Rheostat Question

[MarkV]

Thanks guys. The insert is a wood burning unit in a masonry fireplace. I should have mentioned that. It came with the house so the manufacture is a bit of a mystery. It has two settings that let you manually turn on the blower or set it to be thermostatically controlled. The thermostat seems to kick the system on based on stove temp rather than room temp. It is a great idea in theory but not in practice. The blower is so strong, on its lowest setting, the noise level is too much for my old ears. It also blows so much air it cools the stove down below desirable burn temps before the thermostat cuts it off. I was hoping for a way to get a gentle flow of air through it so I wasn't sending so much heat up the chimney. If we ever remodel I'll go with a free standing wood stove like our vacation home. I find them much more effective.

MarkV