Do Those Little Fans Really Work?

[Mass. Wine Guy]

The ones that are mounted on doorframes to help circulate the warm air through the house. I have a new stove that works fine, but I'd love to "share the wealth" with the rest of my home. Are these fans just gimmicks? If not, is there one brand that stands out?

Thanks.

 

[firewarrior820]

seems to work for me 21.95 at lowes

 

[Jfk4th]

Yep they work,
Super-quiet fan is the best I have used. I bought ones from Home Depot and they were too loud.

Northline express is the cheapest:

(broken link removed to http://www.northlineexpress.com/category/fireplace-accessories.asp)

30 dollars each

 

[begreen]

I got better results by using a regular table fan on the floor of the cool area blowing cold air towards the stove. It was quieter and did the job much faster.

 

[arcticcatmatt]

I am very interested in this.

I purchased a few of these from a used air conditioner on ebay
(broken link removed to http://www.northlineexpress.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=5SA-4001)
Not the same exact fan but looks identical and is only loud if you have it on full blast. ITs the same type of fan that is used to cool a coal stoves stoker motor. They go for $5 each used.

Anyways, I have an extra here and I think I am going to wire it up to a typical cheap wall mounted fan rheostat to push air to the end of my house down the hallway.

I seen this one (broken link removed to http://www.northlineexpress.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=5MM-F-10) but I am not paying 52 bucks

Oh.. I found the auction I won on ebay last month for the fans - (broken link removed to http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160284613415)

Anyone have a link to the lowes unit?

 

[gpcollen1]

It depends on what you need and how much air you want to move. And yes, they do work - but if you buy a cheapo, you will hear it. I do not even hear my 75cfm fan.

 

[Jags]

If you have the ability, try the fans at the top of the door blowing hot air into the cool room and then try them at the bottom of the door, pulling the cold air from the cold room. You might be surprised at the results. (hint: it's the same thing that BG was getting to.)

 

[Corey]

In general, yes - you will be surprised how a relatively little amount of air movement (how ever you wish to do it - cold air across the floor or warm air across the ceiling) will really spread the heat.

 

[Henz]

would love to do the low to high method mut my 17month old daughter would get in trouble with a low mounted fan!

 

[n6crv]

Try to find a muffin fan from a old Computer power supply. That is what Northline express is selling with a bracket. You should be able to get one for under 5.00 of might even get one for free. The old fans were 120v not like the new 12v fans. Most were 4" but you might get lucky and find a 3' fan. I use a 3" fan and painted it white and can't hardly tell it is in the door way. The do help alot in moving the heat around. Here is a link to some fans. All you need to do is add the wire.
http://cgi.ebay.com/TWO-ETRI-115-VO...ryZ53297QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Don

 

[Valhalla]

Yep they work,
Super-quiet fan is the best I have used. I bought ones from Home Depot and they were too loud.

Northline express is the cheapest:

(broken link removed to http://www.northlineexpress.com/category/fireplace-accessories.asp)

30 dollars each

JFK,

I just ordered two Super Quiet from NorthlineExpress.

Thanks for tip on the quiet ones!

 

[gpcollen1]

Yep they work,
Super-quiet fan is the best I have used. I bought ones from Home Depot and they were too loud.

Northline express is the cheapest:

(broken link removed to http://www.northlineexpress.com/category/fireplace-accessories.asp)

30 dollars each

JFK,

I just ordered two Super Quiet from NorthlineExpress.

Thanks for tip on the quiet ones!

That's the one I have...nice price.

 

[Jfk4th]

Yep they work,
Super-quiet fan is the best I have used. I bought ones from Home Depot and they were too loud.

Northline express is the cheapest:

(broken link removed to http://www.northlineexpress.com/category/fireplace-accessories.asp)

30 dollars each

JFK,

I just ordered two Super Quiet from NorthlineExpress.

Thanks for tip on the quiet ones!

Yep, I have 2 one on the top for blowing warm air out and one on the bottom, I am still getting a draft into the room so I still need to tweak the fans it seems like. I'll post pics in a new post of what I do and hopefully some of the big guns can help me out

 

[elmoleaf]

Last year I had a tall fan near the stove trying to blow heat down to the cold rooms. Didn't work too well.
This year, I have a small fan on the floor of the cold area blowing towards the stove. Works a hundred times better in warming up those rooms.

 

[cmonSTART]

We own a few of the doorway fans and love them.

 

[woodburn]

They definitely work. Also check out www.smarthome.com

 

[mikepinto65]

Went to the local home depot just today, they have door frame fans for $14! Best deal i've seen so far. Bought two and just put one in....working really nice its moving more heat than i expected

 

[chad3]

I am lucky in my setup for this one area. I have a door and a window that goes into the sun room where the stove is. I put a window fan in the window (that is where they are supposed to go) and push air towards the stove. The doorway will push enough heat into the rest of the house that I can hold up a kleenex up near the door and it will wave in the wind. Now to get a small ceiling fan to push the ton of heat up there down before it goes into the house and I'll be even better.

 

[phil san]

How - Quiet are the "QUIET" fans???

Is it as you can see the movevement of fins but zero on sound. Want for my wood stove area as I can't stand the blowers
on the pellet?

 

[Brian VT]

Went to the local home depot just today, they have door frame fans for $14! Best deal i've seen so far. Bought two and just put one in....working really nice its moving more heat than i expected

Are they quiet ?

 

[arcticcatmatt]

because of this thread I wired one into my door frame tonight. I put a rheostat on it also and have it on 1/2 speed (6 watts). It has been on 2.5 hrs now and raised the temperature in my bedroom 3 degrees (stove is at the other end of the house).

 

[mikepinto65]

Went to the local home depot just today, they have door frame fans for $14! Best deal i've seen so far. Bought two and just put one in....working really nice its moving more heat than i expected

Are they quiet ?

A little loader than anticipated sounds like an oversize refrigerator fan , but I have it set up blowing air from the basement up my stairs so its no bother. I'd say probably to load for a sitting/tv area

**loud, i must have been thing of putting wood in the stove

 

[arcticcatmatt]

I have to revise my post from above. After 3.5 hrs the temp in my room went up 5 degrees!

The temp at one end of my house was 73.5 (stove end) the temp in my bedroom was 71 (it was 66 like it usually is). The little fan is worth it.. I will post pictures when I get back from my little hunting trip. I have to pretty it up.

 

[Valhalla]

The ones I ordered from Northline just arrived.

(broken link removed to http://www.northlineexpress.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=5SA-4001)

They seem to be fine quality and and certainly very quite. Right now I am evaluating the optimum placement in our home.

Thanks for the tip on the Super Quiet brand!

 

[arcticcatmatt]

my fan I rigged up is too loud. I am sick of it already. I went down to home depot and snagged the 15 dollar one they have. I don't want to drill that many holes and the thing hardly moves any air. Thats going back.

I ponied up and ordered the super quiet one you guys are talking about.