Wood stove fans

[Jacob]

Mine arrived. Vonhaus. £20
It seems to work, much the same as HC's above. Much stronger when the stove is hottest, and can feel the draught.

It's packed up. 3 months of use. Got instant refund no quibbles - I guess they are used to it.
Pity really because it did seem to work well and make quite a strong draught. Might try another brand.
Just noticed @johnyb 's post #41 about a tile to buffer the heat. Perhaps a good idea, too late now!
No connection but Hetas man coming on Friday to check the installation - checking the registered installer that is, to make sure he's followed the rules.

 

[Spectric]

about a tile to buffer the heat.

They use the heat to function, I believe it is a device working on the Peltier effect so no heat and no electricity. A Peltier works much like a thermocouple in that it requires a temperature difference to create a voltage so one hot side and a colder side to work.

 

[Lorenzl]

I can't use a fan as my stove has a "cool top". It is also round so using a fan that clamps to the side won't work. It has twin walled flue which probably won't get hot enough.

I did start making a fan at work as an experiment but I stopped when I retired and I have misplaced it in a move. When I get somewhere to work ( currently renovating the house ) I will get it out and finish it. I had a wax thermostat similar to a car radiator cap I was going to use if the base got to hot. Using multiple peltier's may work.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I noticed two fairly large stove top fans running nicely on the stove at my local. Out of curiosity I put my hand out to feel how much air was actually moving - a foot or so away I could feel nothing.

 

[Agent_zed]

They use the heat to function, I believe it is a device working on the Peltier effect so no heat and no electricity. A Peltier works much like a thermocouple in that it requires a temperature difference to create a voltage so one hot side and a colder side to work.

All true, but they can overheat and destroy the module. Mine, like a lot of them, has a bimetallic strip that should lift it off the surface if it is too hot, but I guess even that has limits if you have a really hot fire going.

As for Von-haus, my one has been going strong for a fair few years now, having fires most evening in the winter. I guess it's the luck of the draw.