For those of you that have 'em, how do you set your adjustable blowers? Do you find there's a more efficient setting (an art or variance to it) or do you just have it blowing at the maximum speed at which it'll spit out warm air?
How do you use your adjustable blowers?
- Thread starter boonefrog
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
- Status
HotCoals
Minister of Fire
I go by the size of the fire..low fire..low fan speed.
Med. fire..med fan speed..you get the idea.
I like that the blower will shut off if the stove gets to cold to produce decent heat on my new BK.
Med. fire..med fan speed..you get the idea.
I like that the blower will shut off if the stove gets to cold to produce decent heat on my new BK.
corey21
Minister of Fire
HotCoals said:
Is the thermostat-based shutoff a newer feature? I'm still trying to identify my wood stove and it has that "cutoff" mode. It would be a good starting place to know what decade it's from...
HotCoals
Minister of Fire
Roxburyeric said:
this
I leave mine on high.
what i would like is to find out how to plumb my own blower so i can have it move even more air when the thing is really cooking.
is there any reason i should not double the airflow, assuming the temps of the stove are high.
Renovation
New Member
Renovation
New Member
par0thead151 said:
Hey PH,
If my calculations are correct ;-), the more airflow on the stove, the more heat you suck out, the faster you have to burn to keep the fire going, and the more often you have to reload. Correct?
Those may or may not be considerations for you.
Has anyone ever had so much airflow that the stove couldn't keep up, and went out?
spencer186
New Member
RenovationGeorge said:
I'm by no means an expert, but I would believe cranking the blower is only going to cool your stove temps. I don't think it really changes the rate of combustion or could ever put a fire out. I could be wrong though. I run mine as needed. If I'm getting warm I turn them down. If its getting cold I crank them up. So far here in the shoulder season I've been running them at about 25% or less. Hasn't bee that cold yet on Long Island
Renovation
New Member
spencer186 said:
Hey Spencer,
I'm having fun thinking about the dynamics of burning, and will do my best to avoid hijacking this thread with my theoretical ponderings--I'll let experienced burners comment on fan rates and burn times, and if a fan has ever cooled their stove enough to make it burn poorly.
That said, I think I recall reading here that those with stoves with thermostats (like Blaze Kings) report that their stoves open their dampers and burn faster to maintain temps with a blower on. So, without going too far into my mental master**tion, I'll just restate the obvious fact that if one wants to extract more heat from a stove, with a fan or otherwise, one has to eventually burn faster. At first a fan might extract heat that would otherwise go up the chimney, but eventually there will be no more of that to be had. Something's gotta give.
(OFF TOPIC: For those inclined to ponder, I'm finding it interesting to think about the balance between burn rate (controlled by temperature and air) and the division of the released energy between maintaining the fire, heating the room, and going up the chimney. At one end there are pre EPA stoves, that can burn cold and smokey, then there are cat stoves that can burn cold (at least at the flue) and clean, EPA air injectors that burn hot and clean, and masonry stoves that burn superhot and clean. Wet wood affects that balance too, by sucking out heat. Fun to think about, and I could be entirely wrong. %-P Now back to your thread, already in progress.
)
SKIN052
Minister of Fire
Until recently I was running on high all the time. Starting to play with it a it more now. High when warming up the house and low when the wife and kids plead with me that it's "TOO HOT
!" in the house. Also noticed a build up of creosote in the back of the fire box. Best guess is that the cod air being pushed up the back of the stove is keeping that area very cool, thus the build up.
!" in the house. Also noticed a build up of creosote in the back of the fire box. Best guess is that the cod air being pushed up the back of the stove is keeping that area very cool, thus the build up.
spencer186
New Member
George- I agree that you would have to burn more wood to keep the temps up, as I said- the airflow would cool the stove, thereby creating a need for more fuel to keep the temps up. I guess I wasn't that clear in my posting. My main objection was that I don't think you could ever really get enough airflow around an insert to put the fire out. Knowing the way my wife is always cold, when the outside temps drop I'm sure my new C550 will test the theory cause she'll have those blowers on MAX! Happy burning!
shawneyboy
Minister of Fire
I think it would have alot to do with the stove set up you have. ie if you have a thermo controlled damper like a BK and a fan, as the fan extracts the heat the unit cools and the damper opens. But ... If you have a Mansfield like I without the thermo controled damper, the fan only circulates the heat without decreasing burn time, now the fan may shut off sooner due to the temp of the unit but the burn time will be equal. Just my thoughts.
EJL923
Minister of Fire
I adjust the blower speed to the size of the fire. I have found that there are some diminishing returns if the fire isnt hot enough. If there is a small fire, you can get more heat if you turn down the blowers due to the fact that you give the air a little bit more time to heat up before it cycles through. This is usually only a need during the shoulder season. In the winter, I usually keep a pretty hot fire, and usually keep the blower about 3/4 speed. In my case, its a good combo which allows a good volume of hot air.
Concernng the snapstat on the stove, if you have one, i rarely use the feature. It shuts off the blowers when the fire gets too low. Here's the reason. it doesnt turn on soon enough, and it doesnt turn off soon enough. There is usable heat from the stove before the snapstat activates. At the end of the cycle, it wont turn off soon enough which cools down the stove too soon, say when im at work. I suppose i could utilize it better, but i found a better solution. I use a light timer. Thru experience, I can get 6 hours of good heat through the blowers, so i set the timer for 6 hours. Whenever i would get home from work, the blowers would be off when using the snapstat, but i wouldnt know when it shut off. At least using the timer, i know. if you get longer burn times (with good usable heat) this isnt an issue.
Concernng the snapstat on the stove, if you have one, i rarely use the feature. It shuts off the blowers when the fire gets too low. Here's the reason. it doesnt turn on soon enough, and it doesnt turn off soon enough. There is usable heat from the stove before the snapstat activates. At the end of the cycle, it wont turn off soon enough which cools down the stove too soon, say when im at work. I suppose i could utilize it better, but i found a better solution. I use a light timer. Thru experience, I can get 6 hours of good heat through the blowers, so i set the timer for 6 hours. Whenever i would get home from work, the blowers would be off when using the snapstat, but i wouldnt know when it shut off. At least using the timer, i know. if you get longer burn times (with good usable heat) this isnt an issue.
as for the beefier blower idea, i would only run it while i am home and when it is very cold out, so as to maximize heat output from the stove. i can get my insert very hot, according to the thermometer mounted to the door, so i would like to have this as 1.) a added means of BTU's, and 2.) a way to cool the stove if i put in a full load of really dry hard wood.
I notice a huge difference between so so wood and perfectly seasoned wood in my insert. the heat output difference is really noticable
I notice a huge difference between so so wood and perfectly seasoned wood in my insert. the heat output difference is really noticable
So what I was thinking is this:
- I agree, no reason to waster heat, yes, and higher blower speed will deliver more heat - especially when you have a big fire
- There's also the possibility that a hot firebox must give off radiant heat back onto the logs and help somehow with combustion (whether that's cleaner or not idk).
- That can't put a fire out, as we've said, because there are other types of heat besides radiant and combustion is still self-sustaining regardless of whether or not there's added or reduced radiant heat.
- what other factors are going on here??
- I agree, no reason to waster heat, yes, and higher blower speed will deliver more heat - especially when you have a big fire
- There's also the possibility that a hot firebox must give off radiant heat back onto the logs and help somehow with combustion (whether that's cleaner or not idk).
- That can't put a fire out, as we've said, because there are other types of heat besides radiant and combustion is still self-sustaining regardless of whether or not there's added or reduced radiant heat.
- what other factors are going on here??
WOODplay
Member
I have a LOPI Endeaver.
I run mine Med/Low all the time. If not it gets too hot!
If I don't run it at all it can almost get to the point of over heating.
I run mine Med/Low all the time. If not it gets too hot!
If I don't run it at all it can almost get to the point of over heating.
WOODplay said:
i have noticed this as well with my enviro Venice 1700
if the blower is not running and i have a full load in there, it gets hot to the point of me beginning to worry.
Same boat as Skin052, creosote in back of stove do to cooling from fan, so run it when stove is hot and turn it off for smaller fires.
Fsappo
Minister of Fire
raiderfan
Feeling the Heat
I'm still trying to figure out the best way to utilize my blower for my T5.
I planned on using the Automatic feature, but as someone above said, it seems to come on too late. So I've been turning mine on when the stove heats up to 500 degrees on the stove top and turning it off when I see 300 degrees. I try to keep it at med to med high.
I planned on using the Automatic feature, but as someone above said, it seems to come on too late. So I've been turning mine on when the stove heats up to 500 degrees on the stove top and turning it off when I see 300 degrees. I try to keep it at med to med high.
dafattkidd
Minister of Fire
I keep the blower off while I'm getting the fire started. Once it heats up and starts cooking I'll turn the fan on. As for fan speed, I usually keep it on low, otherwise it get's too hot in the livingroom. When it's real cold, or I'm trying to bring house temps up quick I'll put the fan on high. I almost never use the automatic turn on or off feature. I really like the way that I can control the fan to the speed I want instead of having low/med/high.
DBoon
Minister of Fire
My blower is on the lowest setting all the time. The only exception is the couple of times the fire has gotten away from me a bit, at which point I turned the blower to high to keep the stove cooler.
I get plenty of heat off my little stove even with the blower on low.
I get plenty of heat off my little stove even with the blower on low.
CodyWayne718
Feeling the Heat
My blower stays off til she reaches about 500-600 degrees, shut her down about half way on air, turn blower on high, temp drops to about 450 turn the blower down to about half and shut the air all the way, usually holds 400 for awhile, after she drops to about 300 I reload an shut off blower til she's about 500 or 600 again an repeat. I know I ran all that together but oh well %-P Seems like even if I leave the blower on low after a reload it takes it forever to get up to temp.
- Status
Similar threads
