Stove efficiency & blower loudness

[John_S]

Hello,

I am in the market for an insert and have been wondering how accurate the efficiency numbers are that some manufacturers provide? Should the efficiency be used in the purchase decision?

Also, does anyone have recommendations for which manufacturers build the quietest blowers? In the past (actually long past) I have heard blowers that could mask conversations.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

John

 

[R&D Guy]

John,

I can't find the link right now, but any mfg who also sells in Canada has to perform CSA P4 efficiency testing which is a test that must be witnessed by an accredited testing agency. On the CSA website is a list of mfg's and their appliances and it lists the efficiency numbers.

I think this is a good apple to apple comparison since each mfg is running the same exact test and the numbers are verified by another lab. I wouldn't trust what is listed in a brochure or manual as I've found that most mfg's tweak the numbers and or tests to produce the maximum possible AFUE. The ANSI Z21.88 (US Standard - AFUE, Steady State #'s) is a test which the mfg can do on their own.

As far as quietest blower, I'd ask to hear the blower when you've narrowed it down to a few different units. Both wind noise and harmonics play a big roll unit to unit even if they have the same blower.

I hope this helps.

 

[John_S]

Thank you for the information, I appreciate it. However, in my experience the folks selling the stoves/inserts tell me that they don't have the ability in the showroom to start one of the blowers for me to listen to. Therefore, if anyone has any information on ones that may be quiet or ones to avoid, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks,

John

 

[GVA]

Don't they plug into an outlet?
Don't they have an outlet?

 

[budman]

Don't they plug into an outlet?
Don't they have an outlet?

Thats what i was saying. :coolsmirk:

 

[BrotherBart]

Don't they plug into an outlet?
Don't they have an outlet?

Yeah. Tell them the local Goodwill Store has an outlet for customers to test electrical things. That ought to put an interesting look on their faces.

Or better yet, walk in with a fifty foot extension cord. Preferably one of the orange ones.

But actually I have never seen a blower that wouldn't "mask a conversation" if it is running on high. At least not any blower that was worth having. Well, except if it was my brother-in-law. A running chainsaw wouldn't mask his conversations.

 

[budman]

Don't they plug into an outlet?
Don't they have an outlet?

Yeah. Tell them the local Goodwill Store has an outlet for customers to test electrical things. That ought to put an interesting look on their faces.

Or better yet, walk in with a fifty foot extension cord. Preferably one of the orange ones.

But actually I have never seen a blower that wouldn't "mask a conversation" if it is running on high. At least not any blower that was worth having. Well, except if it was my brother-in-law. A running chainsaw wouldn't mask his conversations.

OUCH :grrr:

 

[thechimneysweep]

Most of today's insert blowers are wired through thermo-discs that sense the temperature of the firebox and won't allow blower operation unless a fire is going. Since installing an insert as a showroom "burn model" involves installing a fireplace to put it in, most woodstove shops don't burn inserts, so they can't turn on the blower for you.

 

[jqgs214]

My PE insert has a thermoswitch fo rthe insert and and override where you can turn it on all the time. I'll says its quieter than the one on my old Dutchwest insert. The surround makes a difference too. The beefier the less likely to vibrate against the hearth.

 

[budman]

Most of today's insert blowers are wired through thermo-discs that sense the temperature of the firebox and won't allow blower operation unless a fire is going. Since installing an insert as a showroom "burn model" involves installing a fireplace to put it in, most woodstove shops don't burn inserts, so they can't turn on the blower for you.

Seeing it is on display it dosent take much to jump the switch. :lol:

 

[hilly]

I just got a blower for my insert and on low I can barely hear it, in fact the nearby fish tank masks the blower completely. On high, it's not the blower I can hear, but the air being pushed through the insert.

 

[DiscoInferno]

I've gone through various experiments with blowers on three fireplaces now. The quietest is my Majestic, which has a double squirrel-cage blower that pulls air from the ends (the cages are otherwise enclosed). On my previous prefab and the Ultima that replaced it, I used the "open" type of squirrel-cage where the fins are exposed. Those seem to be louder in general, but especially if either intake or exit are at all obstructed. When that happens you get a lot of turbulence and it also causes the cage to rotate faster, both are loud. The other source of noise is vibration, it can be really hard to prevent vibration transfer from the motor to the metal shell of a ZC fireplace or insert if they don't have a good mounting setup (none of my have). So those might be some things to look for. You definitely want a speed control on the blower so you can turn it down when you are in that room.