Insert blower. On or off ?

[Dix]

I run the blower on the PE at the lowest setting, and on auto. When the box starts to cool down, I figure it's better for the fan to cycle on as needed, than run all of the time.

When it's a night where it's a tough call as to whether to have a fire or not, and I do light up, I can get away with no blower, but remember, the PE's front extends out, so that glass is radiating heat passively. Makes a huge difference.

I, like Grisu, have an interior chimney, which does heat up and store heat. Makes a difference there, too.

 

[Fod01]

My insert is inside a heatform fireplace. I did a full overnight load of oak once, and forgot to turn the blower back on. Woke to a warm room, and a noticeably warmer bricks. Not sure I'd do it again on purpose though.

 

[Dix]

My insert is inside a heatform fireplace. I did a full overnight load of oak once, and forgot to turn the blower back on. Woke to a warm room, and a noticeably warmer bricks. Not sure I'd do it again on purpose though.

Interior chimney, G?

 

[Fod01]

Nope. Soft block-off plate too.

For you folks that don't run the blowers, and aside from the lack of noise, I'm curious....since the blower helps deliver heat to the room, wouldn't running the blower enable you to have a smaller fire for the same heating effect? Logic says you're losing heat up the chimney otherwise.

Of course I have a flush insert, so my experience is different.

 

[Randy700]

my stove and walls get too hot with out the blower, so I use it.

 

[blacktail]

I always run mine around 1/3 speed. It comes on when the insert is warm enough, and shuts off when it cools. I only shut it off when I reload. Running higher speed doesn't seem to move much more air, but makes more noise.

 

[rwhite]

Nope. Soft block-off plate too.

For you folks that don't run the blowers, and aside from the lack of noise, I'm curious....since the blower helps deliver heat to the room, wouldn't running the blower enable you to have a smaller fire for the same heating effect? Logic says you're losing heat up the chimney otherwise.

Of course I have a flush insert, so my experience is different.

I have no idea of the best method for a flush insert I just know for my stove the blower cools it down to much on high and doesn't let it operate at optimum temps. With the stove I'm trying to heat stuff in the house and not the air.

 

[OhioBurner©]

If I ran my blower at "full on high", my living room would literally be into 90+ degrees in short order.

Wow wish I had that problem. Is your living room small? Granted my living room is larger than most, and probably not very insulated (plus open to the upstairs). The only time I've got it where it felt too warm is when its over 50ºF out. My stove seems to be 90% convective though, without the blower it doesn't do crap. You'd be cold sitting 6 feet from it.

Seems to me you should be able to have smaller fires. But I can see the quiet advantage of not running a blower (or on low) just seems to me like your wasting heat.

 

[Beer Belly]

our blower is on every time we lite the stove......unless we have company, then it's either on low, or totally off.

 

[jimdrea]

I have a Napoleon 1402, have had for 8 months now.I set my blower on auto and it turns on when the stove gets to 400 degrees. It also shuts off on its own.this morning its 22 degrees outside. When I woke up at 7 am my downstairs about 1500 sq feet was 59 degrees. I have had the insert going strong and have the temp now at 68 degrees in 2 hours. The fan is blowing steady. My favorite thing to do on a slow Saturday. My goals to get the downstairs to about 72 degrees. I'm still trying to determine burn times. Burning 14 month seasoned maple.

 

[mass_burner]

We have a convection stove and a flush install,. Its designed to run without a fan, fan is an option. First year I experimented with the fan vs no fan, couldn't tell the difference, air temp, stove temp, burn time all the same. Now I never use it. Except from time to time, I try it to remind myself.