What Are the Benefits of Using a Log Burner Fan?

Whether you’re a long time owner of a log burner, or a complete newbie, you may have heard that it’s worthwhile investing in a log burner fan. But, is it really a clever investment? Keep reading and the Direct Stoves team will provide the answer…

What is a log burner fan?

As we like to do here at Direct Stoves, we’ll kick things off with a definition.

A log burner fan, otherwise known as a stove fan, is a device that can be attached to a wood-burning or multi-fuel stove to improve how heat is circulated and distributed. It is designed to create more consistent heat, reducing extreme temperature changes around the home.

Log burner fans are typically freestanding, that is, they are placed on top of a log burner. Through a process (which we’ll explain shortly), log burner fans change the radiated heat that is coming from your stove into convected heat.

Put simply, a log burner fan helps to more evenly distribute the heat from a log burner around a room.

Without a log burner fan, you’ll tend to find that the heat generated by a stove tends to hang around it. In the worst case, if you have your stove located in a fireplace, then you can find that most of the heat generated is lost up the chimney!

Log burner fans stop this from happening, pushing heat out, away from the stove, and deeper into your living space.

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How do log burner fans work?

Looking at a log burner fan, you could be forgiven for thinking it was a super complicated contraption, but in actual fact, it’s pretty straightforward.

The science made simple:

When the log burner is in action, heat rises from the top surface of the stove.
The base of the log burner fan (which is in contact with the top surface of the stove), conducts this heat.
The heat keeps travelling up until it reaches the Peltier module part of the fan. This is a nifty device that generates thermoelectric energy by keeping one side hot and one side cool (‘thermal difference’). This temperature difference between each side of the module creates a ‘potential difference’ (e.g. a voltage).
This voltage is then used to drive the stove fan motor, turning the blades, and circulating heat around the room more effectively.

All the log burner fans available from our heating supplies company, Trade Price Flues, are made with anodised aluminium. This means they have been treated to improve durability and increase resistance against corrosion.

They are also able to operate from temperatures of only 50 °C, which means the log burner fan kicks into action quickly and easily even as your stove is still working towards its optimum operating temperature.

The benefits of using a log burner fan

If you’ve been thinking about getting a stove fan for your log burner but wondering if they really work or what the benefits are, don’t go anywhere. Below, we summarise the many different reasons why installing a log burner fan is a real no-brainer.

Quicker, more consistent room heating

Log burners look beautiful and offer a cosy crackle of flames that is appealing in all types of homes, traditional or modern. However, it can sometimes take a little while for them to reach their optimum operating temperature.

The way log burner fans work, as outlined earlier on, ensures that as soon as your stove begins generating heat, this heat is distributed around your living space, warming it up. You’ll be able to heat up a room far quicker than if you didn’t have a stove fan.

Better heat dispersal

A stove fan is purposely designed to improve heat projection and boost airflow.

One of the ways this is achieved is by circulating heat horizontally using the fan blades, rather than it rising vertically as it does from a stove with no fan. This helps to heat the entire room, not just the vicinity above and around the burner itself.

Improved log burner efficiency

Stove fans don’t just improve the circulation of heat, they also boost the performance of your log burner too. This means it will operate more efficiently on a day-to-day basis, but also have a longer lifespan too.

The freestanding stove fans we sell via our heating supplies company, Trade Price Flues, have the potential to improve the efficiency of your log burner by up to 33%.

No need for additional electricity or batteries

A log burner fan is driven by the heat produced when the stove is on and the thermoelectric energy conducted by the Peltier module.

This means they are self-powered devices and therefore don’t require batteries or an electric mains source to function. This helps you preserve energy and save money simultaneously.

More cost-effective heating

With more effective heat circulation and reduced fuel consumption, you will notice the benefits when it comes to your utility bills and fuel costs too.

So, although buying and fitting a stove fan might require a small initial investment, it will pay (quite literally) in the long run for years to come.

Quiet and unobtrusive operation

Log burner fans are self-powered and driven by the heat produced when the stove is in use. This means there is little to no sound when they’re running, as there are no noisy motors or clunky mechanical parts in motion.

High-quality stove fans are also designed to be streamlined and unintrusive, so once installed, they don’t ruin your decor aesthetic or take up too much space.

In fact, we stock interchangeable stove fan blades (gold, silver, and bronze) via our heating supplies company, Trade Price Flues if you want something that will make more of a style statement.

Zero-hassle operation

Because stove fans are able to generate their own electricity via their Peltier module via thermal difference, they will start working automatically once your stove reaches a certain temperature.

This means you don’t have to turn a log burner fan on or off - it’ll simply start operating when you need it to.

Safer for pets and children

A log burner fan distributes heat far more evenly around the room, which means you don’t need to get as close to the stove itself to get nice and toasty.

This is a great way to keep children and pets warm without them being in proximity to flames or hot stove parts.

Shop Log Burner Fans at Trade Price Flues

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Is it easy to install a stove fan?

One of the other great benefits of a freestanding fan for your log burner is that they are super easy to fit. You can, of course, hire a professional to do it for you, but with the right tools and some simple instructions, you should be able to do it yourself.

Typically, a log burner fan can simply be placed on a flat, steady surface towards the back of the stove. If there is a flue pipe coming out the top of the stove, the fan should be positioned towards the back to the side of the pipe.

If you bring the fan too far forward, you won’t feel the full effects of it. If you place the fan too close to the flue, it will get too hot, too quickly, and again, you won’t benefit from its full performance potential.

What other log burner accessories should you get?

In addition to a log burner fan, there are a few other accessories that’ll come in really handy once you start using your wood burner on a regular basis. We’ve detailed these top accessories below.

Flue thermometer

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One of the most useful accessories you can buy for your log burner (aside from a stove fan, of course!) is a flue thermometer.

Designed to magnetically attach to the flue pipe of your log burner, a flue thermometer will provide you with an accurate reading of the temperature your stove is currently burning at.

This is particularly handy as it’ll help you keep your stove burning within its optimum operating temperature range, saving you money on firewood and preventing potentially dangerous overheating.

Log burner gloves

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Another useful accessory to have at hand (if you’ll excuse the pun), is a pair of log burner gloves.

Manufactured from leather and suede and with long protective cuffs, our log burner gloves are the perfect way of protecting your hands when you need to open your log burner’s door whilst it’s hot.

With a set of log burner gloves, you’ll be able to top up your stove with more fuel without the worry of getting burnt.

Fire tool

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You’ll often find that you need to adjust the logs within your stove as they burn. They might roll away from the main body of the fire. Or you may just need to readjust them, so they are properly consumed by the fire.

Whatever it is, if you need to adjust the logs within your stove, then you’re going to need a fire tool.

Here at Direct Stoves, we stock a fire tool which features a steel main section for durability, and a handle which will protect you from conducted heat.

Wondering where to buy a top-quality stove fan? Look no further

If you’re ready to start reaping the rewards of a stove fan for your log burner, you’ll find everything you need at our heating supplies company, Trade Price Flues. Get premium products for the best prices, so you can benefit from a fair cost without any compromise on quality.

There you’ll also find handy accessories such as a magnetic flue pipe stove temperature gauge and a wood moisture meter. When you equip yourself with all the right tools, you can enjoy the comforts of a wood-burning fire with none of the hassle.