This year I am running the Big Ugly with the fan on every load. Last year I didn't use the fan much at all, but after reading up on how Bart looked at it and used it as a heat exchanger, I figured I would change my burning habits to see what the difference would be. The difference is frickin' huge. HUGE. Currently 31 right now and the 30 has the room at over 80 degrees without even trying. Stove top is sitting at 300 living off of coal chunks. Not sure how much is contributed to the insulation to the other parts of the house, but 30-35 is a typical winter high. So, I would think this would be a decent indication of how this place will heat during the winter. Right now I have the Defiant and the 30 just kind of simmering. Other parts of the house are cooler, but I can bring those up to temp easily.
Using the fan to help regulate house temps is a good idea. Mines varies from off to med to high depending on the outside temps.
It took me a while to get over the fact that the stove top temps are lower by about 150 degrees. I kept seeing the temps and couldn't get over the dumb hurdle that I should ignore the stove top temps. Even when I used the fan last winter I would turn it off once the stove temps began to drop to 300. Keeping the fan on during the lower temps has been helping to extend the burn cycle by moving the heat that the stove is still producing out into the room.
The 30's is a simple "off", "low", "high" setup. The low is too loud for my liking, but the benefit outweighs the annoyance.
People have said that the fan makes the stove burn faster and also cools down the stove creating creosote. This is hogwash! When it's cold the blower makes a big difference and fortunately while expensive the T-5 blower is very quiet and is variable speed too.. I mentioned that the new WS stove could have incorporated a convection blower as an option as I feel it would be popular and still keep the stove cost down.. Ray
It's more perception than anything. The stove top will be about 150 degrees cooler than without the fan since the fan is constantly pushing cooler air over the stove. The stove is still technically running at the same temp. It will also seem to burn faster since the stove top temps will fall below 300 sooner. But, again, that is because the fan is bringing cool air over the top of the stove. The amount of air it heats when the fan is on is noticeably different if you stop worrying about stove top temps.
Agree on the fan. Mine is rarely not on. We're going to close off an entry near the stove, so the wife hung a sheet across the opening just to see if we'd notice a difference. I could feel the heat from the fan from 30' away, that was a first.
Easily maintaining 80 degrees with about 50% of the firebox loaded up with pine. Not that I want to maintain 80 degrees, but it is nice to do so easily. I got a nice 8 hours of usable heat from pine last night in the 30. Loose packed stove with odd, ugly splits. Probably about 70% of the firebox was used. This stove would rock if it were a cat stove.
BBar, I think you've already found yourself on a whole new learning curve after doing the insulation. I know it's changed how I do things a little bit. Keep experimenting.
The blower on the Mansfield has been any medium since the snap disc engaged on Thursday. After my mother in law left Sunday I've been getting 12 hour burns on a walnut/ ash mix. Tuesday temps barely broke into the 40s, lows in the upper teens to 30. Living room temperature hasn't been below 72 and topped out on one load at 84. On my 3rd year with this stove and finally getting it figured out.
I went my 1st season with no blower. The 2nd and 3rd season, I useit constantly. My blower is completely variable withthe rheostat. That said, the blower doesn't really "blow" a lot across the stove top. So I bent the back angle plate to about 90° and made a convection deck for it. Now, all the air is forced over the stove top. It's merely a steel plate (.040") with a cut out for the flue, and a piece of 4" rigid dryer vent cut in half. I added 2 bolts to keep the front level and painted to match stove. Works great
Is this the rheostat you have, Dex? I saw it posted on another site Reported to work just fine with the two speed, standard blower on the 30. http://www.northlineexpress.com/dia...ID=974960296&gclid=CK_ItcLtg7sCFS4aOgod_jgAFQ
Mine came with the long rectangular blower. Came with a rheostat installed. The new blowers are off/low/high I think. I kinda mod'd the rheostat aalso. I extended the wires so I have it at the front of the stove, so I don't have to go behind it to load the stove, then go back to turn it on.
I convinced the return desk at HD to take the smaller blower that came with the stove back and credit the price of buying one of them toward the larger blower, never used the smaller blower.
That's a nice setup you've got there, Dexter. I've continued to use the fan and the difference is still huge. It turns the 30 from a good heater on par with the Vigilant to turning the 30 into a monster. I can live off of coals a chit load longer. Keeping the room over 80 is easy. Which only highlights my need for a more control cat burn like the BK or, seemingly, like the Woodstock Steel. I have plenty of available heat. I just need a better way to harness it.
