Its apparent there is a reason why there is not an exhaust blower on a wood stove....what is the reason? This is probably a dumb question and im sure there is a very good reason but I just cant think of it.
Why no combustion blower on a wood stove?
- Thread starter drtnshtr
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil. -
Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
- Status
My guess is cost and ease of use. Natural draft stoves work great as they are simple but there is no doubt that forced combustion would increase efficiency. You would require a series of computer controlled sensors and safety switches for a blower to work properly. The stove would also heat up very quickly and cool off very slowly making control of heat tricky, not to mention the stove would have to be built in such a way to prevent warpage.
I work as a gasfitter and regularly work on gas furnaces with the same technology. This big difference is the gas can be turned off and on with ease so the blower setup works great. Not so great in a wood stove.
Many wood boilers use blowers to increase combustion efficiency but usually they have a storage tank type system that can absorb the high BTU's of the intense burn process and store it for later use.
I hope that helps with your query.
I work as a gasfitter and regularly work on gas furnaces with the same technology. This big difference is the gas can be turned off and on with ease so the blower setup works great. Not so great in a wood stove.
Many wood boilers use blowers to increase combustion efficiency but usually they have a storage tank type system that can absorb the high BTU's of the intense burn process and store it for later use.
I hope that helps with your query.
Noise, expense, safety (in event of a power failure) are the top 3 reasons I can think of. When you have some wood stoves approaching pellet stoves in clean-burning, I'm not sure why one would want additional complexity.
There's an inconsistency in terminology between the title of your thread and the question posed. A "combustion blower" would be supplying combustion air to the stove...that would turn your stove into a forge. Woodstoves are designed and built to operate with combustion air provided by natural convection, no combustion blower required nor desired. An "exhaust blower" would be some sort of draft inducer (installed after the firebox in the flue)...same answer, basically, the stoves are designed to be installed in such a way that the stove/connector pipe/chimney system provides all the draft (by natural convection) that the stove needs to operate at optimum performance and efficiency. Rick
I was thinking of a combustion blower, like on a gasification boiler. There would need to be ceramic refractory to take the high heat and then a good heat-exchanger system to extract as much as possible. But for the reasons stated, it doesn't seem practical or needed for the small size of a wood stove.
It baffles me why anyone would want to add a combustion blower to an appliance that already has the ability to overfire. Terminal meltdown maybe?? The stove would literally have to be designed to "contain" the heat instead of radiating it, unless you had a clearance to combustibles of about 10ft, a hearth pad rating of 30R and found a new material to build the stoves out of.
fossil said:Jags said:woodconvert said:
Good answer.
C'mon...light can do that, no need for internal combustion.Rick
You talking about my underwear or my head??? ;-)
Jags said:fossil said:Jags said:woodconvert said:
Good answer.
C'mon...light can do that, no need for internal combustion.
You talking about my underwear or my head??? ;-)
I'm very happy to report that I have no familiarity whatsoever with your underwear. :lol: Rick
I guess Im thinking more on along the line of an Exhaust Blower...No need for anymore combustion I guess. I would think an exhaust blower would alleviate any draw issues and if the electric goes out you still have draw. Maybe it would help out for bad installation locations...Ok maybe its a bad idea
There are draft inducers, but if you have a proper install with not too many bends and horizontal pieces in the pipe, it should generate enough draft to operate properly. The inducer becomes something to break, an added complexity, etc.
Jags- was that the original S.Martin quote? It's been so long
Jags- was that the original S.Martin quote? It's been so long
Adios Pantalones said:
Not sure? I wasn't intentionally quoting anybody. Are you trying to insinuate that I am as brilliant as S. Martin? %-P
$$$$
They work great the way they are. It would add cost and it would be something that could and wood break down with use.
They work great the way they are. It would add cost and it would be something that could and wood break down with use.
This is very true...It was just something I have wondered since installing my pellet stove. My wood stove gets good draw out in the garage but I had one in my basement ( I know its a bad location and why) that didnt get good draw and removed it.pinewoodburner said:
Fer me, the silent heat from a woodstove is heaven. Ability to run without power is a close second.
But if you want a practical reason... one entire wall of the firebox opens to load fuel on a woodstove, unlike with other "blown" heaters I can think of like gas, oil, or pellets. Blower would have to be OFF, and for off darn sure (i.e. interlocks and safety switches), before allowing the door to open... otherwise you'd have smoke and perhaps fire blown out into the room.
Not that its a bad idea. A draft-powered fire is a pretty unstable thing (i.e. the hotter it gets the hotter it gets). And it takes a bit of doing to have a good sturdy draft to power your stove (insulated liner, inside chimney, straight pipe runs, etc).
Eddy
But if you want a practical reason... one entire wall of the firebox opens to load fuel on a woodstove, unlike with other "blown" heaters I can think of like gas, oil, or pellets. Blower would have to be OFF, and for off darn sure (i.e. interlocks and safety switches), before allowing the door to open... otherwise you'd have smoke and perhaps fire blown out into the room.
Not that its a bad idea. A draft-powered fire is a pretty unstable thing (i.e. the hotter it gets the hotter it gets). And it takes a bit of doing to have a good sturdy draft to power your stove (insulated liner, inside chimney, straight pipe runs, etc).
Eddy
- Status
Similar threads
