Why should you use a wood stove fan? Wood stoves and pellet stoves are an efficient and green way of keeping your home heated.
However, a major disadvantage of stoves is that they can only heat the neighboring air, meaning unless you are situated close to the flame you won’t get very warm.
This issue can easily be remedied with the use of a good quality wood stove fan which modulates the way in which the hot air is circulated and distributed equally into your living space, resulting in a more comfortable and warmer environment.
However, with so much choice out there, it’s wise to know which fans are the best and which should be avoided. That’s why we’ve analyzed some of the best fans out there and made our recommendations based on the results.
Quick Picks: Best Wood Stove Fans Compared
| IMAGE | NAME | FEATURES | |
|---|---|---|---|
  | Voda Stove Fan |
| Check on Amazon |
  | Ecofan Stove Fan |
| Check on Amazon |
  | VonHaus Wood Stove Fan |
| Check on Amazon |
  | CWLAKON Wood Stove Fan |
| Check on Amazon |
  | GALAFIRE Eco Stove Fan |
| Check on Amazon |
  | Ecofan AirMax |
| Check on Amazon |
*All links above will take you to the latest prices on Amazon.com or you can read our in-depth wood stove fan reviews below.
- CFM: 175
- Power Source: Heat Powered
- Dimensions: 3.3 x 5.5 x 10 inches
Reputable Brand
Cafroma was first founded in 1955 and have been designing and manufacturing a range of products that utilize fractional motors ever since.
Their ecofan Alcona is the number one best seller on Amazon and in our view buying a woodstove fan from a reputable brand with a pristine reputation is always the best option for peace of mind.
Save Energy & Money
In real terms this fan will provide potential savings of up to 12% and heat generated by your stove will be felt 20% faster. This is a heat powered stove fan that operates automatically between 230°F and 650°F and moves up to 150 CFM (cubic feet per minute) of heated air making your heat circulate through you living space efficiently, which is always welcome especially in the colder seasons.
Aluminium Blades
The actual blade is made from aluminium which is one of the best heat conductors, ensuring optimum heat transfer, the distinction between this fan and others is that it’s been designed to perfection.
Other Features:
- 8-inch blade size.
- No electricity or batteries needed.
- CFM: 150
- Power source: Heat powered
- Dimensions: 3.3 x 5.5 x 10 inches
TEG Powered Fan
This automatic fan is brilliant for any wood stove that doesn’t exceed temperatures of 650°F and best of all it produces its own power, saving you money on electricity.
Other Features:
- One year warranty for peace of mind.
- Heat powered fan to save money and less noise.
- Gold or nickel blades available.
Quiet Operation
Additionally, it thrusts up to a healthy 150 CFM (cubic feet per minute) so you can be confident that this fan will circulate the heat from your stove to the rest of your room very effectively. Perhaps most importantly this fan is whisper quiet and already assembled for maximum convenience.
- CFM: 215
- Power source: Heat powered
- Dimensions: 8.3 x 4.7 x 8.3 inches
Heat Powered Fan
If you don’t mind paying a little more for the best, then this stove fan is where you should invest your money.
Perhaps the major negative of this fan is that it needs a little kick start with a hand spin, however, after that, it will be powered by the heat from the stove.
Efficiency & Eco-Friendly
The biggest advantage of this fan is that hot air will be circulated throughout your living space uniformly and far better than the cheaper alternatives, this is due to the 5 blades that have been engineered for optimum form and function.
Just like other heat powered fans, this is 100% eco-friendly since it doesn’t require any electricity or batteries and is very quiet.
In our view this is easily the best stove fan and although the price reflects that, we believe it’s worth it considering the great job it does at keeping your home nice and warm throughout the year.
Other Features:
- No fragile electronics.
- Circulates up to 2.2 times more air than other stove fans.
- Air flow is approximately 215 CFM at 930°F.
- Operates on almost all stoves.
- Runs from 300°F to 930°F.
What Is A Wood Stove Fan?
A blower or fan is composed of rotary blades that are designed to circulate the warm air heated surrounding and heated by your stove. This is advantageous since heat rises it tends to get trapped in the upper portion of your living space meaning the heat generated is not doing what you want it to do – keeping you and your family warm.
The rotation of the blades offers a simple yet effective solution, by recirculating and re-positioning the hot air through your living space your heat will quite literally go further than ever before.
The best part about many fan models is that the majority don’t require their separate source of power since they are usually powered using the heat of the stove.
How Does A Wood Stove Fan Work?
The majority of fans today are powered by a Thermoelectric Power Generator (TEG) or a Sterling Engine.
- TEG Power
Stoves that utilize TEG are most common out of the two. This device operates using a thermoelectric module, which consists of negative and positive semiconductors. Heat is transferred from the hot area i.e. the stove, to the cold metal of the fan, resulting in an electric current.
As a result, the heat produced from the stove is converted into electrical energy via a phenomenon known as the Seebeck effect. The energy produced then causes a rotary motor to start working and leading to the desired fan motion.
A major advantage of TEG models is that they are extremely reliable, do not require any other source of energy and since they do not require any moving parts they are possibly the safest option out of the two.
- Sterling Engine
A sterling engine or heat engine also utilizes the heat energy produced by the stove. The engine utilizes a cycle of compression and expansion caused by compressed air at different temperatures.
The heat from the stove causes hot air to expand causing a piston to contract, while the piston in the portion of the engine containing the cold air causes another piston to retract. In turn, this leads to an overall conversion of heat energy to do the mechanical work of turning the fan blade.
Watch a Wood Burning Stove Fan In Action
Where Should You Place Your Stove Fan?
In order to maximize the performance of your fan ensure you position it on a smooth, flat 
surface on top of your stove. Ensure that you place it in the middle or back of the stove and as far away from the flue pipe as possible. In addition, avoid placing it at the very front, or center.
The ideal placement is at the edge and middle position, this is where the cooler air can be drawn from behind and over the cooling fins for maximum benefit.
Why Is A Stove Fan So Important?
The majority of wood stoves come accompanied with a blower also called a fan, however often these aren’t very good and compared to the best wood stove blowers out there would perform pretty badly.
Sometimes the fan has to be purchased separate form the stove just like a chimney liner kit would if it was needed.
The truth is that a woodstove fan can save you money and heat your home a lot better since they can circulate the warm air equally throughout your living space and prevent it being lost up your chimney.
A wood stove fan is often overlooked by many people as just an unrequired extra gadget, however, the reality is that a good quality stove fan can make a massive difference to the heating of your home.
Without one, the heat produced by your stove is likely to stay in one area and be lost up your chimney, therefore losing you heat and money. That’s why investing in a stove fan is a wise idea, it can dispense the hot air throughout your home instead of it being lost and wasted.
How do you know whether you’re looking at a good quality blower? The answer is that there are certain features you should look out for before parting with your money.
What Should Look For In A Good Stove Fan?
This means your stove will automatically detect a certain temperature and will be triggered to start running. This means you no longer have to manually switch it on and off, which believe it or not is incredibly easy to forget. Certain fans are actually run on a heat powered fan, which means they are powered by the heat produced from the stove, this is known as the Peltier Effect, and this saves you on batteries too.
Most fans create some level of noise and to most people this is acceptable. However, if you live in a small home or it is particular noisy this can become a nuisance, to solve this issue you should opt for a heat powered wood stove fan, as they tend to be a lot quieter than electrical powered blowers that utilize a noisy motor.
When installing anything new and functional, you want the process to be as simple as possible. Ideally, you want to choose one which easily fits into the piping on the outside of your wood stove. This will distribute the heat nicely throughout your room, although if you prefer the heat to be distributed through your entire home, then you should opt for one in a vented system instead.
Final Thoughts
The fan reviews above should provide you with a starting point in searching for a fan to suit your requirements. In our view, a wood stove fan is a necessity if you heat your home using any form of stove – pellet stove or wood, as without one you’re literally throwing away hot air that costs you money and if circulated adequately could keep you warm for longer.
There are many wood stoves out there, but the best ones are those that make a little noise, are heat powered and circulate air efficiently, so always check the specifications before making your decision, as your fan is likely to be with you for many years.
About the Author
Dave Miller is a HVAC technician with over 10 years in the industry. Dave created HeatTalk with the ambition for it to become a resource for individuals looking for answers, whether they be a layman, student or a professional.
Hi,
Was wondering if you have any thoughts on/experience of fans that attach to the flue pipe? There seem at the moment to be versions by Remora, Galleon fires and Eoflow, and while they mostly attach with things that look like wee metal belts, at least one has a kind of ‘magnetic wing’ that clamps on. They look to cost between £50 and £150. Any advice on quality/performance would be most welcome!
Many thanks in advance!
Hello Sara! The flue pipe fans are a good option, but mostly for people who have stoves without a flat top.
If you have a flat top, they’re not as valuable because you can’t really alter their position as much to get optimal distribution for the room you’re in.
Why not show it operating on a standard wood stove and ditch the blow torch?
How well do these work on a gas stove. We just switched from wood to gas (Jodul 300 … 13,000-26,000 BTUs). We bought a blower, but it is noisy. Wondering if the stove is hot enough on the surface to drive these fans (def not as hot as our woodstove got). Thanks for any insight you might have.
We had a wood stove and recently converted to gas. It is a Jotul stove (13,000-26,000 BTU). We got a blower but it is loud. How well do these fans work on a gas stove? It has a flat top. Just not sure if the surface temp is high enough to run the fan. Thoughts?
We have a fan like the one featured in the above video.
It is a well made item but not really impressed with how well it performs as a fan. The fan blades are made of very thin light weight metal and when turning at full speed on a hot stove you can barely feel any air being push by the fan………I know it’s moving air but not much and nothing like an electric fan would.