Blower on an insert?

[hilly]

Hi,
I've had a Regency i2400 since March and I am debating whether or not to get a blower for it. I have been happy without one because the heat that would get blown out into the room heats up the brick fireplace (see pic below) which radiates heat into the rest of the house. I wondered if safety was an issue. In other words can too much heat end up in the brick and chimney or am I worrying about nothing?
Thanks for your help

 

[saichele]

A blower will increase the amount of heat in the room, but I doubt there's a safety issue (assuming the hearth and chimney are close to code). That's a lot of mass. And thta's a plate stove, so you'd really have to work at it to overfire it enough to cause a problem. Not saying it's impossible, but challenging. Some other inserts (mine, for instance) more or less need to blower to keep from getting too hot.

I'd get the blower, then you have the option.

Steve

 

[Robbie]

I can speak with a little experience on this matter. The blower will increase the the heaters efficiency
through out your home by a huge amount. Of course not in BTUs but simply by circulating heated air all over you house.

It may take a little while, but eventually your temps in back rooms will start to rise because of a slight amount of air blowing that is heated.

When I turn mine off, and it's very cold outside, you can tell a big difference in other back bedrooms. But when it's blowing even on low, within a couple minutes I notice an increase in temps all throughout your home.

The problem is it will spoil you. My blower stays on low all the time, and my bedrooms and even upstairs stays within a few degrees of the temps that are 10 feet from the stove.

You should get one, it's more than worth it I think, then if you don't want to run it you don't have to. It's like almost anything in life, I think it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

Edit to add: the fun part is when you have company over and they walk in and say........gosh ! It's warm in here, you gleem with pleasure knowing it's your wood and stove/blower thats doing this.

Robbie

 

[wg_bent]

I have an Osburn 1800i and it comes with a blower. I believe it's ability to effectively heat the house is improved by around 25-40 % over no blower. I have no evidence except for a 36 hour power outage this past winter, and my range is totally a guess, but I'd be close. The house stayed at around 62 on a day where the temps outside were around 20. I know that the stove would easily keep a 72-74 degree temp if the blower were running. My fireplace is not masonry, but rather a lot of layers of durock with tile over that.

The other evidence that a blower is a good thing is my Sister's experience with a Lopi answer insert. She has a brick fireplace similar to the one in the pictures you posted. Difference is that her's is on on end of the house. She had her answer for about 8 years, then after experiencing my Osburn, promptly went out and bought a blower. She now says her house is easily heated with the answer quickly in the morning and through out the day. Where she needed to suppliment with kerosene or electric furnace.

So, from what I've seen so far I'd say get the blower. You'll be happy you did.

 

[wg_bent]

Oh, by the way, That is a really nice looking fireplace!1

 

[hilly]

Thanks for the comments. It has been fun using the insert because until then, the hearth was never used and it's such a dominant feature in the house.

 

[BrotherBart]

That is one great hearth, stove and picture. Two questions:

1. Is that poker so that you can tend the fire from across the room? That sucker is HUGE!

2. What lives in the birdhouse? Woodpeckers?

 

[hilly]

My wife and I moved into the house about a year and a half ago, it was the same house she grew up in, and the poker and huge axe (the blade is just visible at the top of the picture) were both on the hearth when I met her parents...that made me a bit uneasy that's for sure. Now to answer your questions:
1) Yes the poker is huge, I've only used it a few times, but I can sympathize with the person who was worried about breaking the glass on their stove door. I'm not sure if I can avoid it this heating season!
2) The bird house! Well before this house we lived in a very small condo, and had no room for such things, so my wife made displays and I guess the bird house was part of the display...I guess it would be more effective outside now!