Heat Loss Through Split-Level Wall Opening - - Remedy Ideas ?

SteveJ

I am looking for Ideas/remedies for heat loss that flows through a 10ft Long by 8 ft high wall opening positioned between a living room/dining room into an upper level living room that sits above a two car garage.  The wall opening has an open stairwell that gives access between the two living space areas.



Background Info:

- Original residence portion is a split foyer style where Living/Dining rooms are

- Had addition to home (garage topped by Living/Bedroom/Bath) w/stairwell included

- Described wall opening cut into wall between original residence and addition

-  Original portion of home heat comes from use of electric baseboard units

- New addition on home has AC/Heat supplied form Heat Pump

- Hot air rises so much into our Addition space (through the wall opening) = no need to use Addition's heat pump



The Problem .....described heat loss, rising through wall opening between areas -- is causing original residence space's thermostat (controlling electric baseboard heaters) to be doing constant catchup on temperature - keeping baseboard electric heat firing (when, otherwise without wall opening, less electric would be consumed without constant heat rising/being lost.  I figure I am spending an extra $100-200/month during peak of heating season due to this problem.



I have not attempted any remedies on this yet.  Only thing in place is a ceiling fan in the Addition's living room that we run to try an push the warm air down that had flowed upward into the Addition living space.



Does anyone have a similar experience?

Anyone have any practical suggestions?



Thanks in advance.



Steve

CMadatMe

Remedy

The anwser to your question is in your hands. What are you willing to spend? My suggestion, get rid of the electric board. Do you have gas in the house? If so, a mod/con with panel rads running on low water temp with thermostatics. Problem fixed.