Power insert blower during power outage?

[trueg50]

I have a Pacific Energy Vista insert, and while power in my area is very stable, I have been thinking about options to power the blower in the event of a power outage.

What are other Fireplace insert owners doing in the event of a power outage? Run without the blower? Small electronics UPS?

 

[begreen]

Your stove will be ok running without the blower. It won't put out as much heat, but this insert convects naturally fairly well. It would take a large UPS to keep the blower running for hours.

 

[Ben Stark]

You’ll get some nice radiant heat even without the blower. Stove will be fine without it. I rarely use the blower and the insert keeps half my house well above 70 degrees even when the power fails.

 

[velvetfoot]

My insert doesn't seem that great without the blower, but I hate to push high temperatures.

A small generator, maybe inverter, can be helpful. Even 2000 watts can run the main heating system if it's not electric, refrigerator, freezer, maybe not all at the same time. The house can be lit up like a Christmas tree with led lighting. Maybe watch TV, web, etc. Just watch the consumption.

I'm usually pretty lazy and have a tendency to wait out the short outages rather than drag out even the little generator and hook it up. Last small outage I did, however, and life was a lot more civilized.

 

[jetsam]

You can get a deep cycle battery and in inverter for under $150, and that will run your blower for a day or three. You still have to charge the battery somehow after that.

You can get a 100w TEG and an inverter for under $1000, and that will run the fan and some other stuff for as long as the stove is hot. Some wiring and plumbing required.

If you're spending $1000, you could also be powering the whole house with a generator. Some math, preparation, and wiring required at this price point.

You can also get a small portable generator and some extension cords for under $500. No wiring, power only available via extension cord.

You can get a little stovetop TEGfan for $30+, but in your particular case it looks like the insert is too flush for that to work without a fabricated base.

 

[schwaggly]

Buy a cheap generator at harbor freight. $105 for 2stoke model, $289 for decent 4 stroke model. You cannot use 20% coupons but 2stroke goes for $89 occasionally.
And remember: A generator is the biggest waste of money, until you need it.

 

[jetsam]

I wouldn't wish an $89 harbor freight generator on my enemies....

 

[jscs.moore]

I have a Pacific Energy Vista insert, and while power in my area is very stable, I have been thinking about options to power the blower in the event of a power outage.

What are other Fireplace insert owners doing in the event of a power outage? Run without the blower? Small electronics UPS?

I agree with most poster here that your insert will still radiate heat pretty well without the blower. I did purchase the large camframo eco fan last season and used it during a power outage in a snow storm. I actually thought it moved the heat throughout the down stairs of my home fairly well. I purchased a second eco-fan this winter season and did a test on a bitter cold day about a month ago. I turned the blower off and just ran the two eco-fans on top of my insert. I was able to keep the whole down stairs about 73 and the upstairs about 69/70. Eco-fans seems to get a lot of negative reviews on this site as just gimmick or novelty conversation piece for visitors. I honestly believe they work pretty well for moving heat throughout my home.
Bottom line is the DO NOT equal the insert fan's ability to move heat and they are expensive...but I wouldn't just dismiss them out of hand as many do on this site. I think they are a viable way to move heat during a power outage especially if you don't have a generator to get your insert fan running.

 

[weatherguy]

My insert did ok when I lost power for a week, family room was 70s and upstairs bedrooms were 60's, certainly livable but not as comfortable with the blower. I slept in the family room that week.

 

[jetsam]

I agree with most poster here that your insert will still radiate heat pretty well without the blower. I did purchase the large camframo eco fan last season and used it during a power outage in a snow storm. I actually thought it moved the heat throughout the down stairs of my home fairly well. I purchased a second eco-fan this winter season and did a test on a bitter cold day about a month ago. I turned the blower off and just ran the two eco-fans on top of my insert. I was able to keep the whole down stairs about 73 and the upstairs about 69/70. Eco-fans seems to get a lot of negative reviews on this site as just gimmick or novelty conversation piece for visitors. I honestly believe they work pretty well for moving heat throughout my home.
Bottom line is the DO NOT equal the insert fan's ability to move heat and they are expensive...but I wouldn't just dismiss them out of hand as many do on this site. I think they are a viable way to move heat during a power outage especially if you don't have a generator to get your insert fan running.

They're not all expensive. I paid $30 for mine, planning to take it apart and make it into a stovetop light fixture. I liked the fan so well that I didn't take it apart, and it's running right now.

 

[mellow]

Get a killawatt so you can know how much power your blower uses on low so you can size the UPS. I sized mine to run for a couple hours to give me time to get the generator going.

 

[jetsam]

My insert did ok when I lost power for a week, family room was 70s and upstairs bedrooms were 60's, certainly livable but not as comfortable with the blower. I slept in the family room that week.

Because the bedrooms were in the 60s, or.... ?

 

[velvetfoot]

I have a soft spot in my heart for the Harbor Freight two stroker. I will say that it'll make your motors sing funny tubes, lol.

 

[UrbanBrnr]

You can get a deep cycle battery and in inverter for under $150, and that will run your blower for a day or three. You still have to charge the battery somehow after that.

You can get a 100w TEG and an inverter for under $1000, and that will run the fan and some other stuff for as long as the stove is hot. Some wiring and plumbing required.

If you're spending $1000, you could also be powering the whole house with a generator. Some math, preparation, and wiring required at this price point.

You can also get a small portable generator and some extension cords for under $500. No wiring, power only available via extension cord.

You can get a little stovetop TEGfan for $30+, but in your particular case it looks like the insert is too flush for that to work without a fabricated base.

Link for a 100 watt TEG?

 

[jetsam]

Link for a 100 watt TEG?

Sorry, I can't post links since the last forum software update. Sometimes it auto links URLs though.
Let it be noted that you can get a 350-400w solar panel for about half the price.

Also, I wasn't kidding about the plumbing.

Manufacturer: http://www.devilwatt.com/products/2...g-stove-water-cooled-thermoelectric-generator

Reseller: https://www.tegmart.com/thermoelectric-generators/wood-stove-water-cooled-100w-teg

Note 24v matched load output, so the inverter you have in the closet probably won't work. Plan on spending another $150ish there.

 

[Dataman]

I have Inverter for my Pellet Stove (AIMS 1250) with two 100ah Batteries. Good for about 12 hours run time. 135w normal wattage. Big Downside is batteries don't last like Generator. I plan on Propane Inverter Generator. I already have 7k Generator. For Pump and lights

 

[sweedish]

Link for a 100 watt TEG?

I will admit these seem really cool. I’m not sure how the would work on my insert though.

 

[begreen]

Sorry, I can't post links since the last forum software update. Sometimes it auto links URLs though.
Let it be noted that you can get a 350-400w solar panel for about half the price.

Also, I wasn't kidding about the plumbing.

Manufacturer: http://www.devilwatt.com/products/2...g-stove-water-cooled-thermoelectric-generator

Reseller: https://www.tegmart.com/thermoelectric-generators/wood-stove-water-cooled-100w-teg

Note 24v matched load output, so the inverter you have in the closet probably won't work. Plan on spending another $150ish there.

Possible, but not cheap.

 

[jetsam]

Possible, but not cheap.

Yeah, a solar panel and a deep cycle battery is cheaper and probably makes more power, and doesn't need a water line to the stove.

There is something to be said for a teg if it rains all week, though you could probably get into a tiny wind turbine for somewhere around that price.

If you already have a generator that you use at say a 30% or 50% duty cycle when power is out, just charge your deep cycle battery when the generator runs and let it run your stove fan/aquarium/whatnot when the generator is off.

 

[rwhite]

If you go the generator route dont settle for anything but a 4 stroke. I've even seen good results with the Harbor Frieght ones. The cheap 2 strokes are good gifts for a brother in law you dont like. If they run it's never the same twice. I can leave my Honda with the same gas in it for a year and it will start up in a pull or 2.

 

[EJL923]

Thread resurrected! my harbor freight 2 stroke broke after about an hour. I went out and bought a honda 2000 watt inverter. I went this route because it supplies clean power for electronics, runs for 10 hrs on a gallon at low load, and can be used for camping and other outdoor activities. It was purchased after a 7 day power outage. During this, i ran an inverter off my truck. Havent had an outage since, save for 1 hr of usage during what i thought would be a longer outage. thing is, be truthful about your needs. I can run my fridge, my insert blowers, and various electronics with an efficient generator. I cant run my well, but i keep emergency water. Most outages are less than a day, i keep 5 days water. During that 7 day outage, my coworker could run everything in his house, but burned through 10-14 gallons or more of gas a day, plus the noise. Thats an extreme situation for long term. I dont have kids, so take that into consideration.

And about the insert the OP had i see it is flush, my flush insert could warm the immediate room without blowers, but not much else. With blowers i could heat most of the 2300 sq ft house. I could also only burn a couple logs at a time, or risk overheating the stove.

 

[Sodbuster]

As soon as I can afford it, I'm going to install a whole house generator. In the Spring or even Winter when we get a heavy rain or fast thaw, my sump pump runs every 15-20 seconds. I can't be without power for long. If I'm on vacation I can't relax because my daughter usually watches the house but works nights.

 

[jetsam]

As soon as I can afford it, I'm going to install a whole house generator. In the Spring or even Winter when we get a heavy rain or fast thaw, my sump pump runs every 15-20 seconds. I can't be without power for long. If I'm on vacation I can't relax because my daughter usually watches the house but works nights.

I bought a medium sized portable gas generac for one hurricane or the other. I later paid about $200 for parts to convert it to propane, maybe $100 for an inlet box, interlock kit, and wiring. Now it runs the whole house for a total cost of under $1500, and it runs off the big house propane tank so I don't even know how long I could run it if I had to. I do lose the electric dryer (I shut the breaker off so nobody tries to run it. I COULD use it, but I'd need to manage what else was being used in the house at the time.)

Propane conversion is pretty painless (one hole in the carb bowl, and you hang a regulator on the frame). It derates the generator ~20%, but it's oh so worth it. You should also untie the ground and common from each other at the generator for this application.

 

[Sodbuster]

I bought a medium sized portable gas generac for one hurricane or the other. I later paid about $200 for parts to convert it to propane, maybe $100 for an inlet box, interlock kit, and wiring. Now it runs the whole house for a total cost of under $1500, and it runs off the big house propane tank so I don't even know how long I could run it if I had to. I do lose the electric dryer (I shut the breaker off so nobody tries to run it. I COULD use it, but I'd need to manage what else was being used in the house at the time.)

Propane conversion is pretty painless (one hole in the carb bowl, and you hang a regulator on the frame). It derates the generator ~20%, but it's oh so worth it. You should also untie the ground and common from each other at the generator for this application.

I appreciate the input Jetsam, I assume they make the same kit for NG? My only concern I need a system that will recognize that the power is out, and then turn itself on. I already have a back up pump mounted higher in the sump pit and a spare sitting next to the sump. I never realized how much it could run until we had a very rapid thaw one spring. I remember back in the day, you could tell if your power was out by calling your home number and if the answering machine picked up you had power

 

[burning VC]

New guy says...

Eco-fan.... it's a heat sink, that powers it's own fan...


Or design your on Peltier Module powered fan..
(Peltier Effect)

Thermoelectric Cooling... it's cool sciency-wiency stuff...