Use of blower in Insert

[HappyCamperMan]

Does the speed (low, medium, or high) of the blower setting affect the temperature of the insert? In other words, is it better to run the fan on low versus high to avoid drawing the heat out of the stove and cooling it down and to keep a more constant temperature in the insert? Of course, running the fan on high will warm a room quicker but I'm wondering what the best operation is for a longer burn? Does it even matter?

 

[HappyCamperMan]

Does the speed (low, medium, or high) of the blower setting affect the temperature of the insert? In other words, is it better to run the fan on low versus high to avoid drawing the heat out of the stove and cooling it down and to keep a more constant temperature in the insert? Of course, running the fan on high will warm a room quicker but I'm wondering what the best operation is for a longer burn? Does it even matter?

Sorry....just realized I put this in the wrong forum. I will move it.

 

[jatoxico]

Yes it does matter since if you run the blower too early or too hard you can lower the box temp too much. If the insert is too cold you can't (or will delay) the ability to achieve the temps needed get a hot, clean burn.

I have a flush mount insert and if I'm around I vary fan speed throughout the burn. I try to keep temp above 450. At a high peak (>600) I will run it near max. As temps drop I lower the fan. If burning down I will put on very low or off once temps get <300.

Varying speed is probably less essential for insert that extends onto the hearth but I think you could still over-cool by running the fan too hard/early.

 

[Dmitry]

It definitely affects quality and time of burn. I try to use blower as low as I can to burn hotter and achive good secondaries and clean burn. If it's getting to hot of a fire I can always bring it down with blower working at highest setting.
It takes longer to heat the room but it worth it.

 

[paul bunion]

If your insert is built like any that I have seen it has firebrick around the sides and an insulating blanket above the secondaries. It also probably has an on/off snap thermostat that will kick the fan in only when the stove hits cruising temperature. As such a the majority of the heat exchange is done post combustion. No matter what you do the blower has close to zero impact on your burn. So don't sweat it.

You are regulating the burn with the primary air intake, not the speed of the squirrel cage.

 

[jatoxico]

No matter what you do the blower has close to zero impact on your burn.

Completely disagree. I can drop the temp of my stove with the fans big time. The snap stat keeps the fans off for exactly that reason.

 

[BrotherBart]

It drops the surface temp but not what is going on in the firebox.

 

[jatoxico]

It drops the surface temp but not what is going on in the firebox.

I can kill my secondaries. Going from 650 to 450 won't, going from 450 to 250 will. If my stove top goes cold you can bet that my vent temp is down.

 

[BrotherBart]

Secondary was just getting started at 450. A stove should be at 500 or over before a blower is started in the first place.

That baffle is right up there close to the stove top.

 

[jatoxico]

Secondary was just getting started at 450. A stove should be at 500 or over before a blower is started in the first place.

That baffle is right up there close to the stove top.

Yeah that's what were talkin' about. OP asked if the fan affects the stove temp and does it matter: ans yes.

 

[Dmitry]

Completely disagree.

I completely agree with you disagreeing.
My flush insert sits tightly in insulated with roxull opening. I think that blower being on full drops the temperature and affects burn and burn time.

 

[jatoxico]

I completely agree with you disagreeing.
My flush insert sits tightly in insulated with roxull opening. I think that blower being on full drops the temperature and affects burn and burn time.

Yeah us flush mount guys are a sorry bunch! I imagine the difference the fans makes on a free standing unit is nowhere near what we see.

 

[Dmitry]

Yeah us flush mount guys are a sorry bunch

" But it's so beautiful " I'm quoting my wife . I'm agreeing with her deep inside , but she'll never know because I like to brag about me sacrificing free standing monster .

 

[HappyCamperMan]

Thanks for the entertaining posts. I think I also learned that OP means Original Poster? I'm wicked smaht like that. Anyway, I believe that my fan turns on at 200 degrees. I did a very non-scientific test and messed around with my fan speed. It appears that the stove did heat up a bit more if I slowed down the fan. The thing that got my mind in a pretzel in the first place is "so what?". Isn't the point to warm the room? If so, does it matter if the fan is on high all the time? If the room is 60 degrees and you're sending warm air out, isn't that a good thing? In other words, does it matter than my stove went from 350 to 450 degrees, anyway or is best to let the warm air flow? I'm getting a headache!

 

[jatoxico]

If so, does it matter if the fan is on high all the time? If the room is 60 degrees and you're sending warm air out, isn't that a good thing?

It matters because a cold fire is a dirty fire. A dirty fire wastes fuel, craps up your flue and annoys your neighbors.

Assuming identical stove top temp, I have wondered if it is better to send out more air (less residence time, therefore cooler) or less hotter air. IDK the ans probably no difference but...if the amount of air you're moving over the stove is excessive you risk cooling the stove too much and creating a dirty burn. See my original post, IMO run the stove somewhere around 500. When the stove is cranking (>650) max out the air and push max heat to the room. As the fire dies and the temp drops lower the fan accordingly to keep the temp in the 500 range for as long as possible.

 

[Dmitry]

You might heat the room faster from the cold start using high speed blower setting. In this scenario you need to put more intake air to burn it hotter to keep up the stove temperature and use more wood therefore. OR...
You can take your time bringing stove up to temp, don't use blower, burn with less intake air and less wood. Your surrounding masonry and room going to absorb all the BTUs and give it to you later. My chimney is interior and it works for me. Not sure if it's going to work with exterior chimney that well.

 

[HappyCamperMan]

You might heat the room faster from the cold start using high speed blower setting. In this scenario you need to put more intake air to burn it hotter to keep up the stove temperature and use more wood therefore. OR...
You can take your time bringing stove up to temp, don't use blower, burn with less intake air and less wood. Your surrounding masonry and room going to absorb all the BTUs and give it to you later. My chimney is interior and it works for me. Not sure if it's going to work with exterior chimney that well.

Thanks. I may be crazy but I think we have a consensus here. I think everyone is pretty much saying that it's best to get the stove up to temp then run the fan higher. When temp drops, then back off the fan. By the way, I do have an interior chimney. I'm not interested in heating the room faster, just heating the room, eventually. So, a fire with the air wide open and fan full blast seems to me to only accomplish the goal of burning through wood faster. I think, for me, the best move would be to let the fieldstone and room heat up by closing the air and lowering the fan until I get temperatures up to 500 or so. Then putting the fan on a bit higher. If I read the collective comments from you guys, I'm thinking you agree. Jatoxico...I think you answered my "so what" question. I kinda like my neighbors (but I would like them better if they would bring over some Scotch!).

 

[Jags]

If I read the collective comments from you guys, I'm thinking you agree.

Yes. Bring the stove to temp before cranking up the fan. Running the fan prior to getting the stove into secondary burn can extend the time needed to hit secondary burn. Essentially extending your "dirty" burn time.

 

[HappyCamperMan]

Follow up...

I've been experimenting with the blower on my insert. I have left it on (pretty much) the lowest setting throughout a full day. Again, it will kick on at 200 degrees. My observation is that the house was warmer than when I ran the blower on high the whole time. On a side note, I had the ceiling fan off the entire time. I have a 20' ceiling in the room where the insert is. I can't get to the fan, easily (it is about 18' off the ground). The fan is on "forward". So, rather than run it on forward (as I have been), I left it off. Not sure if that was a contributing factor to the room feeling warmer but I have a new fan on order (that older fan grinds). The new one has a reverse on the wall switch. I plan to run it on reverse when it is installed (within the next two weeks). Again, I appreciate all the help from this forum. I even convinced my father-in-law that Pine ain't so bad! Believe me, needed all the backup available from this forum!!

 

[Sledhead00]

Follow up...

I've been experimenting with the blower on my insert. I have left it on (pretty much) the lowest setting throughout a full day. Again, it will kick on at 200 degrees. My observation is that the house was warmer than when I ran the blower on high the whole time. On a side note, I had the ceiling fan off the entire time. I have a 20' ceiling in the room where the insert is. I can't get to the fan, easily (it is about 18' off the ground). The fan is on "forward". So, rather than run it on forward (as I have been), I left it off. Not sure if that was a contributing factor to the room feeling warmer but I have a new fan on order (that older fan grinds). The new one has a reverse on the wall switch. I plan to run it on reverse when it is installed (within the next two weeks). Again, I appreciate all the help from this forum. I even convinced my father-in-law that Pine ain't so bad! Believe me, needed all the backup available from this forum!!

FWIW: I have a 2nd story loft and my fireplace is located in the open end with cathedral ceiling.. I've had good results going against the grain and run my ceiling fan on medium in "summer" or fwd mode or counter clockwise...