How much difference does a blower make?

[chainsawaddict]

Ok so I've got a Blaze King Princess (about 40,000 BTU) in my house. Out in the garage (just sitting there) I have a monster Earth Stove, the firebox dwarfs the blaze king, but the earth stove doesnt have a fan.

How much difference does it really make?

Oh, and fellas...keep your minds out of the gutter.

 

[outdoorlivin247]

Location in the house, as well as the layout of the house makes a huge difference...I have an insert in my living room, centrally located, and have better luck w/ the fan on the lowest setting or off depending on the size of the load in the fire box...I have several friends that have free standing stoves w/ no blowers in very open layouts and have no problems at all...

 

[chainsawaddict]

Anybody have any experience with "the earth stove?" I did a search and didnt find much.

 

[acer saccharum]

I had an earth stove insert in the '90s. It had a cat that didnt last very long. When I moved I left it behind. No other problems with it otherwise. I got my money's worth out of it in free heat.

 

[outdoorlivin247]

What model?

 

[chainsawaddict]

I had an earth stove insert in the '90s. It had a cat that didnt last very long. When I moved I left it behind. No other problems with it otherwise. I got my money's worth out of it in free heat.

Ive found a lot of info about their inserts, but not a lot about their stoves.

 

[chainsawaddict]

What model?

Im not sure, I got it used for $50, its in good shape and the firebox has to be close to 4 cubic feet.

 

[Mkarlson]

I have an earth stove 100 series. It does a fine job of heating. Bought it used as well and have used it last two years. Last year as a constant supplement to my propane. This year I've not used the propane at all. The only thing I regret about buying this unit is someone in its past reduceds its 8 inch pipe to 6 and me being a newbie bought class A triple wall 6" and wish I had known it was suppose to be 8". It causes a little backdraft at start up with the 6".

 

[jerry wayne]

blower pays

Forcing the HOT air that has accumulated in all that steel out with a blower just plain makes sence! Wouldnt have one without one, thats a fact.Forcing the Btus out is a no brainer for me.The first thing i did was replace the dead moter on the insert that came with the house and it was the best $$$$i put into this thing.Or maybe i should say the cheepest improvment to it.S.S. linner and insulation were the next,but cost lotso bucks,still worth it.

 

[KsWoodsMan]

The blower helps to pull cold air off the floor. It might be pulling the air from behind the stove but more cold air from the floor gets drawn in from a forced blower than by natural convection.

Getting the cold air off the floor makes the house feel considerably warmer.

 

[savageactor7]

chainsawaddict should try the stove without a blower first and try fans to move the heat.

Our QF4300 came with a blower and like WOW we were both so looking forward to a blower... rah rah... cis cum ba we have a blower yippie!

But after awhile we just decided that the ceiling fan was more compatible with our wood burning experience. btw we've been heating since '77 and this is our 4th stove.

Wood is no object so we burn for heat and only heat and our magic number is anywhere between 450-600*. We like to throw in wood and forget about it and we can maintain that temp for a longer time relying only on the unobtrusive ceiling fan...

...the attached stove blower would cool the stove down to the 350+ level. So that would require some more juking with the primary air.

The best less hassle blower setting for us was low...and even that was a pita from what we were use to in our many non EPA stoves.

Another thing, our ceiling fan running on high can't be heard those stove blowers imo are too loud. So that would start a series of subtle sound escalations in the house...before you knew it your quiet country house sounded like a city intersection.

I'm in the minority here thousands of peeps have blowers and love 'em. When they break down their right there repairing them, but I wouldn't give you 2 cents for one, another gimmick imo...

 

[bayshorecs]

Blower also helps air movement around the stove and helps keep the nearby walls from getting as hot.

 

[chainsawaddict]

I know what a blower does, but I guess Im asking, is it really worth it? If I keep my house @ 80 with the blower on, but can only keep it at 75 without, is it worth the electricity to use it. I am starting to wonder if it is necessary, or just a gimmick to get you to spend $250 more when you buy a stove.

If a stove like a blaze king is designed to be used with a blower, is it hard on it to run it hot without?

 

[chainsawaddict]

Forcing the HOT air that has accumulated in all that steel out with a blower just plain makes sence! Wouldnt have one without one, thats a fact.Forcing the Btus out is a no brainer for me.The first thing i did was replace the dead moter on the insert that came with the house and it was the best $$$$i put into this thing.Or maybe i should say the cheepest improvment to it.S.S. linner and insulation were the next,but cost lotso bucks,still worth it.

Youre right! it does make sense, but how much does it actually improve the efficiency? I guess thats my question.

 

[KsWoodsMan]

paying for the electricity and having to hear a fan running would NOT be worth it to me. I absolutely hate to hear a fan running.

I put a natural convection cold air return on mine that uses the heat from the flue pipe and improved the heating in the far reaches of the house by better than 5 degrees. It runs silently and requires no electicity.

Basically it is a 'Tee' connector over the single wall flue pipe and an elbow with a couple of sections of flue pipe one size larger than the flue on top of the stove. The elbow turns down and has a short piece going towards the floor behind the stove. Then a section of pipe from the top of the 'Tee' connector. This one extends up, around the flue pipe for 5 feet. The one pointing down is within a few inches of the floor to draw in the coldest air possible off the floor. All in all I probably have $35-$40 in connectors and pipe and wouldn't think of changing it.

Works for me, the bedrooms are only 2-3 degrees cooler than the front room where the stove is. I lose only about 10 degrees temperature from the bottom of the flue to the top. I burn hot enough heating the house fulltime that creosote hasn't been an issue I can feel the draft headed for the stove when standing in a doorway and the rooms seem more evenly heated top to bottom.

If you dont mind the noise from a fan it would be worth running a blower to get more air circulating especially if it draws it directly off the floor.