Just got the stove in the spring and have been using it the last several weeks. CAT has finally "calmed down" and it's no longer doing a 360 in the temp gauge and is a lot more predictable and stable after a few weeks of burning. But one thing I swear is happening is if I turn on the fan kit, burn times are noticeably reduced. Am I crazy or is this really a thing? If so, it doesn't seem to make sense to turn the fan on, even if I'm matching the fan speed to the thermostat setting because turning the fan on just makes the burn times way less, aiming the stove way less efficient and means I have to reload more often.
Reduced burn times with fan kit on?
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That would be correct; the fan cools down the stove. The thermostat then "thinks" less heat is being produced and opens up the air.
So only use the fan if you need more BTU per hour than you can get without a fan running.
So only use the fan if you need more BTU per hour than you can get without a fan running.
Had no idea about that. If I did I probably wouldn't have added it as a feature along with the useless ash pan! Otherwise, the stove is awesome.
You can run it with the fan off, right? I didn't see anything in the manual about having to run it. I just ordered my Princess 32 and the shop strongly encouraged me to get the fan kit, which I did. But I was thinking I could run it without the fan unless I need it.
Of course you can run it with the fan off. Probably wouldn't have had it added on though if I knew it reduced the burn time is all.
Another thing I noticed is despite having the fan on, I didn't notice any improvement in circulation of the warm air to the more distal areas of the house, so for me the fan really offers no noticeable benefit.
It's still useful for situations where you are maxing out the heat output; cooling down the stove with the fan (leading to the thermostat remaining open longer) will put more heat into the room than if the fan was not on.
Reduced burn times just means more BTUs per hour shed. And if your flue temps remain the same or are lower it means more BTUs per hour shed *into your room*. So it does have a benefit in situations where you run at full bore.
Also it may help move heat farther away if directed in the right direction (is what some folks say; I do't have a fan so I can't say and I have my doubts given the turbulence (mixing) created by a fan).
I do notice it. Of course, it won't reach the bedroom three hallways away, but it distributes better than with the fan off (I do have the ceiling fan on as well)
But since I usually only require a lot less than maximum output, I mostly place the fan on "low". That still helps.
I have the fans and they are off more than 99% of the time. I use them when I need max output or when it is bitter cold outside I think the extra volume of heated air travels to the far corners slightly better.
I think if I could go back in time I might not buy the fans. I really enjoy silent heat.
I think if I could go back in time I might not buy the fans. I really enjoy silent heat.
Me, too. But on low they are really only audible if you listen closely.
TV's on? No biggie.
Reading a book? Maybe so.
I agree, the fans on high make quite a racket. Nature of the beast.
They are pretty quiet for stove fans and if folks notice a difference in wood consumption then that proves that they are effective.
I also am convinced that some houses are built to better make use of the larger amount of warm air produced by the fans vs. a lesser amount of hotter air.
I have a set of standard fans on my shop stove and in that environment where I want max output all the time the fans are always used. You get used to the noise.
At times it nice to have the fan cool the stove down if it get a bit too hot. I have mine plugged into a smart plug so when I leave the house with the fan running. I just say, "Alexa turn off fan in one hour". Or set the plug to turn off the fan at some point during the night.
In the recent past, on my princess ultra, the BK fans were equipped with a device to only turn the fans on when the stove got hot and the fans shut back off as the stove cooled.
anybody have an issue where you turn the fan on and it just hums like its trying to spin but doesn't actually turn the fan on? I just installed a fan kit and it doesn't seem to work correctly. It only blows air on wide open throttle on the fan knob, anything less than that it just tires to spin but just hums
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