I have a review and a problem. Feedback first.
![[Hearth.com] Drolet 1800i Feedback and Blower Failure](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/294/294925-526700fc3b8ce383b55eef9aa6d935d4.jpg?hash=pkIYihvgMg "[Hearth.com] Drolet 1800i Feedback and Blower Failure")
Review: I bought the Drolet 1800i in 2020, but it sat in my living room for a year before installing. Finally it was installed early this year, and I've loved it. It heats my whole house, and I can pack it to last most of the night. The installation didn't go smoothly... the fireplace opening/fire box were plenty big enough, but the position of the damper was such that I had to push the stove so far back as to not be able to use the faceplate. We bent the insulated liner as appropriate, but also had to smoosh it into an oval to fit through. But there is considerable clearance around the stove. I actually was hoping I could find someone to take down the fireplace facade because it is really oversized... but then we realized that the bricks cover a steel firebox. This doesn't bother me really, except that I had hoped in a power outage, I could at least boil a pot of water on top, though it's a narrow top. A friend is going to make me a shelf that I can use to fill that task, since power outages seem to be multiple times per year in the Fall and Winter. Otherwise, I have no complaints. The stove burns wonderfully. I love the glass, it's self cleaning if a piece of wood has bark or might be a bit green, but most of my wood is exceptionally dry, and came from a forest fire... My only real complaint about operation, similar to other reviews, is that the control bar has no measurements on it. I open it if I am adding wood to embers, and crack open the door, and fires light right up. I dampen all the way at bed time, or once a good ambient room temperature is established, and that way keep a glowing fire instead of a roaring one. But it would be lovely to have some sort of notches on that bar that are helpful for remembering optimum openings.
Problem: The blower, however, began to be quite noisy within less than 3 months. So two days ago, I opened it up, vacuumed it out, then also realized I could tip it upside down and let dust and ash fall out through the opening in the back. I have a very dusty house, between my dirt road, wood burning, dogs, dirt yard, and the beach across the street, so rendered by low lake levels this time of year. Everything gets a coating of dust and needs constant wiping down. Fans and air filters need continuous cleaning. After cleaning the blower, it doesn't work. What might I have knocked? I know there is a heat sensor. I know there is power. Does anyone have any guidance on this before I end up replacing it? The blower is essential to heating the whole house. There won't be tremendous need the rest of the year, but we are still having nights below freezing, so I'm running a fire to heat the house back up in the morning and while I'm working, and by afternoon, I let the fire die out.
Review: I bought the Drolet 1800i in 2020, but it sat in my living room for a year before installing. Finally it was installed early this year, and I've loved it. It heats my whole house, and I can pack it to last most of the night. The installation didn't go smoothly... the fireplace opening/fire box were plenty big enough, but the position of the damper was such that I had to push the stove so far back as to not be able to use the faceplate. We bent the insulated liner as appropriate, but also had to smoosh it into an oval to fit through. But there is considerable clearance around the stove. I actually was hoping I could find someone to take down the fireplace facade because it is really oversized... but then we realized that the bricks cover a steel firebox. This doesn't bother me really, except that I had hoped in a power outage, I could at least boil a pot of water on top, though it's a narrow top. A friend is going to make me a shelf that I can use to fill that task, since power outages seem to be multiple times per year in the Fall and Winter. Otherwise, I have no complaints. The stove burns wonderfully. I love the glass, it's self cleaning if a piece of wood has bark or might be a bit green, but most of my wood is exceptionally dry, and came from a forest fire... My only real complaint about operation, similar to other reviews, is that the control bar has no measurements on it. I open it if I am adding wood to embers, and crack open the door, and fires light right up. I dampen all the way at bed time, or once a good ambient room temperature is established, and that way keep a glowing fire instead of a roaring one. But it would be lovely to have some sort of notches on that bar that are helpful for remembering optimum openings.Problem: The blower, however, began to be quite noisy within less than 3 months. So two days ago, I opened it up, vacuumed it out, then also realized I could tip it upside down and let dust and ash fall out through the opening in the back. I have a very dusty house, between my dirt road, wood burning, dogs, dirt yard, and the beach across the street, so rendered by low lake levels this time of year. Everything gets a coating of dust and needs constant wiping down. Fans and air filters need continuous cleaning. After cleaning the blower, it doesn't work. What might I have knocked? I know there is a heat sensor. I know there is power. Does anyone have any guidance on this before I end up replacing it? The blower is essential to heating the whole house. There won't be tremendous need the rest of the year, but we are still having nights below freezing, so I'm running a fire to heat the house back up in the morning and while I'm working, and by afternoon, I let the fire die out.
