Blower on Rangeley almost a waste of $300

[Bub381]

This blower moves about the same amount of air as my doorway fan.Also the air is moved almost straight up and not out in the room.Heat moves up on it's own.The only plus side to this seems to be it keeps the wall cooler.Anybody else find this problem?If you stood at the front of the stove the air would maybe hit the top of your head but there isn't enough air moving to feel it.At the flu shield there is not enough room to bend it toward the front of the stove because the stove connector is too close.You can feel the air from a foot away but at 2 feet it would be questionable.If you moved away from the stove the 16" or 18" required to the edge of the hearth at the the angle the air is blown it would never hit you.If the stove was flat on the floor you couldn't get close enough for the air to hit you.Just wondered if it's just me.

 

[wkpoor]

I personally believe natural convection moves way more air than a blower. I tried a blower on every stove but my current one and I really feel my comfort level didn't change one bit.

 

[begreen]

Good to know. We are fortunate that our home works well with natural convection, but on the PE stoves, when you put on the blower, you definitely notice a hot blast off the stove top and a temp drop of about 100F there. The reason being that there is a good flow directly across the stove top. I wonder if Jotul chose not to do this on the Rangeley because of the top loading feature?

 

[Bub381]

I have seen the blowers that look like a heat gun and they move some serious air.Not this rotary fan.Not bad mouthing the dealer but i do feel this is a $300 mistake.Someone had to guinea pig i guess.lol If they were afraid of the top load option BeGreen,turning off the fan during the load would've been a better idea.You may be right though.

 

[jotulguy]

Im not sure how it could have been done with the top load feature on that stove. I think the idea was moving the air for convection. It cant blow the air directly out the front but it will still move the air.

 

[BrotherBart]

Primary benefit is that it draws cool air to the stove and then heats.

 

[Bub381]

Jotulguy have you felt what this blower moves for air? I very very seriously say the heat from this stove moves more air than this blower.Am i missing something.If moving the air for convection was the idea then good enough.It will keep the stove cooler,It serves it's purpose of moving hot air from the stove it just doesn't push it around once it's off the stove.It could move the air in front of the stove yes,if the back shield were an inch or 2 taller and it had more push.I have to ask and i appreciate the replies.Brotherbart,if that's the reason for the blower then i see the point now,a little better blower should've been used but Thanks all,i feel a little better already.Hate to waste too much money. %-P I should read up more on this stuff.

 

[MasterMech]

My blower is still in the box. No hurry to install as the house heats up just fine so far without assistance. I'd return it but I got it for free during the promo. %-P

 

[Daren Bracey]

I just did our first overnight burn in a Buck 81 last night as we had a cold front come in lower 40's, and lit the stove about 10:00 and let if heat up to about 400 and started dampening down the primary, secondaries lit off great. Did not turn on the blower until we were going to bed around 11:00, when I turned the blower on lowest setting you could feel the cooler air moving toward the stove. I do not think we will be able to sit in the living room with the blower on, but heated our 2600 sq ft 1.5 house really well. Got up at 6:45 to a big bed of coals and stovetop 230 through on 3 small splits and let them burn down. Very happy with the Buck.

 

[Bub381]

Free? Gee rub it in, rub it in.lol Happy with this stove but i did look the Buck over.Sounds like a good 1.