Insert Blower Question?

[Benny4117]

Purchased my first wood stove insert this past summer and thought i was purchasing the insert as shown in the showroom at the dealers. Once installer shows up turned out blower was optional and there is additional fee. I have not purchased blower as of yet still. Stove puts out good heat and the installer as well as others online state that the blower really only effectively circulates air the 8-10 immediately in front of the stove. However i read many folks stating that they need it to heat whole house and the difference b/t heat with and without using the blower is night and day.

I was hoping some of you experienced burners can weigh-in.......do i need to purchase the blower for my insert??

 

[webby3650]

The difference is night and day! In order to heat a large area, the blower is necessary.

The blower should be standard, not an option. That's ridiculous. It should be your option to not get the blower.
Some dealers list the door, legs and the blowers as "options"on all their stoves. When in fact you need a door and legs, why not simply list it with the basics? The price can go up from there. They do this to keep there "advertised" price down, but it's deceptive.

 

[PLAYS WITH FIRE]

I would and did! My masonry sucks up a lot of heat and the blower gets it out into the room. Don't know how it would perform without it because I never tried it. I would think not so well...

 

[Benny4117]

The blower should be standard, not an option. That's ridiculous. It should be your option to not get the blower. Some dealers list the door, legs and the blowers as "options"on all their stoves. When in fact you need a door and legs, why not simply list it with the basics? The price can go up from there. They do this to keep there "advertised" price down, but it's deceptive.​

I agree.....the brochure does clearly state as optional.....but what kills me is that the salemen made no mention of that. You would think he would want to try and upsell on anything he could. It never crossed my mind when purchasing the insert that the blower was not included in the purchase price

 

[webby3650]

I agree.....the brochure does clearly state as optional.....but what kills me is that the salemen made no mention of that. You would think he would want to try and upsell on anything he could. It never crossed my mind when purchasing the insert that the blower was not included in the purchase price

That would be due to his lack of experience or lack of enthusiasm of his job. Either way, it's a racket.

 

[Jon1270]

the installer as well as others online state that the blower really only effectively circulates air the 8-10 immediately in front of the stove.

This is true but beside the point. The blower isn't forceful enough to create a breeze that could be felt at any distance. That's not what it's for. What it does do is push heat out into the room that would otherwise be lost to the masonry and/or other uninsulated surfaces behind the surround. Heck, even with the blower, an insert can lose a lot of heat out the back. I know mine does.

 

[mellow]

All the more reason to insulate your fireplace. I can't see not running mine without a blower, I would be worried about overfires.

 

[PLAYS WITH FIRE]

This is true but beside the point. The blower isn't forceful enough to create a breeze that could be felt at any distance. That's not what it's for. What it does do is push heat out into the room that would otherwise be lost to the masonry and/or other uninsulated surfaces behind the surround. Heck, even with the blower, an insert can lose a lot of heat out the back. I know mine does.

I agree 100%! I am in the spring going to pull my insert, insulate, cover with sheet metal, install offset box that I had welded for tightness, and then put stove back in. The offset will extend the stove 12"+ on to the hearth. The reason I am doing this is when outside, i can feel the warmth on the outside masonry...Me no likey! I want all the heat I can get into the house.

 

[danham]

During our recent storm, when the power went out, no blower. Our insert performed pretty well, though I did slide the back panel of the surround up and out to allow more heat to rise off the top of the stove and come into the room.

But I have a lot of Roxul on my smoke shelf, behind my stove, and on top if it, so this may have helped. I did all that because we have an outside chimney and my IR gun verified that we were heating the driveway [g].

-dan

 

[yukiginger]

You don't need to purchase the blower but it will make a huge difference. I recommend putting a small fan in front of the stove to push air in the inlet area that would be used by the blower. This, while not as effective, will circulate air where the blower would and out the top/sides (however it is designed). You should notice a difference in heat output.

Most inserts (and many stoves) are designed for "tight" clearances, meaning there is some sort of heat shield on much of the stove/insert body. For inserts this is basically a jacket through which air can be circulated. If you aren't actively pushing air through it you will not get the full heat output from the appliance. Have you ever opened your oven door after cooking to let some of the hot air escape and help heat the room? Do you think the same effect would hold if you left the door shut? This is an exaggeration of the same effect, since the oven is designed to hold heat, but the principle holds.

I hate having to use the blower on my insert and if I had to do it over again I would have made a large stove fit inside my fireplace, make sure it was a "high clearance" model (meaning no jacket to it) and then used a regular room fan to push air past the fireplace and stove. This would be much quieter than an insert blower and just as effective (and much cheaper to replace; you have noticed the price on the "fan" you are considering, right?).

You also don't say how large your house is and when you've been running the insert. I live outside Rochester - not far from you - and know the winter here. If you have been getting by without it when we've had the real cold spells than you may do just fine without it, but I promise you a blower will enable much more heat output.

 

[Jon1270]

I recommend putting a small fan in front of the stove to push air in the inlet area that would be used by the blower.

My insert's combustion air intakes (primary & secondary) are just inside the same opening that the blower pulls from.

 

[yukiginger]

My insert's combustion air intakes (primary & secondary) are just inside the same opening that the blower pulls from.

I'm not sure what this has to do with my suggestion or the OP's questions. I recommended that he try a room fan as a test to see if he would notice more heat output from his insert. I also doubt pushing room air into any opening using a standard room fan would create much additional pressure into any air feed openings, but I'm no scientist. Of course, the stove operator should always maintain control over their appliance to make sure it operates normally and safely.

 

[Jon1270]

I also doubt pushing room air into any opening using a standard room fan would create much additional pressure into any air feed openings,

Well, that was my concern. Whether it's a real issue or not probably depends on the particular design of the stove.

 

[webby3650]

I recommend putting a small fan in front of the stove to push air in the inlet area that would be used by the blower.

I'm not sure what this has to do with my suggestion or the OP's questions. I recommended that he try a room fan as a test to see if he would notice more heat output from his insert. I also doubt pushing room air into any opening using a standard room fan would create much additional pressure into any air feed openings, but I'm no scientist. Of course, the stove operator should always maintain control over their appliance to make sure it operates normally and safely.

If the fan isn't made for the insert, it shouldn't be used. It definitely could direct air into the primary air intake. Just get the one intended for this purpose, you will not be sorry.

 

[Benny4117]

You also don't say how large your house is and when you've been running the insert. I live outside Rochester - not far from you - and know the winter here. If you have been getting by without it when we've had the real cold spells than you may do just fine without it, but I promise you a blower will enable much more heat output.​

The house is almost 1900 sq ft.....The stove due to location, does not do a very good job with the whole house overall. The stove room and adjoining kitchen stays warm but thats about it. I have a 2 story colonial with a side room that connects the main house and garage (basically instead of a two car garage i have a 1 car and that extra space is a room with higher ceilings.) The insert is in that room (with no "house" above it), and only one doorway to rest of the house. I have been basically burning just on weekends and leaving the door to stove room closed during the week when not in use, since this location does do much in terms of heating the whole house( I knew going into this that it would be tough to heat house ) I will be putting in a level to level ventilator/fan thru the wall, up by the peak and try and get that warm air that gets trapped up there in t0 the upstairs of the house.

 

[Benny4117]

also i know windows in house a very drafty and actually having energy audit done next week. I get strong flow of cold air coming down the stairs from the upstairs bedrooms when fire is going......but the heat from the stove just isnt enough to heat upstairs and the far side of the house. So i am hoping with the previoulsy mentioned level to level fan (and also a thru wall fan from stove room to ground level of house) to get the air circulating thru house a lil better. Also debating about buying free standing stove for other side of the house as well.

 

[Jon1270]

If you've got leaky windows and poor insulation, then fixing those issues will probably give you a lot more bang for the buck than a second stove will.