Eco fan / thermometer question

Legacy_user

Having just moved house we have a log burning stove. We remember when we viewed, the people had an eco fan on it and thermometer on the flue. We are now wondering if we too should buy one, but where do you start and how much would we need to pay as they seem to be quite a range. If you have one, or have changed yours, maybe you would enlighten me please.

firefox1956

Keep away from the cheap Chinese imports..........
I purchase one of these about 6 weeks ago after reading up about them.
Got it of Amazon with a view to returning it if it was useless.
Very suprised......does all it says it will do !!
Stove thermometer is a good idea as it give you a guide as the how you rum your stove.
Mount it 12 inches up on the stove pipe for best results.
Links...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00LEO7W7U?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00

http://www.amazon.co.uk/STOVAX-STOVE-THERMOMETER-TEMPERATURE-GAUGE/dp/B00E3CDD1E

HTH

thozza

I'll second the Stovax flue pipe thermometer, very helpful with burning at the correct temperature.

System

firefox1956 wrote: »

Keep away from the cheap Chinese imports..........
I purchase one of these about 6 weeks ago after reading up about them.
Got it of Amazon with a view to returning it if it was useless.
Very suprised......does all it says it will do !!
Stove thermometer is a good idea as it give you a guide as the how you rum your stove.
Mount it 12 inches up on the stove pipe for best results.
Links...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00LEO7W7U?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00

http://www.amazon.co.uk/STOVAX-STOVE-THERMOMETER-TEMPERATURE-GAUGE/dp/B00E3CDD1E

HTH

Thankyou for that. Firstly when looking via ebay & amazon, noticed that the majority had two propellers and some four. I wonder if there is any recognisable difference. Then I saw some had black propellers and some silver. I would think the black are less likely to catch your attention. I assume this was the model you chose? did you buy the thermometer and gloves?

Greenfires

If you buy a genuine Ecofan, you'll get a two year warranty for starters and spares backup as well. You might get lucky with a Chinese copy, you might not. And the people who make Ecofans won't repair Chinese copies of their product when the break by the way - yes - some people have actually tried that one!

The difference in the blades is sometimes due to the amount of air they shift, and sometimes just a design feature. Ecofan;s lab tests suggest that they tend to shift a lot more air that some of the others, but "you pays your money" etc.

You also need to ensure that the fan is put in the right place. You see a lot of pictures of them sitting in front of the flue pipe and this is completely the wrong place for them. They are supposed to be behind it or away to one side - the fan needs to draw cooler air over the base to produce power, so it pulls it up the back of the stove. If it's in front of the flue pipe it can't get any cool air and will overheat, which will shorten it's life if nothing else.

A stove thermometer can be handy if you're new to stoves - but is really only a general indicator of what's going on. Any charge of fuel will increase the temperature as it gets going and then it will fall again as the fuel is consumed. So don't be too concerned, when you have a firebox full of glowing embers and the thermometer is dropping into the "creosote zone" - as any chance of creosote formation will be long gone by that stage.

Also bear in mind that there are "stove pipe" and "stove top" thermometers, which are calibrated for different positions.

System

That is interesting too. I particularly remember being told it was an "ecofan" so presumably it was. I may mssg him tonight to confirm make/ model satisfaction and yes, I did wonder why there's was on the side as I would automatically have it centre, (feng shui springs to mind). So what would be best as mine with be on the stove top next to the stove pipe (but placed on the side)?

firefox1956

islandman wrote: »

Thankyou for that. Firstly when looking via ebay & amazon, noticed that the majority had two propellers and some four. I wonder if there is any recognisable difference. Then I saw some had black propellers and some silver. I would think the black are less likely to catch your attention. I assume this was the model you chose? did you buy the thermometer and gloves?

I chose the black four blade one for the reasons you say.
I did buy the thermometer but not the gloves.
The gloves came with my new stove about 3 years ago.
I only actually use the right hand glove !!
If you are left handed I could supply you with a brand new leather LEFT hand glove........
As Greenfires says stand your fan well to the back of the stove & to one side of the stove pipe.
You will hardly notice it apart from the slight hum it makes.
HTH

System

firefox1956 wrote: »

I chose the black four blade one for the reasons you say.
I did buy the thermometer but not the gloves.
The gloves came with my new stove about 3 years ago.
I only actually use the right hand glove !!
If you are left handed I could supply you with a brand new leather LEFT hand glove........
As Greenfires says stand your fan well to the back of the stove & to one side of the stove pipe.
You will hardly notice it apart from the slight hum it makes.
HTH

Firstly, thanks for the offer of the glove, but am right handed. I've messaged the previous owner of house and await his response.

Greenfires

Ideally the fan would sit at the back edge of the stove. What you're trying to do is put it somewhere it can draw cooler air over itself. It works by having two parts of a TEG unit at different temperatures - the top half of the unit needs to be cooler than the bottom, and the difference is what produces the electricity to run the fan. Those fancy fins on the top of the fan aren't just for decoration - they basically act as radiators to remove heat from one side of the unit.

So - ideally at the back, or next best on the side, perhaps pointed diagonally. The one to avoid is sitting straight in front of the flue pipe.

There are a lot of rip off Ecofans about. It's up to you whether you take a chance on buying one. "Buy cheap - buy twice" is the way I look at it!

If you need a thermometer I have a few knocking about - both stove top and flue type. And cheaper than Amazon!

System

Thanks, my message to other owner of this house has yet to be acknowledged, I know they are having internet/phone problems since moving.

Pete9501

Wifey has just said she is cold so fired up the wood burner and stuck my Xmas present stove fan on top. We have a huge space around the stove as we took the chimney back to the builder chimney but even so the fan does make a difference which you can feel.

Surprised how quickly the fan started, the stove had only been going 10 minutes and the top only luke warm when the blade suddenly started moving.

Pete