Our biggest fan...

[Mr. Kelly]

Merry, Merry Everyone!

Can you believe it? It's Christmas already; the winter equinox has passed; New Year's in one week... what else will jump up at us and bite us?

We had our PE Summit delivered and mostly set up today... However, the fellow installing it needed an extra 8" part of interior pipe to make it all fit, and will have to come back next week after it's been ordered. Go figure, eh? Well, we'll be away next week, and the local building inspector is off all next week anyway, so it couldn't be legal until after he sees it. Geeze. Installer man said that he'd go ahead an run it anyway, even if it hasn't been inspected. So, here we sit. Cold.

I already digressed...

I'm really wondering the following... I didn't order a fan with the unit, just to save money. Some folks have been talking on here about the on-board fan. I was simply thinking I would try to save some $$ and put a big oscillating fan that we have around the house in a strategic location (somewhere cool). My dad suggested a convection fan that sits on top of the stove. So, there's 3 options.

Anyone feel compelled to offer pros or cons they've had with any of these choices?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts you may have...

Still cold in MA!

 

[gzecc]

You ordered an insert with out a fan?

 

[Mr. Kelly]

It's not an insert, it's a free-standing stove.

Some folks said that the optional blower on stoves is really limited as to its effectiveness. Others said just stick a big fan in a cool spot.

Any thoughts?

 

[Todd]

See how it works without any fans at first, you can always add a blower later.

 

[Jack Straw]

Use your stove and see how it works without a fan. I don't have one and the heat moves quite well.

 

[westkywood]

Dont need no stinkin fan

 

[cycloxer]

It depends on your setup and how much heat you are trying to extract from the stove. If your stove is in a good location, centrally located in the room you probably don't need one. If you have the stove in an alcove or hearth mounted partially in your fireplace, a fan will help a lot more. Try it first w/o and see what you think because the oem factory fans are like $300.

 

[firefighterjake]

As others have said . . . try the stove without any fan . . . and then try it with a regular old Walmart special fan pointing at the stove from the adjoining room. I suspect you will find that you don't need the optional fan . . . and as for those fans driven by the heat . . . while a few folks say they help move some air, the general consensus I've taken away here is that they are expensive, prone to failure with high heat and don't move all that much air around . . . but are wicked neat to see in operation.