Wood Stove Fan?

[B8FISH]

After reading Moss's new stove thread--I am wondering if any of you dedicated woodstovers are using one of the "self" powered wood stove fans? Ecofan and HeatWave are the two that I have seen--they run around $100 and $180 respectively and are said to be powered by the heat of the stove--more heat they run faster. Comments?

 

[Lloyd_E]

Had one.

Lasted about a year. Not sure if the unit got too hot or not.
Never replaced it.

I use a small square electric fan that can be mounted in upper corner of door openings. I also have a large rectangular window fan above a door set in a transom window space. This moves the air out of the main area with the wood stove and the fan in the door corner returns the air back into the room completing a 360 degree travel of air around the first floor. Some heat passes by the stairway to second floor and travels upstairs. We also have a grate in the master bedroom above the stove. The second floor averages around 70-75 degrees on the coldest nights. Downstairs averages about the same.

Hope this helps.

Lloyd

 

[BigE_]

I haven't used either of these, but have talked to people who have. I ended up buying an AC powered unit.

There are two types of these: the Stirling engine model (runs off steam) and the Peltier junction model.

The Peltier junction ones are generally cheaper in cost, but they also don't last nearly as long.

The Stirling engine model is much older technology, but it is also simpler and therefore much more dependable. A well built model will last for years.

When I was looking (and I wasn't looking that hard) the only model I found locally was the Peltier model, and I wasn't impressed. Since then I've found a few Stirling models that were quite impressive. (Up to 300 cfm).

Some reference material:
Stirling engine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thermoelectric effect - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

-Steve

 

[BigE_]

Here's a Stirling model: Cool Tools: Heat Wave Wood Stove Fan

Or you can make you're own. (grin)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7NV38Ymep0&feature=related

 

[B8FISH]

Thanks guys--I'll keep looking around, maybe the prices will come down. We've been using the ionic air purifier to circulate the air around--seems to work OK. We have no plugs on the walls near the stove which is why I started looking at these as something I could put near the stove.

 

[coachgrd]

Had one.



I use a small square electric fan that can be mounted in upper corner of door openings.
Lloyd

Lloyd...my father in law was telling me about a small fan like you describe to move heat from room to room. Where did you find this fan?

Thanks,
Gary

 

[Shimon]

I bought an EcoFan to place on top of my wood stove...it worked but didn't move much air at all. Sold it on E-bay (for more than I paid...go figure) and now I just use a regular 12" house fan that sits on the mantle above the stove which helps a lot. It's a wood stove insert in an old fireplace.

 

[radioman]

My parents had one as well that is heat powered. It works but it doesnt really move much air. Now they just use it for novelty item on the stove. They are using AC fan now which works much better. Before that they had magic heat for years and then they got fed up with the fan noise.

 

[JDeerekid]

I use the magic heat.magic heat
Usually have to replace it every 6-8 years depending on how long we use the stove.

 

[Scooby074]

My father has an EcoFan. Like others have said it doesnt move a lot of air (100cfm). You cant even feel a breeze coming from it. Mostly its a novelty. They do have a new model thats supposed to move 150CFM but i have no experience with it.