Eco Fans

[John K]

Hi All,

 

Your thoughts on Eco fans for distributing heat around the boat please.

 

They seem expensive ( circa £80 /£90 ), but would be worth it if they illiminate hot spots around stove and at roof level. Dont know anyone who has one, and having done search, this topic doesn't seem to have been covered before.

 

Thanks in advance

 

J.K.

[Rick]

We don't have one but intend to remedy that before too long. I know 2 or 3 liveaboards who use them and are more than happy with the result. They all consider it money well spent.

 

There has recently been postings about these on another list and they were unanimous in their praise. In fact, I have not heard anybody who was less than happy with one.

 

Lime Kiln are amongst the cheapest source if you are near Wolverhampton. I think they do mail order if you are going to buy that way. Worth a phone call.

 

Richard

[Noah]

I've always doubted whether these small fans can push hot air from above a stove to the other end of a narrowboat. I've also been too tight to spend 80 quid to find out. However, a friend has had one for a few months after previously testing the idea with cheap computer fans, etc. He's convinced me that the Ecofan does circulate the heat from the hot spot above the stove and that the rear bedroom becomes warmer, and all without power consumption or cheap plastic fans close to the stove. So I've just ordered one from www.pufferparts.co.uk They do the regular one for £72 and the new, three-bladed one for £92. About a fiver for postage.

 

Noah

[crackwombat]

We have been thinking about getting an Ecofan as well as we have the same problem with heat distribution.

 

Not sure at the moment which model to go for: the 2 or 3 blade. The 3 blade will push more air per minute than the 2 blade, but then it is more expensive and we don't know if we need one.

 

If anyone has an Ecofan, what model have you got, for what size boat and how well does it distribute the heat for you?

 

We've got a 45ft - anyone know if a 2 blade would spread the warm air sufficiently for this?

[Guest]

Just out of interest, we have been experimenting with a small BandQ desk fan which cost about three quid. Surprisingly it does push a fair amount of heat towards the rear of the cabin-in time. Of course it does require power.

[dor]

I've got the two blade.

 

The temperature at head height with the stove going is still around 30 degrees near the stove, but moving back through the boat (50ft) it is noticable more even.

 

I was very sceptical about the effect of these fans at first, and even after getting one I still had my doubts. However having spent a night or two now with temperatures down to freezing, I am pretty convinced they work.

 

Whether it is better than fitting a computer fan in a bit of 4" pipe is another matter. And they still seem expensive for what they are. But they do seem to work.

[Martin]

They do work - I have a 72' boat with the bedroom being about 30' from the stove.

It is a two-blade fan and works fine - to the extent that I am no longer going to fix the central heating this year!

I would suggest that a three-blade fan for a 45' boat is overkill - but it depends how hot your stove gets.

[John K]

Thanks for all your replies, on the strength of them I bought a two blade fan today. Wildly differing prices for same thing. From £80/£100. I have bought one for £89.

 

Will give it some severe testing and report back

 

JK

[John Orentas]

Does enyone know how these things work, I know it is a 'Heat Engine' but that is it, can anyone enlighten us.

 

John Squeers

[dor]

I thought at first it was the Peltier effect, but that is the other way round. These work on the Seebeck effect:

 

 

The generator module is a unique semiconductor device that relies upon the Seebeck effect to generate electricity. When two dissimilar semiconductors (p-type and n-type) at the same temperature are connected together they establish a static electric potential difference. With the introduction of a temperature difference heat flows across the joined semiconductors which in turn permits electrons to flow. With the electron flow or current comes the ability to power electrical devices such as the fan's motor.

 

More efficient than basic thermocouples.

[John Orentas]

Dor.

 

Thanks for that, I will have people hanging on every word tonight in the pub.

 

John Squeers

[Richard Bustens]

Would that be Thomas Johann Seebeck.?

[dor]

Well it sounds convincing, even if it is a load of bull.

 

Try putting "Seebeck Effect" into Google, loads of info then.

[Richard Bustens]

I did that's where i got the name from...lol

[Andy Woods]

I have the two blade fan on Wanderer and it works a treat. One other advantage is when i am in the office I can glance down the boat to the morso and the fan speed tells me how warm the stove is! A kind of optical thermometer!

Andy.

[dor]

Ah Richard, your post got in just ahead of mine, which should have followed John's!

[Martin]

Of course there is a limit as to how fast the fan is designed to run.

On the baseplate is a bimetal strip which reacts to excess heat by phsically tilting the whole fan to lift it off the stove-top.

Incredibly simple - but really effective.

[John Orentas]

Puffer Parts. (They advertise in Waterways World)

 

Ecofan................Price £74 - 99

 

www.pufferparts.co.uk

Tel. 01535 605703

 

John Squeers

 

Still seems a lot of money to me!

Edited December 16, 2004 by John Orentas

[John K]

Having giving it some severe testing in freezing weather, it did seem to distibute warm air to the rear of the boat. It certainly has made a difference but whether that difference is worth £80 + is another question!

[nbtafelberg]

I was going to buy one but I found that when the radiators were working the heat seems to get dissipated from the stove so you don't get that stinking hot stove.

[Big COL]

I was going to buy one but I found that when the radiators were working the heat seems to get dissipated from the stove so you don't get that stinking hot stove.

 

Paul

 

What do mean when the radiators were working? You haven't gone and broken it again have you.

[Hank]