# Ecofan... are they worth the money?



## gdk84 (Mar 6, 2011)

I have been researching the Ecofan online and wanted to ask on here your personal opinion. I have a PE with a blower but was wondering if it would make a difference if i decided to use an Ecofan instead of the blower... since i am an off the grid guy as much as possible! I see they are a bit pricey, thats why im asking the question. Thanks guys!


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## Lynch (Mar 6, 2011)

i dont have one either but really think it would work well. 
might buy one myself 
really would be nice to hear from someone who has one tho.
or you could buy one then let me know how it works lol


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## Jimbob (Mar 6, 2011)

The people who buy 'em at crappy tire seem to like 'em:

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brow...fan+Airplus.jsp?locale=en#tab_page_reviews_li

If the link above asks you for a postal code, enter R3G 3J7


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## Ductape (Mar 6, 2011)

My Ecofan crapped out just beyond it's one year warranty period. After I paid $130 for it......... at least Ecofan coulda bought me dinner first.


Save your money....... they are a novelty.


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## Beetle-Kill (Mar 6, 2011)

Begreen, didn't you just do a test on these?


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## begreen (Mar 6, 2011)

We've owned one for almost a decade. Many threads already on this same topic. Search is your friend.


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## hotprinter (Mar 6, 2011)

I love mine, it just looks cool! It also lets me know if the fire needs tending. If it is going too slow, add more wood!


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## Hardrockmaple (Mar 6, 2011)

I've used the two-blade version (double up on the coldest days), for 10 years or more. They work for me.


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## branchburner (Mar 6, 2011)

They move a low volume of air at a very high price. I say not worth it.


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## begreen (Mar 6, 2011)

branchburner said:
			
		

> They move a low volume of air at a very high price. I say not worth it.



Worth is a relative term. Is a BMW worth anymore than a Corolla? Both get you where you need to go. If it does the job reliably then its worth depends on the individual. I have mp3 players in the drawer that cost more and now are passÃ©. In the meantime the ecofan has cost us about the same as a bottle of decent wine or a couple six packs per year, so for us it has proved its worth.

If the stove runs continually for 3 months or 2160 hrs and it saves roughly the equivalent of 25w fan, then it also saves 54KW per season. Plus it's a great remote temperature indicator and kinetic sculpture. Better than some static, dust-collecting statue sitting on the mantel I say.


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## Later (Mar 6, 2011)

BeGreen said:
			
		

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A friend just traded in her BMW for a Civic. We both think she made a good decision. Ecofans, IMHO are a sculpture that move some air and look better than the $5 10 inch box fan I have behind the stove.


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## branchburner (Mar 6, 2011)

BeGreen said:
			
		

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I'll be more specific. The ecofan does not get ME where I need to go - for me, it is a BMW with an empty tank. My stove sits in a fireplace and has a rear AB chamber that throws heat from the back. The natural convection currents bring hot air up and out, so the ecofan does work with the existing air flow, but the difference in its presence (or absence) is not discernible to me.

On the other hand, a fan on the floor blowing cool air towards the stove has an immediate effect, with a resulting flow of warmed air that can be felt across the room. So for my application, the ecofan falls into the general category of trying in vain to push hot air to a cooler area. Pushing the cool floor air to the stove gives noticeably better results.

If the fan works for some people, that is great. But it does not work for me, and it costs quite a premium for something that can't do the job. So while I like the idea that it uses no electricity, having no fan at all does the same, without the initial layout of resources (it does take energy to manufacture and transport an ecofan, after all).

 My $10 electric fan has paid for itself dozens of times over in helping to heat the entire house, and it uses very little juice. (PS - my Camry has 305k miles on it, and will not be traded in for a BMW!)


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## Backwoods Savage (Mar 6, 2011)

Are they worth the money? It depends upon whose money you are talking about. We bought one. We returned it only a few days later. Not worth my dollars. If they turn you on, go for it. Don't expect miracles. Consider the size of the blades and the speed of them turning and then consider the volume of air they will move.


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## gdk84 (Mar 7, 2011)

Backwoods Savage said:
			
		

> Are they worth the money? It depends upon whose money you are talking about. We bought one. We returned it only a few days later. Not worth my dollars. If they turn you on, go for it. Don't expect miracles. Consider the size of the blades and the speed of them turning and then consider the volume of air they will move.



Well, i mean are they worth the money as in being functional. So far i can see that they really are just a novelty piece...somthing im not willing to flip money for. That is what i mean by "are they worth the money as advertized to do".


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## gyrfalcon (Mar 7, 2011)

gdk84 said:
			
		

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I have one and I quite like it, but no question it doesn't move the warm air around much.  I point it directly at where I'm sitting near the stove, and the slight extra warmth is noticeable-- barely.  But it's definitely not a blower and doesn't move warm air around more than a few feet from the stove.

I like mine and I'm glad I have it, but certainly not worth the money in terms of function.  One of the things I like best about heating with wood is the quiet, so I'd honestly rather have chilly corners of the room than listen to the noise of a fan going.  I also appreciate, as somebody mentioned above, that I can tell from my office on the far side of the room whether the stove needs reloading or not just from the speed of the fan, or lack thereof.


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## Backwoods Savage (Mar 7, 2011)

gdk84 said:
			
		

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When we had one, I figured they might be okay, say, in a tent. That is, if someone was in a tent with a wood stove, then it might move enough air to keep the heat from completely pocketing right at the stove. In a large room, well, we really could not even feel any air movement. Therefore, we considered it only a novelty. For that, no problem. For us thought, we wanted something that would assist in the air movement and it simply could not move enough to be worthwhile.

Perhaps sitting close to the stove one could, like gryfalcon, feel a slight difference but methinks that also might be somewhat dependent upon the type of stoves. There is a huge difference in how different stoves feel. For sure with us, we had a steel stove before the soapstone and there is a tremendous difference in the feel of the heat. There is also some difference with cast stoves. With ours, a combination of soapstone and cast, sitting near the stove you just do not need anything blowing on you to enjoy the feel of the heat. 

Then, we also do have some members who like how they work and say they move the air in their homes okay. We just did not get that effect, so returned it for a full refund. I have no desire to try a different one.


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## begreen (Mar 7, 2011)

I view it as a convection assistant and not a prime mover of hot air. 150cfm is not a lot, but enough to keep things stirred up. It's 9000 cu ft an hour or a complete recycle of our first floor air every hour. But my observations are admittedly subjective. We notice that without the ecofan our kitchen pantry, 30 ft away, stays a bit cooler. During our long power outages I will take whatever assistance I can get.


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