Ecofans

[Sunsoup]

Hey up y'all,

 

I'm thinking about purchasing an Ecofan, but there are so many different types on ebay and Amazon at vastly different prices. Do I buy cheap and cheerful and hope it doesn't let me down, or do I do spend over £100 and feel robbed when it lets me down.

 

What types of Ecofans do you boating folk use? Are they any good? Will it be money well spent? Or will it become a white Eliphant in my cupboard?

 

Thanks loads in advance .

[wreckferret]

I am thinking about getting one if these and as far as i can work out, the more "fins" the better??

With the usual disclaimer of "buy cheap, buy twice" i think a decent mid range one could be bought of the bay of fleas for £60 - 70.....

 

I wanted to buy a nice shiny "Stirling engine" but SWMBO baulked at the price

[Québec]

Hi Sunsoup. It's early Sunday morning. Do you really want to fan the flames of the Great Ecofan Disputation? If you do, then I and many others will sit back and pass round the extra large bucket of popcorn. Alternatively you could go through the archives and find a number of threads on this topic. I guarantee, though, that it will drive you insane. Good luck! :-)

Edited October 19, 2014 by Québec

[wreckferret]

No doubt someone will be along shortly to dissagree but everyone i have spoken to that has one (boats and houses) says they work very well..........

[craftycarper]

I have the original eco fan and yes they are expensive but I think it's worth it , mine is in my house not my boat but I will get one for the boat as well when funds allow, I have had it three or four years and it's been knocked off the fire a few times by the kids but still works fine and it shifts a fair amount of warmth around the house, others may be less impressed but I love mine,

[wreckferret]

It would appear i am a bit late in attending this party

 

I shall trawl through the archives when i am not on the mobile and have a little less time......

 

Is it Sunday??

 

Better get ready for church

[Taslim]

I am thinking about getting one if these and as far as i can work out, the more "fins" the better??

With the usual disclaimer of "buy cheap, buy twice" i think a decent mid range one could be bought of the bay of fleas for £60 - 70.....

 

I wanted to buy a nice shiny "Stirling engine" but SWMBO baulked at the price

Christmas is only 10 weeks away. Ask SWMB Santa for a Stirlling engine. They realy are theraputic devices as well as moving air.

 

For the house I bought a bunch of Pf cells off flea bane, glued them to a heat sink & stuck a computer fan on top. It quietly shifts the air about.

[wreckferret]

Dear Santa.................

[MtB]

Ecofans rival cassettes Vs pumpouts in terms of polarisation of opinions.

 

My ecofan is Stirling engine powered

 

 

MtB

[pete.i]

My Ecofan isn't stirling powered and it dosen't seem to do anything. it cost me nigh on a hundred quid when I bought it 3 years ago and now they are going for a lot less on eBay. I have lent mine to my neighbour because they are thinking of getting one so I told them to try mine before they waste their money.

[Mac of Cygnet]

I'm watching mine now as I write (at home). As our woodburner is recessed into the old chimney alcove, convection alone was never enough to heat the room. Now the whole room is warm, even extending to the computer cupboard. It's an ecofan lookalike from eBay, about £70 two years ago, just 2 bladed.

 

I have my doubts about it shifting warm air from one end of a long narrow tube to the other, though.

[MtB]

My Ecofan isn't stirling powered and it dosen't seem to do anything. it cost me nigh on a hundred quid when I bought it 3 years ago and now they are going for a lot less on eBay. I have lent mine to my neighbour because they are thinking of getting one so I told them to try mine before they waste their money.

 

Here we go...

 

Both of mine work very well indeed, making a big difference to comfort levels away from the stove. A solid fuel stove is incomplete without one!

 

Another advantage I find is one becomes better aware of the condition of the stove all the time. The blades slow down noticeably when the stove needs more fuel or ash griddling out and your attention is drawn to it.

 

MtB

[Ssscrudddy]

Get 1 if you can afford it, they're great. Personally I don't think they do anything at all. I've tried it with & without & I honestly haven't noticed any difference. Mine came with the boat, & when I saw the same 1 for sale I was shocked at the price £155.

So with that why am I saying get 1? When I was looking at boats to buy I just wanted 1, I like the way they look in a steampunk kinda way, & I like the idea of them running just from the heat of the fire. But most importantly they are a fantastic visualisation of the state of the fire. Also any non boaty person who comes aboard will probably be intrigued by it & & you don't need to tell them the truth whether you think they do or don't work.

[Richard10002]

Mine tells me how the fire is doing. Particularly in the morning. Whilst it lifts a piece of tissue held close to it, I get no sense of it moving warm air around the boat. However hot the fire might be, the bedroom warmth is not improved by the fan.

 

I now have two thermometers on the fire, so don't really need the fan ... It came with the boat, and I wold not buy one!

[Jim Riley]

My Ecofan isn't stirling powered and it dosen't seem to do anything. it cost me nigh on a hundred quid when I bought it 3 years ago and now they are going for a lot less on eBay. I have lent mine to my neighbour because they are thinking of getting one so I told them to try mine before they waste their money.

Have you lit the stove?

 

My 2 blade eco fan works well at home, warming the whole room and beyond if we leave doors open.

[Phil Ambrose]

60ft NB, stove right at the bows Ecofan wizzing away and our boat (live aboard) is not cold, admit there is a temperature gradient along the length but nowhere is cold. It does shift air around causeing the curtains 2 metres from the stove to flutter.

If they were no good the company would have gone bust years ago, had one on our previous boat too.

Phil

[MtB]

60ft NB, stove right at the bows Ecofan wizzing away and our boat (live aboard) is not cold, admit there is a temperature gradient along the length but nowhere is cold. It does shift air around causeing the curtains 2 metres from the stove to flutter.

If they were no good the company would have gone bust years ago, had one on our previous boat too.

Phil

 

How many Amps per Watt/hour does yours use?

 

Mine uses 3

 

 

 

MtB

[Bettie Boo]

Hubby bought ours before we had even finished the purchase of our boat, was the first thing he bought for her. Although I do like the look of it, and it does feel kinda boaty, I personally don't think it makes any difference at all in the movement of hot air around the boat. He however, swears by it; and yes we are sharing the same boat

 

I do find it good for alerting me to the state of the fire in the morning though - ours is the bog standard 2 blade black, cost about £75 about a year ago

[Dalslandia]

I thought everyone with a canal boat used canal fans?

[Phil Ambrose]

 

How many Amps per Watt/hour does yours use?

 

Mine uses 3

 

 

 

MtB

Half a bucket daily.

:-)

Phil

[mark99]

Use a Stirling myself: at present it's whizzing along like a good Un.

 

It's a Carnot cycle in thermodynamic terms.

[MtB]

Half a bucket daily.

:-)

Phil

 

How much is your half a bucket in real money? In Volts/Kg please.

 

 

MtB

[Dinz]

Eco fan was on boat when I got it.

What I do notice is that I get less window condensation at the 'cold end' when I use it.

For that alone it is worthwhile to me.

Mine has a Peltier element and electric motor.

Edited October 19, 2014 by Dinz

[Phil Ambrose]

 

How much is your half a bucket in real money? In Volts/Kg please.

 

 

MtB

Not sure only have a comparison in Ltr/Bushels

Phil

[Drayke]

 

Here we go...

 

Both of mine work very well indeed, making a big difference to comfort levels away from the stove. A solid fuel stove is incomplete without one!

 

Another advantage I find is one becomes better aware of the condition of the stove all the time. The blades slow down noticeably when the stove needs more fuel or ash griddling out and your attention is drawn to it.

 

MtB

As Mike said. I have 3 bladed Ecofan works wonderfully well on a widebeam , but only when the fire is lit.

 

Fred

Edited October 19, 2014 by F DRAYKE