Does anyone use a fan on top of their unit?

[shtrdave]

I have mine hooked to a thermostat, it is usually in manual mode so it burns with a small flame continuously through the winter. I rarely have it cycle the stove off and then restart with the igniter. So it is always hot on the top of it. I just checked mine is about 210 on the top.

Does anyone use on of those fans like people use on wood stoves to circulate air? I really like the WarpFive Stirling engine fans, but most of them start at close 250, I am not sure how well they would run when it dropped to 210. The Thermo electric type fans seem to run or start at 140 or so. Plus they are far cheaper than a Warpfive.

Just curious if anyone has used one on top of theirs or not, and how it may have worked?

I have even thought about a small computer type fan to help move some of the warm air from the stove, that just radiates off of it.

 

[Washed-Up]

I have one but I really think it’s just a novelty…it came with one of the Harman P61’s I refurbished

 

[Pelleting In NJ]

I use a large Vornado fan...those expensive novelty fans don't move much air.
I added a thermostatic disc switch inside the stove to turn the Vornado fan on/off automatically.
This works well to help heat my 3400 sq foot house......the downstairs half is pretty well heated by this 44,000 BTU stove.

 

[shtrdave]

that would be a good idea, to run a small fan.
Can you give me some idea of how you have yours done, where you take your temp from and on or off temp?

 

[mtnbiker727]

I bought a $20 fan at hardware store. I turn it on when I turn the stove on, and off when I turn it off. My mother-in-law bought one of those heat fan things, because she thought I needed it... it spins, but if you hold your hand in front of it, it's not actually blowing any air, it's more like a pinwheel.

I'd also like to hear more about the thermostatic disc switch...

 

[shtrdave]

I think I may need to go down that youtube rabbit hole and try to find some videos on wiring one up. I will link one if I find a good one.

 

[zrock]

Just look for a temperature controlled plug easy and they work great... At my last job i used one in the shop for the wood stove and once the temp around the stove hit my set point it would kick the fan in...

 

[Ssyko]

Amazon product ASIN B004ULWN6E

 

[Pelleting In NJ]

Yes, that type of magnetic stick-on thermo-switch is what I used, wired in series with the line cord of the fan. I attached the switch to an internal steel frame section near the firebox. Be carefull that you don't place it on the firebox itself, as that will get too hot and destroy the switch.

Amazon product ASIN B07W5YQXCP

 

[shtrdave]

so something like this for the temp controlled switch.

 

[zrock]

yep.. that will work... Mine did not have the external probe. It was something we had laying around the shop.. I think the owner got it from a feed store or something for keeping the water dishes from freezing,,