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Cheap Stove Fan


rupertbear

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Most of the heat from a stove is spread by convection although radiant heat is significant if you are within about six to eight feet. When the fan is spinning rapidly, it means the stove is very hot, so it is not surprising that this coincides with the boat being warm. I think they are pretty but useless.

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Most of the heat from a stove is spread by convection although radiant heat is significant if you are within about six to eight feet. When the fan is spinning rapidly, it means the stove is very hot, so it is not surprising that this coincides with the boat being warm. I think they are pretty but useless.

Therein lies something of the problem since the convection heat currents take the hot air to the ceiling of the boat where the ventilation mushrooms are, so there is little to stop the heat going straight out of the ventilator (I have visions of ducks crowding around my roof mushrooms during cold weather to enjoy the benefits of thisrolleyes.gif ). I think the idea of the fans is to introduce a horizontal element to the movement of air rather than just the vertical movement whether it works or not (like I said I'm not bothered either way since I didn't buy the fan) our bedroom seems warmer when the fan has been running compared with when we have left the fan on the floor not operating.

 

Interestingly they don't necessarily benefit from the stove being very hot since I think that is what knackered our fan, allowing it to get too hot. Since the replacement peltier unit was less than £3 (including carriage from Chinaohmy.png ) it didn't seem particularly onerous to repair the fan.

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Convection alone will spread the heat horizontally. If you screw the mushroom vents down they will trap hot air and lose very little energy.

Our Mushroom vents don't screw down, they just have a fixed setting. If they did screw down I would have done so and prevented the roof centre rope ripping one of them off (twice!!)mad.gif

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Most of the heat from a stove is spread by convection although radiant heat is significant if you are within about six to eight feet. When the fan is spinning rapidly, it means the stove is very hot, so it is not surprising that this coincides with the boat being warm. I think they are pretty but useless.

 

 

Thus speaks a man who has never lived with one for a few weeks of cold weather!

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Here we go!

Differences of opinion escalates temperament.

 

 

 

I have just bought one via Amazon. Awaiting delivery to my sons house in Hampshire, I'm in Lancashire. I doubt it will work from there,but we visiting sons (three in number) over the next month or so. Therefore we would have had the fire without fan,then we'll have the fire on with fan. It will be interesting to see how we get on. My view is it's worth less than £30 to find out.

 

 

Martyn

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Out of interest, Mike, what model of fan do you have that causes such blind devotion laugh.png ?

 

 

It's not blind devotion. I'm as skeptical as the next bloke where snake oil is concerned but mine all certainly make a difference to the comfort level in my boats. It's quite subtle so maybe you wouldn't notice.

 

I have several models. My fave is the Sterling engine one. The electric ones are a bit annoying but they still have a effect.

 

Best effect is the 'audible stove thermometer' effect. Even if they made no difference to heat distibution I'd still use them for this function.

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Mike,

 

This is mine. Is yours the same?

Interesting design, I can't say that I've seen one like that before. How do you get the temperature differential that causes the peltier unit to work without some form of cooling fins? (I'm assuming that the peltier unit is sandwiched at the bottom of the unit). Or perhaps I'm just not seeing the cooling finsunsure.png

Edited by Wanderer Vagabond
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Interesting design, I can't say that I've seen one like that before. How do you get the temperature differential that causes the peltier unit to work without some form of cooling fins? (I'm assuming that the peltier unit is sandwiched at the bottom of the unit). Or perhaps I'm just not seeing the cooling finsunsure.png

 

 

Yes mine's the same.

 

This a Sterling engine fan. No Peltier cell involved. 100% mechanical!

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Interesting design, I can't say that I've seen one like that before. How do you get the temperature differential that causes the peltier unit to work without some form of cooling fins? (I'm assuming that the peltier unit is sandwiched at the bottom of the unit). Or perhaps I'm just not seeing the cooling finsunsure.png

There are fins on it. Look here. http://www.kontax.co.uk/d.asp?product=VULCANSTOVEFAN I paid £97 for it!!!!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Seems a nice fan,is that a red light that is powered by the fan.

Looks a great deal

According to the destructions, it's an LED which indicates that the circuit is powered up and it varies in intensity according to current and, therefore presumably, stove temperature. When the body comes up to temperature (or when there is current via the USB input) it starts to glow. I'm guessing that when the glow of the LED is bright and visible from outside the boat it means that the stove is quite hot!
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  • 11 months later...

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