Cheap Stove Fan

[Dave_P]

I bought one last time and commented earlier in the thread that it was only useful as an ornament.

Since then, I've changed my view a bit.

The blade kept falling off after a few weeks and I had to keep re-attaching it.  The whole thing then started making a horrid clattering sound when it was spinning.  I stopped using it.  My boat continued to be just as warm at either end.  I've since binned it.

It might be only £25 but consider how many pints of beer that will buy you.

 

[Dr Bob]

14 minutes ago, Dave_P said:

I bought one last time and commented earlier in the thread that it was only useful as an ornament.

Since then, I've changed my view a bit.

The blade kept falling off after a few weeks and I had to keep re-attaching it.  The whole thing then started making a horrid clattering sound when it was spinning.  I stopped using it.  My boat continued to be just as warm at either end.  I've since binned it.

It might be only £25 but consider how many pints of beer that will buy you.

 

The question for me is more about should I get out of bed at 7am to drive over to Daventry for opening time or stay in bed for a few more hours and not bother with one? One and a bit days to decide. 

[Dave_P]

9 minutes ago, Dr Bob said:

The question for me is more about should I get out of bed at 7am to drive over to Daventry for opening time or stay in bed for a few more hours and not bother with one? And save £25. One and a bit days to decide. 

Made small addition to your post.

If i had to give a sensible response I'd guess that some boats have an interior layout which severe impedes convection of heat, whereas in others, the warmth spreads from end to end easily anyway.  With a decent 3 blade eco-fan, some boats may get a slight difference.  However, if it's the same as last year, the ALDI offering is not a decent fan though.

[MtB]

The main benefit of an ecofan is, as I never tire of saying, the way it functions as an audible indicator of the state of the stove. 

As the stove burns lower, the fan runs ever more slowly and one can judge from hearing the fan speed exactly when to stoke it and add fuel, instead of having to keep stopping what one is doing and going to open the door and look inside. Especially handy if, say, working at a PC, or lazing about in bed. One is continuously aware of the how the stove is doing without having to go and look. Ok I'm repeating repeating my self now...

I really miss mine when its not on the stove for whatever reason. 

[Dave_P]

19 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

The main benefit of an ecofan is, as I never tire of saying, the way it functions as an audible indicator of the state of the stove. 

As the stove burns lower, the fan runs ever more slowly and one can judge from hearing the fan speed exactly when to stoke it and add fuel, instead of having to keep stopping what one is doing and going to open the door and look inside. Especially handy if, say, working at a PC, or lazing about in bed. One is continuously aware of the how the stove is doing without having to go and look. Ok I'm repeating repeating my self now...

I really miss mine when its not on the stove for whatever reason. 

I've never needed to do this.  

[cuthound]

40 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

The main benefit of an ecofan is, as I never tire of saying, the way it functions as an audible indicator of the state of the stove. 

As the stove burns lower, the fan runs ever more slowly and one can judge from hearing the fan speed exactly when to stoke it and add fuel, instead of having to keep stopping what one is doing and going to open the door and look inside. Especially handy if, say, working at a PC, or lazing about in bed. One is continuously aware of the how the stove is doing without having to go and look. Ok I'm repeating repeating my self now...

I really miss mine when its not on the stove for whatever reason. 

 

20 minutes ago, Dave_P said:

I've never needed to do this.  

Neither have I but then I do have a diesel drip stove 

[Dave_P]

3 minutes ago, cuthound said:

 

Neither have I but then I do have a diesel drip stove 

I have a squirrel stove and I don't get this at all.  At this time of year I put my stove on when i get home from work.  I chuck some coal in and expect it to be still a bit warm by morning.  In the winter I keep the stove in 24/7.  I riddle and top up my stove when I get in from work and make sure I've put enough in to last 24hrs.  Why would I need to keep checking the stove?

[MtB]

46 minutes ago, Dave_P said:

I have a squirrel stove and I don't get this at all.  At this time of year I put my stove on when i get home from work.  I chuck some coal in and expect it to be still a bit warm by morning.  In the winter I keep the stove in 24/7.  I riddle and top up my stove when I get in from work and make sure I've put enough in to last 24hrs.  Why would I need to keep checking the stove?

 

You've never owned a Boatman stove, obviously!!!! 

[Dave Payne]

Mine is still working ok...

 

https://www.domu.co.uk/vonhaus-stove-fan

[LadyG]

Now, in a proper ship, ventilation works from stern to stem, can't we just adjust the ventlation in a NB to do the same?

Edited October 3, 2017 by LadyG

[Nightwatch]

3 hours ago, Dave Payne said:

Mine is still working ok...

 

https://www.domu.co.uk/vonhaus-stove-fan

We bought a vonhaus fan last year.

it works beautifully. By that I mean it spins like a gudun. However it doesn't seem to move any air around. I've dangled some cotton in front of the blades and there was no movement. Looks good though.

[mrsmelly]

11 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

We bought a vonhaus fan last year.

it works beautifully. By that I mean it spins like a gudun. However it doesn't seem to move any air around. I've dangled some cotton in front of the blades and there was no movement. Looks good though.

There are things that are meant to be on a narrowboat and things that are not. Two main things that are meant never to be on a narrowboat are a silly stove fan and an even sillier pram hood. Two things that should be on all narrowboats are beer and wine.

[Dave Payne]

19 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

We bought a vonhaus fan last year.

it works beautifully. By that I mean it spins like a gudun. However it doesn't seem to move any air around. I've dangled some cotton in front of the blades and there was no movement. Looks good though.

Strange, mine seems to move air in front.

9 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

There are things that are meant to be on a narrowboat and things that are not. Two main things that are meant never to be on a narrowboat are a silly stove fan and an even sillier pram hood. Two things that should be on all narrowboats are beer and wine.

You forgot cassette toilets. 

[Lily Rose]

6 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

There are things that are meant to be on a narrowboat and things that are not. Two main things that are meant never to be on a narrowboat are a silly stove fan and an even sillier pram hood. Two things that should be on all narrowboats are beer and wine.

I haven't got enough room for food, wine and beer so I don't bother with the wine.

Last time they had these Aldi fans I thought about getting one but they'd sold out. This time round I've gone off the idea.

It does mean I've now got a bit of space on top of the stove going spare, perhaps I could keep a few bottles of wine there?

Red wine obviously, it might be a bit warm for white.

[mrsmelly]

3 minutes ago, Lily Rose said:

I haven't got enough room for food, wine and beer so I don't bother with the wine.

Last time they had these Aldi fans I thought about getting one but they'd sold out. This time round I've gone off the idea.

It does mean I've now got a bit of space on top of the stove going spare, perhaps I could keep a few bottles of wine there?

Red wine obviously, it might be a bit warm for white.

The voice of reason

[mross]

Stove fans have a power of just a watt*, maybe less.  Yer average tower fan uses about 40 to 60 watts.  No wonder the stove fans are useless!

* https://stovefanreviews.com/product/ecofan-airmax-model-812/

Edited October 3, 2017 by mross

[MtB]

3 minutes ago, mross said:

Stove fans have a power output of just a few watts, maybe less than 1.  Yer average tower fan uses about 40 to 60 watts.  No wonder the stove fans are useless!

 

They are not useless. They give a continuous audio indication of the temperature of the stove, which I find very useful indeed...

[mrsmelly]

11 minutes ago, mross said:

Stove fans have a power of just a watt*, maybe less.  Yer average tower fan uses about 40 to 60 watts.  No wonder the stove fans are useless!

* https://stovefanreviews.com/product/ecofan-airmax-model-812/

Yes, having read their schpeel on your link they are actualy admitting they are a complete waste of time which is astounding for an advert.

[mross]

I agree with MtB that they are useful for telling you when to add fuel.  And I found this test that shows they can have a small effect.  http://www.reuk.co.uk/wordpress/heating/valiant-premiair-4-stove-fan-testing/.  I have Stirling engined fan which is a thing of beauty but makes no discernible difference to temperatures away from the fire.

[mross]

More evidence of how feeble they are https://www.amazon.co.uk/First4spares-Powered-Electric-Burner-Friendly/dp/B00IE9QHYW

This motor is 0.24W !!!!

[cuthound]

56 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

They are not useless. They give a continuous audio indication of the temperature of the stove, which I find very useful indeed...

Sounds like the bearings need replacing. 

[Nightwatch]

3 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

There are things that are meant to be on a narrowboat and things that are not. Two main things that are meant never to be on a narrowboat are a silly stove fan and an even sillier pram hood. Two things that should be on all narrowboats are beer and wine.

This post has depressed me considerably.

We have a useless stove fan, a pram hood. We don't have beer nor wine onboard. I'm on a dryout ready for eldest sons wedding soon. So that I'll get some of me in my suit.

cheers Tim, you know where it hurts.

[rasputin]

1 hour ago, Nightwatch said:

This post has depressed me considerably.

We have a useless stove fan, a pram hood. We don't have beer nor wine onboard. I'm on a dryout ready for eldest sons wedding soon. So that I'll get some of me in my suit.

cheers Tim, you know where it hurts.

be careful of alcoholic shock when you start back up again

 

[Dr Bob]

6 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

There are things that are meant to be on a narrowboat and things that are not. Two main things that are meant never to be on a narrowboat are a silly stove fan and an even sillier pram hood. Two things that should be on all narrowboats are beer and wine.

Hang about!!

What about coal? Beer - Yes. Wine - yes......but you cant drink in the cold.....can you? Beer, Wine and Coal - luvely.

Silly stove fans are dependent on coal as well!

[MtB]

On 03/10/2017 at 22:37, Dr Bob said:

Hang about!!

What about coal? Beer - Yes. Wine - yes......but you cant drink in the cold.....can you?

 

Actually yes you can, slugging from a hip flask filled with good scotch when boating on one of those crisp, bright, clear and dead calm and freezing cold days we get around New Year is one of those sublime boating pleasures the rush-hour fair-weather-boaters never experience.