In the "I can't believe it took me this long to figure this out" department....

  • 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
Not open for further replies.

drhiii

Member
Oct 15, 2006
188
So, for years have been cutting and burning in an older smoke dragon and in the last two years, upgraded to a simple, no frills Napoleon 1400. Went with the Napoleon given that while this is Colorado, felt this was an adequate stove for this area and house. It can get bitter cold, but it rarely stays that way for too long and we can be sub zero one day, and 60s or 70s the next. Not so if one lived in the mountains, but along the front range, things are more forgiving.

Anyway... I placed a simple ozonator fan unit behind the stove and had it working last year. And, had ceiling fans distributing air around the house. Things went I thought fairly well, until.... recently after cleaning the ozonator unit (it is a dual fan, home built and has performed fantastically for 7 years), I moved the unit back into place except moved 3" forward to directly under the intake vent where a blower unit bolts in. Not having one, I thought last year I was getting reasonable air flow. Well, moving it all of 3" forward, I am getting much more air flow through the venting for the stove, and WOW, what a difference. Am finding it dramatically heats up the entire house by having the ozonator do the blower unit's job.

I know... what a concept right? But a mere 3" and running the unit in intervals to keep not only ozonated air flowing which keeps the whole house fresh and dandy, but by increasing the air flow through the stove, I am amazed how much heat it produces or rather, claims. I am burning approx little more than 1/2 the wood, am getting way more efficient heat distribution, and way better performance than just the ceiling fans were doing, and I am able to extend the burn times a lot longer as it extracts heat when things have burned almost down to a thin layer of coals. It has changed my technique for how I load, and I can now depend on a longer, quite a bit longer heat distribution into the mornings. Hence am not anxious about getting up to tweak up the fire like I have been.

I know I know I know... some numbskull in Colorado discovered why blowers exist... but what for one who was merrily going along without, what a discovery! Air flow through the intended venting of the stove. Who would have thunk... I can't believe how the entire house heats up whereas using two ceiling fans and far more electricity didn't produce this. I keep learning that the art of wood stove heat is just that, a wonderful art. Makes me consider how much heat I am losing up the stove pipe.

Toasty in Colorado....
 
I hope you're right. Our "new" Lopi Endeavor barely keeps the room it's in warm. I'm hoping it's just the lack of a blower. Tightwad that I am, I'm looking for a generic. I don't feel like paying 200+ bills for the Lopi brand.
 
rhetoric said:
I hope you're right. Our "new" Lopi Endeavor barely keeps the room it's in warm. I'm hoping it's just the lack of a blower. Tightwad that I am, I'm looking for a generic. I don't feel like paying 200+ bills for the Lopi brand.

rhetoric, buy the Lopi blower. For a mere $200 you will dramatically change the performance of the stove. Your stove should be cranking heat, considering it's an Endeavor. And I'm right up the street from you in Greece, and it's been cold here!

I had a small Lopi Answer last year that had the stock blower and they ran great together. This season I bought an Avalon Rainier from a guy in Canandaigua, but had to build my own blower to fit it. Because the stove is larger, it does a far better job in our house than the Answer did, but I can tell my blower doesn't push air quite as well as the stock Lopi blower.

My opinion....if you have the $200, buy it. If not, it's time to get crafty. Either way, you need some type of blower, if you ask me.
 
Rhetoric,

You will be amazed how much of a difference a blower will make. It took me a couple of fires in my Isle Royale before I said the heck with it and bought the blower. Installed simply with three screws and it was up and heating the house.

I got mine from http://www.cshincorporated.com/ and it was at my door the next morning. Granted they are in Michigan and I am in Ohio.
 
The blower doesn't always have that profound effect though; it all depends on how the stove was designed, as well as how the blown air moves across the heated surfaces. Some companies are throwing a blower back on as an afterthought and really the blower isn't going to do squat. Some, on the other hand, are designing the stove to make full use of the heat moving potential of blower. Before purchasing a blower for anything, I'd check with other users of the same stove and make sure they saw a jump in heating performance with the addition of the blower.
 
a blower will ALWAY'S improve your heating...some situations will improve more than others, but you will improve Get a blower, you won't be sorry
 
Status
Not open for further replies.