wake up because you were dumping CO into the house all night.
If I had the financial ability that is what I would love to do. But unfortunately this for now will have to be a scrap build. Unless someone would let me "borrow " one of those fancy gasification stoves. I will hook it right up.
Keep an eye out. They show up used from time to time. I know my neighbors wasn't all that expensive to begin with so a used one fairly inexpensive.
I think it's important to reiterate that point, but it's also time to recall CoreyB is planning a heat exchanger via heated water, not air. Both possibilities require utmost care and planning for sure.
I have seen people with a similar looking stove make a shroud around the sides and top of the stove. Leave several inches for an air gap, add ductwork and come in the bottom of the shroud with your return and come out the top into the ductwork going to your vents in the house. Connect the return to the bottom of the shroud. The longer you can keep the air circulating around the outside of the stove/firebox the warmer the air will get. Without seeing your hot air furnace it's hard to tell if you will have to route around it or you can go right through it and use it's blower and your current thermostat to move the warm air into the house. You would have to monitor for smoke and CO2 with could be dangerous.
