Eco Fan

[mrsmelly]

Just a quick question realy. We all know how fantastic Eco fans are and we know we have to be safety conscious re not putting them in a position to blast hot air at the cabin sides and induce a fire, however do the panel think a 2, 3 or 4 bladed or even the later multi bladed types are the best in relation to safety and performance?

Thankyou for ANY input.

[Mac of Cygnet]

Sorry I can't answer your question, as we've only got a 2 bladed cheapo one on the stove at home, but I presume you've already perused the 33 pages of posts you get when you search for 'ecofan' ? 

[frahkn]

2 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Just a quick question realy. We all know how fantastic Eco fans are and we know we have to be safety conscious re not putting them in a position to blast hot air at the cabin sides and induce a fire, howe the panel think a 2, 3 or 4 bladed or even the later multi bladed types are the best in relation to safety and performance?

Thankyou for ANY input.

I bought a 4 bladed fan and later was given a 3 bladed one.

I find the 4 bladed version is quieter and more effective.

Neither of them will move warm air down the length (70') of my boat but they do prevent the heat 'layering' by the roof. Without one I can be comfortable sitting down but when I rise from my chair, I find a layer of very hot air in the top third of the cabin. If this is evenly distributed by a fan, I can turn the fire down.

[Sea Dog]

Context is everything. If you wish to send a jet blast right to the back of the boat, a pair of contra-rotating props might be best, whereas to get a good mix of air throughout the saloon might be better achieved by replacing any of the single fan units with a chef's whisk.

[Dave Payne]

Why stop at  four blades?

 

[cuthound]

I think you will find that the zero bladed one is just as effective as any bladed one and quieter to boot. 

[ditchcrawler]

O you non believers 

[GUMPY]

Five blades is the optimum 

https://www.stirlingengine.co.uk/d.asp?product=VULCANSTOVEFAN

[MtB]

1 hour ago, Dave Payne said:

Why stop at  four blades?

 

 

Do you think that bloke has noticed that ENORMOUS aeroplane behind him?

[artleknock]

6 minutes ago, Loddon said:

Five blades is the optimum 

https://www.stirlingengine.co.uk/d.asp?product=VULCANSTOVEFAN

I see that they are in stock ready to ship. £155.

I'm not surprised

[Dave Payne]

How many blades would it take to start moving the fan backwards, or maybe forwards...

[mrsmelly]

4 minutes ago, Dave Payne said:

How many blades would it take to start moving the fan backwards, or maybe forwards...

Ah yes thanks a very good safety question. Could the blades have an adverse effect on the manouvering of a boat and amputate a limb if the fan took off and flew thirty feet down the cabin spinning wildly and hitting someone? Has anyone on the forum had one fall over whilst the boat is moving and sliced through the top of the stove or flue thus making a danger of co poisoning?

[Dave Payne]

2 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Ah yes thanks a very good safety question. Could the blades have an adverse effect on the manouvering of a boat and amputate a limb if the fan took off and flew thirty feet down the cabin spinning wildly and hitting someone? Has anyone on the forum had one fall over whilst the boat is moving and sliced through the top of the stove or flue thus making a danger of co poisoning?

I put my finger in mine once, glad to say finger is still intact.

[Richard10002]

Given that they spin and cause a piece of paper held near to them to flap a little, they must be moving air, even if only very gently.

I have one that came with the boat and find it handy to tell me when the fire is going out, or too hot if I havent noticed.

I wouldnt buy one with my own money.

[cereal tiller]

46 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Ah yes thanks a very good safety question. Could the blades have an adverse effect on the manouvering of a boat and amputate a limb if the fan took off and flew thirty feet down the cabin spinning wildly and hitting someone? Has anyone on the forum had one fall over whilst the boat is moving and sliced through the top of the stove or flue thus making a danger of co poisoning?

The Fan's momentum can be Safely arrested by the Skin from a Small Rice Pudding, so I am led to believe ....

[Laurie Booth]

3 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

Just a quick question realy. We all know how fantastic Eco fans are and we know we have to be safety conscious re not putting them in a position to blast hot air at the cabin sides and induce a fire, however do the panel think a 2, 3 or 4 bladed or even the later multi bladed types are the best in relation to safety and performance?

Thankyou for ANY input.

Are you using this fan in the UK as it will help us to know the country for its intended use?

 

[matty40s]

4 minutes ago, Laurie.Booth said:

Are you using this fan in the UK as it will help us to know the country for its intended use?

 

Ones designed for Southern Hemisphere use are wired in reverse and will add cold air to the stove top if used in England.

[Mac of Cygnet]

1 hour ago, matty40s said:

Ones designed for Southern Hemisphere use are wired in reverse and will add cold air to the stove top if used in England.

So what happens at the equator?  Is it like bathwater which doesn't know which way to go down the plughole?  Where's Mr Coriolus when you need him?

But they wouldn't use ecofans on the equator, I suppose.

[Dr Bob]

32 minutes ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

 

But they wouldn't use ecofans on the equator, I suppose.

Of course they would. You have to cool the boat down. So when you buy your block of ice to put on the table at the front of the boat, you need to move that 'coolth' around. Simple, put the eco fan on top of the ice. The snag here is that it will blow backwards and so force the cold air into the cupboards. If you get a degree in electrical engineering though you could switch the wires around to make it go the right way.  A bigger snag maybe finding a narrow boat to put it on near the equator.

[ditchcrawler]

4 hours ago, Loddon said:

Five blades is the optimum 

https://www.stirlingengine.co.uk/d.asp?product=VULCANSTOVEFAN

There are some model Stirling Engines in the local auction at the end of month. Twin and single cylinder as well as a model beam engine and other steam engines.  I will stay away.

[Sea Dog]

I don't believe some of the posters on here actually have Ecofans, otherwise we'd be seeing far more sensible responses. For example, no one has yet suggested what I do with mine in the summer which is to place it on top of the fridge to run off the (free) waste coldness and keep the boat cool. No rewiring nonsense required, and it doesn't go backwards because, rather like a thermos flask which 'just knows' to keep warm things warm and cool things cool, the Ecofan also 'just knows'.

[Dr Bob]

22 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

I don't believe some of the posters on here actually have Ecofans, otherwise we'd be seeing far more sensible responses. For example, no one has yet suggested what I do with mine in the summer which is to place it on top of the fridge to run off the (free) waste coldness and keep the boat cool. No rewiring nonsense required, and it doesn't go backwards because, rather like a thermos flask which 'just knows' to keep warm things warm and cool things cool, the Ecofan also 'just knows'.

I think there is a lot of truth in that so have a greenie. The problem for me is that Ecofans here seem to have become a joke and the widely held view is that they dont work (apart from being a glorified thermometer). All the 'usual suspects' knock them and that builds this impenetrable position that they are a waste of space. Any newbie (like me) who tries to speak up just gets flattened by the overwhelming weight of 'closed mindedness' that exists and will always exist here. Stove fans have become one of the great topics to make jokes about – and I dont have a problem with that and will join in - but the banter should put down stuff that does have a purpose.

That said, I was about to post my own thread this morning on Ecofans but Tim beat me to it.

We are in our first winter aboard and it was becoming a talking point that we didnt have a stove fan. I looked at the Aldi deal a month or two back but couldnt be bothered to get out of bed at 7am to go and make sure I got one. I therefore looked at the internet to see if I could find anything with a better reputation. I found the following from the EcoFan lot.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Baby-Equaliser-Blade-Powered-Stove/dp/B01N6ZLFP0/ref=lp_1938348031_1_27_sspa?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1510834938&sr=1-27-spons&psc=1

It's a 5 blade fan, specially made for 2017 to be 'better'. Its one claim to fame is the throughput which is 265CFM. This seems twice as much as other fans on the market. Its a pretty heavy beast but is compact enough to fit on our small stove.

We bought one, an month ago. One month on, bottom line, I am quite surprised it has exceeded all my expectations in producing an air flow round the front of the boat. The 'layering' of heat is gone and the boat feels much better with warm feet and not overly hot high up. OK it doesnt get the heat to the back of the boat (63') but the front half certainly benefits. I can feel the fan at a distance of around 10-12ft. It is certainly far better than just a thermometer and I can actually say it was £55 well spent. I would give it 10 out of 10. Having tried this one, I wont be without one. Maybe the 5 blades help it move the 265CFM or air so it does work better than the earlier Ecofans.

[rusty69]

5 minutes ago, Dr Bob said:

I think there is a lot of truth in that so have a greenie. The problem for me is that Ecofans here seem to have become a joke and the widely held view is that they dont work (apart from being a glorified thermometer). All the 'usual suspects' knock them and that builds this impenetrable position that they are a waste of space. Any newbie (like me) who tries to speak up just gets flattened by the overwhelming weight of 'closed mindedness' that exists and will always exist here. Stove fans have become one of the great topics to make jokes about – and I dont have a problem with that and will join in - but the banter should put down stuff that does have a purpose.

That said, I was about to post my own thread this morning on Ecofans but Tim beat me to it.

We are in our first winter aboard and it was becoming a talking point that we didnt have a stove fan. I looked at the Aldi deal a month or two back but couldnt be bothered to get out of bed at 7am to go and make sure I got one. I therefore looked at the internet to see if I could find anything with a better reputation. I found the following from the EcoFan lot.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Baby-Equaliser-Blade-Powered-Stove/dp/B01N6ZLFP0/ref=lp_1938348031_1_27_sspa?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1510834938&sr=1-27-spons&psc=1

It's a 5 blade fan, specially made for 2017 to be 'better'. Its one claim to fame is the throughput which is 265CFM. This seems twice as much as other fans on the market. Its a pretty heavy beast but is compact enough to fit on our small stove.

We bought one, an month ago. One month on, bottom line, I am quite surprised it has exceeded all my expectations in producing an air flow round the front of the boat. The 'layering' of heat is gone and the boat feels much better with warm feet and not overly hot high up. OK it doesnt get the heat to the back of the boat (63') but the front half certainly benefits. I can feel the fan at a distance of around 10-12ft. It is certainly far better than just a thermometer and I can actually say it was £55 well spent. I would give it 10 out of 10. Having tried this one, I wont be without one. Maybe the 5 blades help it move the 265CFM or air so it does work better than the earlier Ecofans.

Out of interest Dr Bob, why did you pick the one with the lowest star rating?

[WotEver]

7 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Out of interest Dr Bob, why did you pick the one with the lowest star rating?

Because its name made him think of that Denzel Washington film...

Robert McCall: When you pray for rain, you gotta deal with the mud too.

[Bod]

17 minutes ago, Dr Bob said:

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Baby-Equaliser-Blade-Powered-Stove/dp/B01N6ZLFP0/ref=lp_1938348031_1_27_sspa?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1510834938&sr=1-27-spons&psc=1

Those prices have really fallen, since we got our 2 blade Eco Fan.

Would have another, but the choice now........

 

Bod