On the left, stratification/poor air mixing with cold air at the floor and hot air at the ceiling. On the right, air is more evenly distributed using a Hot-Tube.
Hot air is lighter than cold, and so the ceiling is where most of your winter heat goes, while cooler air stays below - with you. Installing one or more ceiling fans is a solution, but for most it's not a realistic option. That's where Hot-Tubes come in. In a few minutes a Hot-Tube can be placed anywhere, circulating warm ceiling air back down to the floor where you need it. Hot-Tubes can also be placed near a doorway to move warm ceiling air from one room towards the floor of another room, making Hot-Tubes the perfect compliment to Heat pumps, forced hot air, wood, or gas heating stoves. In addition to lowering heating costs, improving air circulation can reduce thermostat cycling and wear and tear on your heating system. Here's a link to a short movie showing what they can do. For those technically inclined, view our resources page (under About) for Destratification studies and State incentive programs for Destratification fans in the US and Canada.
FLIR thermal imaging
Above we've taken pictures of a hot cup of tea and a gas stove using a FLIR thermal imaging camera. Software in the FLIR camera converts temperature to a color spectrum from blue (cool) to white (warmer). We can "see" heat using thermal imaging to determine the temperature of the ceiling, walls, and objects.
Above are 2 thermal images of a Hot-Tube placed 17 feet away from the same gas stove we introduced earlier. On the left you can see the tube suspended from the ceiling, and on the right is a close up of the air deflector duct at the bottom of the tube. After turning on the tube, thermal imaging shows the ceiling heat being pumped back down to the floor where you need it, at almost 74 degrees. That's much warmer than the surrounding walls and floor which are in the mid to high 50's.
REAL ENERGY-SAVING RESULTS
The harsh winter of 2014 provided an ideal study opportunity. We matched gas and electric consumption to published temperatures at the Portland Maine Jetport, comparing the data to the (much warmer) 2013 winter. In this case study, the home we used for our experiment was zoned, with the two primary zones being gas (hot water baseboard), and a heavily relied upon natural gas stove. The bedrooms and full time home office had electric baseboard heat with individual thermostats. Both gas and bedroom thermostats were digital, and were not changed year to year.
Despite a much, much colder 2014, the electric baseboard in the full time office (located 25 feet away from the gas stove) was never turned on – a first! Also, electric consumption dropped by as much as 20%. As you can see in the case study, that translated to saving of over $25 per month. There was nearly a 10% drop in consumption of natural gas, saving $40 per month.
In addition to saving money, the homeowners experienced their entire home feeling noticeably warmer and more comfortable than the previous year, with almost no "cold spots."