That’s a little too vague. Why? Because I’m chiefly aiming this at those who own wood stoves.
We picked a beautiful blue enamelled, 450-pound Vermont Casting stove some 25 years ago (see photo) to add warmth to our newly-built solarium, off the open kitchen. To keep it fed, we buy something short of 3 bush cords of split hardwood.
It’s delivered every June by John the wood guy. Split and ready to go. This gives it five months to do away with any moisture.
Not long ago, a friend of Rosanne, knowing we had a wood stove, gave us something I’d never heard of, or seen before. It’s called an Eco fan.
It sits atop the stove, on the flatiron cooking surface and helps circulate the warm air up from below. It’s small twin blades spin like crazy, pushing this heat into the room.
What fascinated me was how well the darn thing worked. It came with zilch electric plug in. I googled ecofan.com. All I ever wanted to know was right there.
It was developed by guys from the Bruce peninsula in Ontario, where winters are nothing short of brutal. There are several sizes, the Classic variety delivers 175 CFM. Cubic feet per minute. (airflow)
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These fans use ‘thermoelectric technology’ to convert a temperature difference into electricity. Or simply the fan collects heat from the top of the stove while its fins maintain a cool temperature by drawing cooler air from behind the stove.
Don’t get it? How about this: [When this change happens] it causes electrons to flow, creating electricity to power and warm the room faster.
Author’s comment: All I know is the darn thing works. Another benefit: You don’t have to check how the fire is doing. Add more wood or not? Stay stretched out in your comfy Lay-z-boy and watch how fast the blades are spinning. Fast? Great. Slowing down? Add more wood. Amen to all that.
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