using fans in the house
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No blower. I have a hard time swallowing $250 for a fan. The insert heats the living room, kitchen, and hearth room/den/office (I don't know what to call the room with the insert) just fine. There's a very definite temperature difference once you hit the hall.
Stax
Minister of Fire
It's kind of ironic that we're talking abouting moving air with fans, but yet you don't have one on your insert...hmm...
Beave
New Member
Jamie, it will be $250 well spent. You can pay the money and have the heat stripped from the stove and blown into the room, or that $250 is just wasted heat floating up your stack.
I'd equate it to the difference in baseboard heating vs. a forced air furnace. In my case, even more dramatic than that.
I tried my insert without a blower and was not at all impressed with the heat output. Within a month of owning the stove, I paid $300 for a blower, and now my stove can over-run our forced air natural gas furnace from one load of wood. 1970's 2200 square foot split entry. Woodstove downstairs, furnace thermostat upstairs in the hallway. My stove is listed as a "medium" size FWIW. To put it in better perspective, my wife left the upstairs kitchen window open almost the entire weekend. Granted, temps are still mild here in Washington (just starting to frost at night), but I can acheive similar results when we are down in the 10-20 degree range also.
Sure, it varies from house to house and stove to stove, but in my case it made a world of difference, and the general agreement on this forum seems to be
Insert+Blower=Heat. Heck, even if I had a freestanding stove, I'd still get a blower. It really just makes sense. I can deal with the noise when I need fast heat, and after I have established a temperature, I run the fan on low and can't even hear it. Then it still gets hotter, and I have to turn the fan off.
If I had to blow cold air across my feet while hanging out by the stove, I'd hang it up and pay the gas bill. =)
I'd equate it to the difference in baseboard heating vs. a forced air furnace. In my case, even more dramatic than that.
I tried my insert without a blower and was not at all impressed with the heat output. Within a month of owning the stove, I paid $300 for a blower, and now my stove can over-run our forced air natural gas furnace from one load of wood. 1970's 2200 square foot split entry. Woodstove downstairs, furnace thermostat upstairs in the hallway. My stove is listed as a "medium" size FWIW. To put it in better perspective, my wife left the upstairs kitchen window open almost the entire weekend. Granted, temps are still mild here in Washington (just starting to frost at night), but I can acheive similar results when we are down in the 10-20 degree range also.
Sure, it varies from house to house and stove to stove, but in my case it made a world of difference, and the general agreement on this forum seems to be
Insert+Blower=Heat. Heck, even if I had a freestanding stove, I'd still get a blower. It really just makes sense. I can deal with the noise when I need fast heat, and after I have established a temperature, I run the fan on low and can't even hear it. Then it still gets hotter, and I have to turn the fan off.
If I had to blow cold air across my feet while hanging out by the stove, I'd hang it up and pay the gas bill. =)
Just to keep the thread going, I finally installed a bathroom type fan over my stove two weeks ago to help move the hot air upstairs in my by-level home and after using 3 fans for the past three years.
Wow, what a difference is air flow or movement. I have a constant temp of 91 to about 103 degrees in the upstairs duct and I have raised my inside temp on average 2 to 3 degrees. We are getting into our cold season now so lets see what happens in -20 temps, but I am very pleased with my outcome.
Wow, what a difference is air flow or movement. I have a constant temp of 91 to about 103 degrees in the upstairs duct and I have raised my inside temp on average 2 to 3 degrees. We are getting into our cold season now so lets see what happens in -20 temps, but I am very pleased with my outcome.
Dune
Minister of Fire
TZieli22 said:
You realize you have created a potencially deadly situation for yourself and your family?
For me it was expensive for the coldest months up here, but my system has a 1/2 hp motor and is a single speed fan, plus I have a 4400 sq ft house. I would think if you had a two speed fan and kept it on low it would be cheaper but by how much I think just depends.
That is why put the bathroom fan in. I put in a Panasonic whisper green light fan and also installed a a/c thermostat and have it set for 72, so anything higher turns the fan on. Its only been a week so far but I know it'll be cheaper than the larger house fan and it is working very well so far.
Good luck with what you decide.
That is why put the bathroom fan in. I put in a Panasonic whisper green light fan and also installed a a/c thermostat and have it set for 72, so anything higher turns the fan on. Its only been a week so far but I know it'll be cheaper than the larger house fan and it is working very well so far.
Good luck with what you decide.
Dune
Minister of Fire
DanCorcoran
Minister of Fire
TZieli22 said:
Did you cut a hole in the ceiling to install the fan, as you would with a bathroom exhaust fan, thus creating a direct path between floors?
Dune,
Thanks for the reminder on the CO's. For sure I check my 3 several times during the winter. I converted to all wood this year from coal the last several years due to lower quality coal here in Alaska and my neighbors not liking the smell too much. There is a big difference between PA anthracite coal and Alaska Sub-bituminous.
Dan,
Yes I did cut a hole, plus ran about 20' of 4" duct so that my register would be in my upstairs hallway.
Thanks for the reminder on the CO's. For sure I check my 3 several times during the winter. I converted to all wood this year from coal the last several years due to lower quality coal here in Alaska and my neighbors not liking the smell too much. There is a big difference between PA anthracite coal and Alaska Sub-bituminous.
Dan,
Yes I did cut a hole, plus ran about 20' of 4" duct so that my register would be in my upstairs hallway.
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