Should I or shouldn't I? Should I just see how it goes or is the blower going to reduce wood consumtion and make enough difference to justify the $400 cost? I already have the rear heat shield since I reduced the clearance.
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Yes, get the blower! On every stove I have ever ran a blower makes a much bigger difference than you can imagine. It helps the heat convect better and also helps extract the heat from the stove quicker when you need the heat. Just remember not to start the blower until the stove is up to temp. My T6 has a snapdisk on it that won't start the blower until the stove is up to temp and I would bet the Equinox has one to.
cptoneleg said:
A Bi-metal strip that snaps contacts closed when it heats up and expands. I also have a switch on the blower that allows you to override the disk if you want to.
mhrischuk said:
I've had more than one Hearthstone dealer tell me it was not worth attaching a blower to their soapstone stoves. They recommended blowers for the Bennington, Craftbury, and Shellburne but have said the blower would be a waste of money on the soapstone models.
Also, many here have stated the same thing for the Heritage and the Mansfield. It would most like apply to the Equinox as well.
![[Hearth.com] Blower or not? Equinox.](/talk/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fecx.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F41xPCdN8YUL._SL500_SL160_.jpg&hash=63112f14a7f861e15e849d20b6924e99 "[Hearth.com] Blower or not? Equinox.")
I have a blower on my Mansfield (soapstone) stove. I can tell you what, It has activated twice since I got it..(installed 2 days ago 
) It seems already to make a difference in shoulder season, at least for me and my setup.
Shawn
) It seems already to make a difference in shoulder season, at least for me and my setup.Shawn
shawneyboy said:I have a blower on my Mansfield (soapstone) stove. I can tell you what, It has activated twice since I got it..(installed 2 days ago
Shawn
I'm with you Shawn I think blowers are great when it's cold as they move the heated air much better.. I ran a blower on my CDW for many years and swear by them...
Ray
I can't comment on having a blower, since my Mansfield does not have one. That said, I'm happy with 2 small table fans, pushing cold air toward the stove from two different areas of the house - seems to move the air just fine and evens out the house temps. I don't think I'd spend $400 on a blower - nothing seems to need fixing. You could always try the stove without the blower, and see how it performs - if you think it is worthwhile later, install the blower (I assume a retrofit wouldnt' be too tough). Last thought: $400?!! Holy Cow! Cheers!
I do not want to listen to a blower. I would not want to spend $400 for what I do not want to listen to. I have a small silent Vornado fan that I sometimes aim such that it blows air past the stove. Mostly, I just use the Hunter ceiling fan in reverse which does a heck of a job moving the air around in my stove room, and due to openings, the rest of the house.
If I was burning my stove all the time a blower probably wouldn't be necessary but it is usually quite cold inside cabin when I get there (high 30's). I need the help of the blower to push the heat out quicker. Cabin is small so I like have the integrated blower as it won't take up additional space.
$400 does seem steep for a blower on your Equinox. I think the Lopi model blowers retail at $275 and they often give them away for free in promotions.
$400 does seem steep for a blower on your Equinox. I think the Lopi model blowers retail at $275 and they often give them away for free in promotions.
I would try it for a season before making the decision. With two big heaters in the house a blower on the big rock may be gilding the lily.
I would duggest getting the blower. I went years without one, and finally put one on my PE half way through last winter. It has made a huge difference in dispersing the heat both more evenly, and quickly.
I had a blower on my last stove, a Lopi Freedom Bay insert (big stove) and it worked fine but was noisy. These blowers are almost all squirrel cage blowers and are rattley, noisy, humming monsters that bother you with their noise in hopes of creating more convective heat. Well guess what? the stone stoves are all radiant heaters. They are meant to heat by radiation and do it quite nicely.
If you get that EQ up around 550 you will be making major btus without the addition of an overpriced blower. I do not use the blower on my heritage, though I do have the rear heatshield, and the stove heats very well per Hearthstone's specifications.
Stove blowers are like ash pans. Not a good idea but the marketing department seems to think they must be available.
If your stove can't do the job without a blower then you need a bigger stove.
If you get that EQ up around 550 you will be making major btus without the addition of an overpriced blower. I do not use the blower on my heritage, though I do have the rear heatshield, and the stove heats very well per Hearthstone's specifications.
Stove blowers are like ash pans. Not a good idea but the marketing department seems to think they must be available.
If your stove can't do the job without a blower then you need a bigger stove.
Highbeam said:
HB I respect your opinion but disagree as I feel convection stoves are designed to move air and I did just that for a very long time.. I found while the fans can get noisy the stove worked best when the blower ran.. In fact it was more efficient as my house was definitely warmer and the heat more uniform.. I agree there will be natural convection but feel the heat moves much better with a little boost.. One other big advantage the room where the stove resided was more comfortable with reduced radiant heat.. Personally I do not like radiant heat if it is too strong that is why I use convection stoves..
My 2 cents..
Ray
The Equinox is a radiant stove. It's a big hot rock.
For room to room temperature swings a ceiling fan is a superior tool, nearly silent too.
For room to room temperature swings a ceiling fan is a superior tool, nearly silent too.
Whether a blower will be needed or not depends on the context. Some installations really benefit from them and others not so much. This is mostly because some room layouts convect naturally very well and others simply do not. In a ranch style layout, with the stove at right angles to the rest of the floorplan, I would expect that a fan blowing into the stove room would be more effective than one on the stove, but I could be wrong.
Simple heat transfer equation is defined as:
q = k A dT / s
where
A = heat transfer area (m2, ft2)
k = thermal conductivity of the material (W/m.K or W/m °C, Btu/(hr °F ft2/ft))
dT = temperature difference across the material (K or C, F)
s = material thickness (m, ft)
Basically every material has a specific thermal conductivity and the greater the temperature difference between the two sides of the material the faster it will conduct heat from one surface to the other. That being said it completely depends on how much heat your blower is able to pull off the surface of the stove and change the temperature difference between the firebox and the outside surface of the stove. In some stove designs it may be very negligable however others such as the Dutchwest which I am familiar with it was very noticeable. Allright now who on hearth.com is up for taking all the IR measurements so we can get some hard numbers to throw in this equation (Not It)
After sayin all that I thought I would add that I don't always run my blower. In fact about the only time it runs is when it falls below 30 outside at which point it runs full time. I think the next thing we should discuss is whether it is cost effective to run the blower or not with the extra electricity costs :lol:
q = k A dT / s
where
A = heat transfer area (m2, ft2)
k = thermal conductivity of the material (W/m.K or W/m °C, Btu/(hr °F ft2/ft))
dT = temperature difference across the material (K or C, F)
s = material thickness (m, ft)
Basically every material has a specific thermal conductivity and the greater the temperature difference between the two sides of the material the faster it will conduct heat from one surface to the other. That being said it completely depends on how much heat your blower is able to pull off the surface of the stove and change the temperature difference between the firebox and the outside surface of the stove. In some stove designs it may be very negligable however others such as the Dutchwest which I am familiar with it was very noticeable. Allright now who on hearth.com is up for taking all the IR measurements so we can get some hard numbers to throw in this equation (Not It)
After sayin all that I thought I would add that I don't always run my blower. In fact about the only time it runs is when it falls below 30 outside at which point it runs full time. I think the next thing we should discuss is whether it is cost effective to run the blower or not with the extra electricity costs :lol:
certified106 said:Simple heat transfer equation is defined as:
q = k A dT / s
where
A = heat transfer area (m2, ft2)
k = thermal conductivity of the material (W/m.K or W/m °C, Btu/(hr °F ft2/ft))
dT = temperature difference across the material (K or C, F)
s = material thickness (m, ft)
Basically every material has a specific thermal conductivity and the greater the temperature difference between the two sides of the material the faster it will conduct heat from one surface to the other. That being said it completely depends on how much heat your blower is able to pull off the surface of the stove and change the temperature difference between the firebox and the outside surface of the stove. In some stove designs it may be very negligable however others such as the Dutchwest which I am familiar with it was very noticeable. Allright now who on hearth.com is up for taking all the IR measurements so we can get some hard numbers to throw in this equation (Not It)
Cert,
As you know I too had a CDW and the blower made a huge difference with that stove.. How much difference do you notice with the T-6? Do you find it makes the room where the stove resides more comfortable due to reduced radiant heat? I think the T-5 and T-6 use the same blower so the results may differ a bit due to stove size differences..
Ray
Ray, I just put the thing on a week or two ago after looking at it all summer long so it's hard to say. I will say that I could definitely feel it pushing the heat out of the front of the stove when it was on and man the blower is WAY quieter than I am used to, on medium I have to strain to hear it running and that is awesome in my book.
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