Anyone ever try an EcoFan, and if so, does it do ANYTHING worthwhile

[NH_Wood]

Hi all - saw an ecofan (one of those non-electric, heat driven fans for the top of the stove) online and was somewhat interested, although the price seemed very high. Went to local stoveshop about a week ago and saw one sitting on an operating stove. Couldn't believe how slow the fan was turning and started to wonder if anyone has tried one of these and what they've experienced. If the fan speed I observed was any indicator of performance, the price is DEFINITELY TOO HIGH.

 

[begreen]

Stove temp was probably too cool or it was on a cool part of the stove. Once the stove is at operating temp of about 400-600, the fan spins at a very good clip.

 

[gyrfalcon]

Hi all - saw an ecofan (one of those non-electric, heat driven fans for the top of the stove) online and was somewhat interested, although the price seemed very high. Went to local stoveshop about a week ago and saw one sitting on an operating stove. Couldn't believe how slow the fan was turning and started to wonder if anyone has tried one of these and what they've experienced. If the fan speed I observed was any indicator of performance, the price is DEFINITELY TOO HIGH.

What Begreen said. Mine whirs away from about 300 on up.

There are two kinds of ecofan, though, so be sure you' re looking at the right kind. The ones for soapstone (and gas) stoves are way more expensive than the ones you can use on a cast or steel stove that gets much hotter stovetop temps.

I like mine because it blows a little stream of nicely heated air in the direction it's pointed, sits right on top of the stove and doesn't have to be plugged in somewhere. But it makes only a minimal impact on spreading the warm air around a room. I like having it, but it's not vastly more functional than the nice little brass hearth cricket that sits underneath the stove and looks pretty.

 

[NH_Wood]

Thanks for the info - I think I'll stay away - seems like a lot of money for what appears to be relatively litttle benefit in moving air. Cheers!

 

[gyrfalcon]

Thanks for the info - I think I'll stay away - seems like a lot of money for what appears to be relatively litttle benefit in moving air. Cheers!

Just be sure you're looking at the right ones. The model for my soapstone was "a lot" of money, about $170, if I recall, but my memory is the ones for regular woodstoves are about a third of that.

 

[CarbonNeutral]

I thought you also had to have it in the right place on the stove - hot surface, but able to pull cold air (the temp difference on the Peltier provides the power). I would guess the rear of the stove is where it works best.

 

[littlesmokey]

I don't have one, but friends do. Their cat thinks it's great, she watches it for hours at a healthy distance with her tail flicking back and forth. The cat respects the stove, so I don't think she'll jump it. They like the breeze, but I was not that impressed for moving large air, more like moving small air to a cool corner.

 

[NH_Wood]

Yes - I'm moving toward a soapstone (Hearthstone Mansfield), so I guess the fan would be the more expensive one. Thanks for all the feedback! Cheers!

 

[heatwise]

we have 2 eco fans, one is the two blade and the other the larger 3 blade.they work well for us. it sends the air gently and efectively into an ajoining room. i would recomend them as they are just the right speed as to not chill the air, pete

 

[agartner]

I'm for the fan. My stove is in the hearth, and it does a good job of pulling air through the hearth and back out into the room. It also gives me a good visual indication from across the room as to how or cold the stove top is.

 

[dispatcher101]

Has anyone used one of these fans on an alderlea? Is there enoug room from the bottom of the base to the fan blades to set the base on the cooktop and have the swingouts closed?

 

[Backwoods Savage]

There have been many threads about these things. Probably 90% or more say they are not worth the dollars. A few years ago I bought one just to satisfy the wife. We used it exactly 2 days before sending it back. It simply does not move enough air to be worthwhile.

 

[begreen]

Has anyone used one of these fans on an alderlea? Is there enoug room from the bottom of the base to the fan blades to set the base on the cooktop and have the swingouts closed?

We've had this unit for many years now. It's the original 3 blader. If buying new for an Alderlea, I would probably get the lower temp soapstone version for placement on top of the trivets.

Our old Ecofan's running on the Alderlea now, placed on top of the trivets with them closed. There is enough heat at around 500-600 °F stovetop temp, to run the fan at a good clip. But it is lazier than when we had it on the Jotul with direct contact on the top. It is placed just in front and right of the flue, where the trivet slots start. Now I use it mostly as a remote temp sensor for the stove. I can peek out of my office and tell the stove temp by the speed of the fan. If it is really spinning, I know the stove top is north of 600 and had better be sure I remembered to close down the air! If it's lazy, time to stove the stove or at least rake the coals forward.

 

[er318]

We have one of the 3-blade fans we keep stored in the box. We drag it out to help circulate the air a bit if/when the power goes out.

 

[dougstove]

It is intriguing to watch, but I do not notice any significant air movement.
It goes fastest when the stove is hot and the room is cold - a few times once the room got very hot, it slowed right down.

 

[summit]

there is a new self powered fan out there called the "kettle fan" because it looks like, well, a big kettle. It has HUGE blades inside, with a big motor and thermoelectric transfer base. It draws air down thru the top, forces it out the hollow bottom, sending a 360 deg circulation of all the hot air rising off the top of the stove. Its a pretty cool rig as it can hit upto 400 cfm/minute (although I'm positive that is with a blasting stove top temp) but the gush of air is more powerfull than any ecofan I have ever seen. The salesguy said it was designed originally for use in Army field tents w/ their liquid fuel heaters... we bought a few from him, and have had one on demo 4 a while... it even worked pretty well on the top of our Harman P series demo pellet stove... no takers as of yet, though: price tag tops out over $300