# Heat Powered Fans that sit on top of a stove



## drsimm1776 (Dec 5, 2012)

Where is the least expensive place to buy these fans? 
I.E. they have a big heat sink and blow air .
They are Goodness Sake expensive at the Stove stores.
Don in Colorado


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## Backwoods Savage (Dec 5, 2012)

Welcome to the forum Don.

Expensive all over. Just do a Google search for Eco fans. They come in 2 sizes. You can also do a search here on this forum as there have been many posts about them. For us, we bought one because my wife wanted one. We used it either 1 or 2 days and sent it back for a refund as it seems just a novelty and not practical. It will move so little air it is not worth the price.

If your idea is to just move air, simply use a small desk top fan and set it on the floor in a hallway or doorway. Run it on the lowest speed setting and aim it towards the stove room. This little trick will really heat up the far rooms much, much better and faster than trying to blow the hot air towards them.


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## Auzzie Gumtree (Dec 5, 2012)

Welcome Don - I have a Eco-fan. I bought it from Amazon - delivered to Australia and still half the price i could have bought one here  . I have 2 stoves so it is handy to move between the 2.

They dont move much air but they look cool and are a talking point. Also the biggest thing for me is that they are whisper quiet.


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## begreen (Dec 5, 2012)

I bought ours new many years ago on eBay in the summer for $90.


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## Treacherous (Dec 5, 2012)

Not sure how much mine was. It was a gift from my parents.  I've had mine about 5 or 6 years.


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## legrandice (Dec 5, 2012)

My parents have the larger eco fan.  It does not move much air at all, but it's a great conversation piece.


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## hotprinter (Dec 5, 2012)

They do not move much air but I love it because it is like a barometer for my blaze king. I can "read" it and know if I need more wood or more thermostat. It lets me know the stove is still hot as long as it is spinning. And it looks way cool. It is actually a sterling motor so it converts the heat into electricity which spins the fan. So it is actually an electric fan, powered by the heat of the stove.


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## BrotherBart (Dec 5, 2012)

I would love to have two of the things on the 30-NC but that is just too much money for a couple of fans for me. When two "personal" fans blowing into the fireplace are five bucks each. And will blow out a BIC lighter when I hold it over the top of the stove.


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## Corey (Dec 5, 2012)

Every time this comes up, the general consensus seems to be the electric fans (ecofan) are neat conversation pieces but a bit weak on the airflow.  The sterling fans (free breeze) cost a bit more but do actually move a bit of useable air.


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## Treacherous (Dec 6, 2012)

Corey said:


> The sterling fans (free breeze) cost a bit more but do actually move a bit of useable air.


 
They do look stout.


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## TradEddie (Dec 6, 2012)

hotprinter said:


> They do not move much air but I love it because it is like a barometer for my blaze king. I can "read" it and know if I need more wood or more thermostat. It lets me know the stove is still hot as long as it is spinning. And it looks way cool. It is actually a sterling motor so it converts the heat into electricity which spins the fan. So it is actually an electric fan, powered by the heat of the stove.


 
Ecofans are not Stirling engines.  Ecofans use a thermoelectric pad to generate electricity from the difference in heat between the hot stove and cooler air.  Stirling engines have been around since Victorian times and use the temperature difference to heat and cool air then use the pressure changes to drive pistons which directly power the fans.

TE


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## hotprinter (Dec 6, 2012)

TradEddie said:


> Ecofans are not Stirling engines.  Ecofans use a thermoelectric pad to generate electricity from the difference in heat between the hot stove and cooler air.  Stirling engines have been around since Victorian times and use the temperature difference to heat and cool air then use the pressure changes to drive pistons which directly power the fans.
> 
> TE


Oh. Corrected I stand.


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## hotprinter (Dec 6, 2012)

Corey said:


> Every time this comes up, the general consensus seems to be the electric fans (ecofan) are neat conversation pieces but a bit weak on the airflow.  The sterling fans (free breeze) cost a bit more but do actually move a bit of useable air.


Cool. I will have to check out the free breeze. I was under the misconception that the echo fan was a sterling engine.


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## schlot (Dec 6, 2012)

I bought one. It is a three bladed version. It's fun but is almost purely a toy.


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## HomeBruin (Dec 6, 2012)

I always wondered about those and never got one because of the high price.  But hey, if you use it the rest of your life and you pass it on to somebody who uses it for the rest of THEIR life, ya might save enough on electricity to pay for it compared to the cost of a normal fan!  Glad I didn't buy one.  An expensive fan that is impractical!  Gotta hand it to the guy selling 'em. 
I


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