Does anyone use the heat powered fans?

[Alongshot]

As stated does anyone use them and notice a difference? I got one, it does spin but it sits on the top of my fireplace, I have a fan that pushes the heat out from the top of the fireplace also. Hard to tell if it does much. If I lose power I'm sure it will make a difference just wondering if others here use them and your thoughts.

 

[merc_man]

Ya i got one. I call it a wood meter. When it slows up. Time for more wood.

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[Alongshot]

Ya i got one. I call it a wood meter. When it slows up. Time for more wood.

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That sounds about right. Mine is supposed to kick on off around 175. Usually takes a bit more before it kicks on, and will still run a bit under that. I like it at the end though

 

[bigbadbob]

I have two, glad I didnt pay for them,, I guess they move some air,, some,,
I wouldnt buy one myself.

 

[kevin j]

I have this one, about $100 20 years ago. Getting pretty sluggish now, but they want half price to replace the tyhermopile, so I just use it.
Not sure if I would buy again, as it does not feel like it moves air. But if you move a candle around, it is actually moving air quite a distance out, maybe 10 ft, so in my small living room it helps even out the heat. toss up on tyhe $100 though.

 

[bigbadbob]

I have this one, about $100 20 years ago. Getting pretty sluggish now, but they want half price to replace the tyhermopile, so I just use it.
Not sure if I would buy again, as it does not feel like it moves air. But if you move a candle around, it is actually moving air quite a distance out, maybe 10 ft, so in my small living room it helps even out the heat. toss up on tyhe $100 though.

Mine got sluggish, replaced the motor bout $10

 

[sundance]

I have this one, about $100 20 years ago. Getting pretty sluggish now, but they want half price to replace the tyhermopile, so I just use it.
Not sure if I would buy again, as it does not feel like it moves air. But if you move a candle around, it is actually moving air quite a distance out, maybe 10 ft, so in my small living room it helps even out the heat. toss up on tyhe $100 though.

We've got two of those sitting on top of our stove. Can't really feel them blowing but if we take them off the stove it makes a real difference in moving the heat. We like them. I'd try a motor replacement on yours. As bigbadbob mentioned, their not real expensive. I've changed a few through the years. See the units down in the $55-60 range without a lot of looking.

 

[MrWhoopee]

I also have one. It pushes warm air towards the kitchen, which otherwise is noticeably colder. I paid $90 for it and feel it was worth it. The blades are really soft aluminum and easily bent. The stove has a built-in blower, but it is noisy and dries your eyeballs. These are silent and work when the power is out.

edit: Correction, I paid about $60. I'm to cheap to buy the $90 model. I'm now seeing a copy for $32 on Amazon.

 

[Del_]

A friend of mine has one.

I think it is a gimmick but I'd take one if it was free.

 

[Multifaceted]

I have one of the four blade peltier fans. They don't move a lot of air, but I do notice a difference in the the dispersement of the radiant heat. Not much though, but I'd rather have it than not.

 

[VW Splitter]

I have one . It moves a little air, very little. Makes a good conversation piece the way it works without electricity. Works off hocus pocus magic I believe. I like it.

 

[sundance]

A friend of mine has one.

I think it is a gimmick but I'd take one if it was free.

That's mighty big of you.

I have one . It moves a little air, very little. Makes a good conversation piece the way it works without electricity. Works off hocus pocus magic I believe. I like it.

Likely moving more than you realize. I wouldn't be without them when the power's out.

 

[Marine5068]

I've been told they're a waste of money if you buy one new.
But if I got a free one I'd use it on the woodstove to push some air out.
I'm not paying $100 though.
They also don't move radiant heat.
It's radiant because it's a wave, not an air current.
Air current heat is called convection.
But radiant heat can convect the air around it via transmission.
...anyhoo that's my Architectural edumacation coming out.
Paid lots of money to learn it, may as well use it...lol.

 

[Huskybill]

Been using these for a decade now on top of my top loader tempwood stove.

 

[LondonNeil]

I have several and as everyone says they don't move much air but they are cheap now, I bought a pair for £35.

 

[anlrolfe]

Perhaps better money spent on a furnace thermostat with "circulate" feature.
Mine will kick on for about 1min every 5-10min just to churn up the air. My house is 2-story and the air stratifies. This feature tends to average things out. My 1st floor has a circular flow with all rooms interconnected, entry way, living room, dining room, kitchen. One big circle. If the stove is kicking out serious heat I'll break out a box fan. I'll position it in the dining room blowing into the kitchen. This sucks warm air out of the living room and returns cool from the entry way while keeping the noise out of the sitting TV space.

I've burned less wood this season than I have for a long time. Makes me afraid what February has in store.

 

[Huskybill]

I use these self heat powered fans plus I use a temp gauge on the wood stove and stove pipe so I can regulate the wood burn time in the stove and what heat goes up the pipe so I’m not making creosote. I keep the stove at 350/375 the pipe at 250/275.
I’m around 2 1/2 cords of wood average. This year we’re way below that. Three months to go. I think we’re in a January thaw right now but haven’t seen the resident Blackbeard poke around yet.

I have the top loader temp wood stove in the basement. I installed floor vents so the heat comes up on one end of the house and goes back down on the other end. Next I need to put duct work over the stove to one end of the vents in the basement. I’m thinking one of those self powered heat fan in each vent.

You know it’s cold when my six cats hug the woodstove.

My dad taught me on the farm when a cat washes himself and cleans behind his ears wet weather is coming. Another clue that foul weather is on its way is the birds go crazy at the feeder. They store up and hunker down.

 

[Huskybill]

I have this one, about $100 20 years ago. Getting pretty sluggish now, but they want half price to replace the tyhermopile, so I just use it.
Not sure if I would buy again, as it does not feel like it moves air. But if you move a candle around, it is actually moving air quite a distance out, maybe 10 ft, so in my small living room it helps even out the heat. toss up on tyhe $100 though.

Mine stopped working buy my misses oiled it. She’s running again.

Everything needs lube. My 13 yo parakeet when I was a kid would die. My mon gave him a shot of Canadian club and he was revived. Those happened many times. I think he wanted another drink.

 

[bigbadbob]

Mine stopped working buy my misses oiled it. She’s running again.

Everything needs lube. My 13 yo parakeet when I was a kid would die. My mon gave him a shot of Canadian club and he was revived. Those happened many times. I think he wanted another drink.

Iv replaced 2 motors on mine about $12 each.

 

[Matt93eg]

I don't have any of those. I have a tall ceiling in the room where the wood stove is, the adjacent rooms have between 10-14ft ceilings so I run the ceiling fans clockwise to pull air up and move the heat from the ceilings down.