I had one that I threw away after a couple of weeks. The noise was hideous. Really did not add much more heat to the room. I ended up with a polished plate of stainless in the back to reflect the heat out of the fire box. Have not a clue if it really helped, but it was quiet and the flames dancing on the stainless were pretty.
I have an existing wood burning fireplace which does not have a blower. I was wondering if anyone knows if there is an aftermarket blower which can be easily installed. Possibly a log holder which has a fan built into it?
Thanks
Friend (a machinist) tried that years ago. Then he checked out the little woodstove I had, made a copy of it, and forgot all about the fireplace.
Because it was (and is) obvious that a fireplace is a ventilator, not a heating device. Nice to look at, but so is a woodstove with lots of glass in the door(s). All that airflow up chimney from fireplace is the efficiency-killer, more so the greater the difference between indoor and outdoor temp, not to mention the hours the damper is open while the fire dies.
Thin-wall tubing sitting right next to fire will not last long, either.
Sorry 'bout that.
You'll do just as well with a small fan in the room. Get a 10" box fan
Too many variables to be able to say that with certainty.
When I moved into my house, the fireplace was poorly designed with incorrect dimensions. It sucked warm air out so that there was a minus heat gain. I added glass doors, it helped, retain heat but there was still little heat gain. I had my FIL weld up a box about 2 inches deep that would just fit behind the grate against the back of the firebox (about 18 x 24 inches). Added a square tube at the front that fit under the bottom of the glass door frame and was blocked in the middle but had fitting to blow air into one end the box and return it to the far side of the square tube. I used stainless steel flexible pipe (for auto exhaust systems) to connect the front tube with the box. Drove air through the box with a small squirrel cage fan. The most important factor was the cfm of the fan.
This system provide a huge heat gain from the fireplace. Circulating air without this system would help improve the temp, but would add little heat gain, minor transfer from the glass.
You're right. First reading a Franklin stove came to mind where a fan gently passing some air over it moves the heat.
Damn! Doesn't that just piss you off when you go back and it says something different than you thought. Anyway, I agree a fan by a stove, especially a multiple speed one, works marvels.
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