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Using a StratoJet to Stay Warm

What do you do when convection causes warm air to pool above your head, soaking up heating costs but doing nothing to keep you comfortable? The problem is called heat stratification. The petroleum-era solution is to size the heat pump or central heating unit so that it heats that area above and still has enough capacity left to heat the main living area too. And because the fan of the central unit cycles on and off so often, it tends to keep the air circulating somewhat.

That won't work in the post-petroleum era; too much energy for too little payback. One possibility is to reverse the blades on a ceiling fan and pull the air from below to flush out that warm air and push it down where you can enjoy it. Anyone who has ever tried this knows, however, that the ceiling fan will create drafts. And the drafts will actually make you feel cooler, even though the air around you may be a little warmer. And staying warm is all about feeling warm, not just knowing the temperature is higher.

Enter the StratoJet. Known as a "destratifier," the StratoJet quietly redistributes the air in your home or office to reduce or eliminate heat stratification. You can buy a StratoJet in one of several sizes based on the size of the room in which it will operate, but even a large one will use very little power, on the order of 20-40 watts.

We don't own one yet, but we will buy one for the house we're planning, because it will have a tall ceiling where warm air can collect. That's good for the summer, but very bad news in the winter when we're trying to keep the house warm. We plan to run the StratoJet during the entire winter heating season to keep some of that nice warm air we're heating down where we can live in it.