What we got here is a dilemma

Ya but what do you think of blowers on wood stoves?

 

My office has an HVAC blower that puts excessive amounts of cold air directly on me so I have a non-stove reason to dislike blowers.

Beyond that, one of the reason I'm a lurker is that I'm not qualified to comment. I learned a long time ago that acting like I know what I'm talking about when I don't is a surefire way to get into trouble.

 

Doesn't stop many from it.

 

from danimal;

"I learned a long time ago that acting like I know what I'm talking about when I don't is a surefire way to get into trouble."


one of my favorite aphorisms is;

"the path to true intelligence is knowing that you dont know"

 

Very good I like that , for the most part stupid people are too stupid to know they are stupid.
I need to add that I am one of the smarter stupid people as I know I am stupid.

 

yeah sparky, but that makes you smart enough to know you need to learn. when i find myself lacking knowlege i make a point to research the topic to find out. hence the affinity to the quote i dropped in above though i do not know the actual source i read it somewhere and it kinda stuck.

IMHO "stupid" is a bit broad a descriptive (i understand you are being self depricating) but uneducated is how we all start out, the truly "stupid" are those who do not endeavor to learn. one must first accept that they may not "know" but then they must make the effort to find out.

 

Few will be able to call you on it, though, because we don't know what we're talking about, either.

 

My Dad had a classmate in Med school that he couldn't stand. A real know it all, who never did a thing for anyone else, and took advantage of people. Thought he knew everything. Which resulted in my Dad's quote in his yearbook when he graduated: "I was gratified to be able to answer when called upon. I said I didn't know."

His question to us in response to any question to him was invariably, "What do you think?" H listened patiently to our speculations, then answered the question.

SO: My speculations about this blower issue:

1) IF you have a soapstone stove, you likely experience less contrast with/without blower than if you have a cast iron, or more markedly a steel stove, since soapstone conducts heat much more slowly. I would expect the blower would therefore move heat off the stove more slowly. So, with a soapstone stove, you likely do just as well, if not better, gently blowing cold air into the stove room to get air circulating slowly in the home.

2) With the PH and the IS, the slanted fireback throws a huge amount of heat out the glass window. Woodstock had to put IR protection on the glass to meet front clearances that were reasonable. So a lot of heat comes out of this stove very freely and quickly, and is easily dispersed with a small floor fan pointing at the stove room. The stove body does not get as hot, as well as not conducting the heat as quickly. So, a blower on the stove would likely be less effective than one on a stove which maintains a higher stove body temp.

For these reasons, the Woodstock stoves do not need blowers, and indeed may work better without blowers, and with a fan gently blowing cold air into the stove room from the far end of the house. I am certain that it Woodstock felt the stoves would heat more effectively with blowers thy would have blowers.

That is NOT to say that blowers are not a great positive addition for cast iron and steel stoves. All stoves do not heat exactly the same.

I would encourage BB to try a Woodstock without a blower, but I don't think he has room to put one in his kitchen. The large Woodstocks require a bigger hearth than that.

 

So I spoke to my buddy today on the subject of the affects of the blower on a stove, and I made sure he understood the different stoves (t stat versus no stat...). He still says in theory the blower will make a stove burn more wood. I will not even attempt to explain why/how as he did to me, there were waaaaaay to many words I don't know what they are or how to spell them, OR what they mean.

But, he did say this affect would be VERY small, such that we as regular stove users/burners, would not really notice it or be able to record it without some sensitive equipment.

Now, keep in mind none of this has anything to do with why I don't like blowers. I say no to blowers on stoves for the simple fact they are annoyingly noisy.

Anywho, carry on.....

 

"He still says in theory the blower will make a stove burn more wood."
Theory's don't cut it in wood burning!

 

Mr. Winchester stated back in the day- " I'll stop learning when I stop breathing." I work that into my life- everyday.