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These days, most homes are heated by furnaces or heat pumps. They're efficient, effective systems that can provide even heat throughout a home and help contribute to improved indoor air quality along with many other benefits. Those are among the reasons they've become so common in modern homes.
Honouring Home Heating Traditions
Of course, not everyone wants gas or electric heat in their homes. Some people prefer to stick to the old ways to an extent, and many of them insist that there's nothing quite as comforting as the warmth of a wood stove. One of the problems with wood stoves, though, is that their heat rises straight up, leaving much of a room feeling cold and uncomfortable.
Solving a Common Problem with Wood Stoves
Stove fans help solve the problem of uneven heating with wood stoves. Two of the most common types are the Stirling engine stove fan and the thermoelectric stove fan. Though they both serve the same purpose, they work in different ways. Understanding their differences can help you choose the right stove fan for your home.
How Do Stirling Engine Stove Fans Work?
A fan that's powered by a Stirling engine sits on top of a wood stove. While there's a fire burning in the stove, the bottom of the fan gets hot, and the top stays cooler. Inside the fan, there's a sealed chamber that's filled with air or another gas. As the gas near the bottom heats up, it expands and pushes a small piston. When it starts to cool, it contracts and pulls the piston back down. This cycle repeats itself, effectively driving the engine to turn the fan and keep air circulating throughout a room.
How Do Thermoelectric Stove Fans Work?
Thermoelectric stove fans also sit on top of wood stoves, and they look similar to their counterparts. They're simpler than Stirling engine models, though, and they work differently. Instead of having a piston inside, they rely on a thermoelectric module. This device generates electricity when one side is hot and the other side is cool. That electricity then powers a small electric motor that causes the fan blades to spin.
Comparing the Two
Though both types of fans prevent heat from a wood stove from simply rising to the ceiling and spreading out, they each have their own benefits and drawbacks. Stirling engine fans run quietly, and they look nice. They often take a little longer to start running and distributing warm air, but they run smoothly once they're in motion.
Thermoelectric fans are more common and easier to find. They start running more quickly as well. At the same time, they rely on electrical energy rather self-powered pistons.
Finding the Right Fan for Your Wood Stove
If you prefer to heat your home with a wood stove, you'll need some type of fan to spread its warmth. Both Stirling engine stove fans and thermoelectric models can do the job. If you love the nostalgia of a traditional engine turning heat into motion, the former will definitely appeal to you. On the other hand, if you want something a little plainer and more basic, the latter might be what you're looking for.