Heat reclaimes cool down flue gases, leading to creosote deposits. If you have an EPA stove, you generally can't afford to loose heat in the flue. I wouldn't do it.
There is a lot of heat that is just sent up the flue. At some point, someone somewhere is going to produce something that will reclaim a portion of that heat without being detrimental to the operation of our coveted wood stoves. When it comes to heating, look to Canada or Europe for efficiency innovations is what professors told us back in the 90's. The recoheat is from UK as far as I can tell. Looks interesting. I tried to find out just how much of an impact it has on heat removal of the flue temps but wasn't able to. I found this I always take the stove pipe off at the stove so cleaning that wouldn't be an issue anyway. Still, I don't think I would give it a try in my home. Looks like they've been around for a year or so-I'll let others try them out.
The problem is not when one burns high, and there is a bunch of heat available (before gases in the flue get too cold). The problem is that the thing is still there when one burns at lower heat - then the gases might get too cold. So for me this would be worth trying if it is possible to switch it off (block any heat extraction) for when one burns low. (Just like a stove fan: great when burning hot, less useful when burning low - at least for my stove it'd result in flue gases that are too low as when I burn low I already have to take care not to get below 250 F or so.)
Maybe ask for customer referrals? I mean, I'm pretty sure I know what the manufacturer will say about their product..... I only found one question asking about how much the flue temperature decreases. The written answer was skirted IMO. Be cautious.
One question I will ask them is can I touch the flue pipe when the Recoheat is operating without burning my finger.
I would ask directly for flue temp measurements of when it is in use and again when it is not in use. If they don't have them, I'd ask why not? With those measurements, it would be easy to tell just how much heat is being "robbed". The fires in all of his videos seem to be smaller or just started fires. I could be wrong but thats what they look like to me
Those are good questions. I think the fires in the videos are as you say are start ups. Recoheat says that their item starts throwing heat as long as there's heat in the firebox.That's a good sign.You don't have to wait for the stove to start generating heat before you get good heat into the home. I do like that feature.They go on to say that their recoheat will continue to throw heat even at the end of the burn when there's only coals left in the stove.I like that feature also.If I do make the move to buy it won't be until the middle of next September.Recoheat gives you sixty days to return it for a refund minus shipping if you don't like it.
So this is an aquarium air pump that pushes air through a coil in the flue pipe? Am I missing something?
Those are all BAD reasons to buy one...you need the flue gasses to be a very BARE minimum of 212* at the chimney cap...most will say a more realistic minimum is 250*, just because 212* is riding right on the bleeding edge of problems, which range from annoying, to full blown catasrophe. The only way that any of these flue heat recovery devices every work out is if you have an old and very inefficient stove that you run HARD, with VERY high flue temps...then it would be fine...but nobody runs that way all the time...and then here comes the creosote. My opinion is that he who buys a Recoheat will soon be in the market for a device called Recobuxx.
Ya I hear you but I think I'll be the test dummy.God willing I'll give a future review.Don't make a move until I get back to you.
