Insert Fan Speed (HI300)

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velvetfoot

Minister of Fire
Dec 5, 2005
10,202
Sand Lake, NY
Low or High?
The HI300 has only two speeds.
The low speed, you can hardly hear.
The high speed, not so much.
I can see where if you want to get a lot of heat out fast, the high speed setting would be good.
But, if you can get by with the low speed, are you wasting wood?
 
I'd stick to low unless the stove is really cranking. If the stove is not running that hard, and you leave the blower on high, it can wick so much heat away from the stove that it can actually reduce the quality of the burn.

Plus, if the stove isn't that hot, the fan being on high can actually make things feel drafty in the house.

pen
 
Thanks pen.
So you think that the low speed wouldn't consume more wood?
I can see, for sure, putting the fan on high when it's cranking if only because the tile on top of the stove gets a little warm when there's a relatively small load on low fan speed.
I haven't put a full load in yet. Even from what I've seen so far, the new insert puts out a lot more heat than the old one; I love it.
 
Nope, I do not believe that low speed will consume more wood.

But, play around w/ all sorts of stuff as you are still learning this thing. I'm on year 3 running my current stove, and am still amazed how what I learn about it monthly because of playing around.

pen
 
Ive had my insert 3 seasons now and never have run it on high, unless the burn got away from me and Im trying to get the temp down quick, theres really no need, you'll see as time goes on how much heat they throw out just on low.
 
Ive had my insert 3 seasons now and never have run it on high, unless the burn got away from me and Im trying to get the temp down quick, theres really no need, you'll see as time goes on how much heat they throw out just on low.
Thanks, this insert throws out a lot more heat than my last one.
 
I heat stove up before turning on blower. Once the stove top is hot enough, (500-600 degrees), I put the blower on LOW. This will not burn wood faster because you can close the air almost down to fully closed. If you run the blower on HIGH, you will cool that stove top off and have a hard time keeping the stove hot unless you give it more air, which results in a quicker burn. I only use HIGH if I get a glowing stove top.
 
I run mine on high most of the time. I burn well seasoned oak so I typically keep it on high when I'm needing more heat and on low during the shoulder season when a smaller fire of less desirable wood is being burned. I've packed my stove with wood and got the top glowing before but if the blower is on high I can't see it getting hot enough to hurt anything.
 
I run mine on high most of the time. I burn well seasoned oak so I typically keep it on high when I'm needing more heat and on low during the shoulder season when a smaller fire of less desirable wood is being burned. I've packed my stove with wood and got the top glowing before but if the blower is on high I can't see it getting hot enough to hurt anything.

Could you add your stove to your signature and maybe move that nice collection of saws to one line?
 
I let the stove top heat up to 400 or so then run the fan on low. I rarely run it on high, but when I do I wait a little longer for the stove to heat up to 500 or higher. With the fan on high the heat cranks into the house bringing room temps up quick. I rarely leave it on high for very long.

Glad to hear your new insert is working out so well for you.
 
I very rarely use high for these reasons: noisy, vibrates, drafty, uses more electricity, doesn't seem to heat the room much better than low.

-dan
 
I run my Hampton H200 fan on low unless it is really cranking, then I may put it on high. My old Buck insert changes speed as the temp of the stove changes. I wish the Hampton did the same. Not all things about the old stoves are bad;)
 
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