Spread stove heat further with a woodburning stove fan

Any wood-burning stove owner knows the incredible effect a stove has on the warmth and cosiness of your home. But what if you could very easily make your home even warmer and even cosier? Using a woodburning stove fan with your stove only enhances the many benefits it brings.

What is a woodburning stove fan?

A woodburning stove fan is a small, upright fan that sits on top of a woodburning stove. The main purpose of a woodburner fan is to distribute heat generated by the stove around the room more quickly and more effectively.

Why do I need a woodburning stove fan?

Stove owners know that a woodburner does not deliver that sudden, intense rush of heat that you get from an open fire. A fire in a wood-burning stove heats the metal around it, and the hot metal then radiates the heat around the room.

The result is a more efficient fire and heat that spreads over a wider area than you would get from an open fire, but it’s by no means immediate.

Using a woodburner fan to aid the process enables the warmth from your stove to spread further and more quickly than would otherwise be the case.

A quick think back to school science lessons will tell you that hot air rises, and the hot air created by your woodburner is no different. The outward thrust provided by a stove fan causes the hot air to circulate into the room and not just up to the ceiling.

How does a woodburner fan work?

A woodburning stove fan is no different than any other fan in that its blades rotate to encourage the flow of air. While we are more accustomed to seeing this technology deployed to create cold air to cool us on a warm day, in the case of a woodburner fan it is the heated air that is being pushed around the room (and even into adjacent rooms).

The fan blades rotate, pushing the heated air outwards and into the room. Since the air directly around the stove and nearest to the fan is the hottest in the room, circulating this around the space causes it to heat much faster, so you feel the benefits sooner.

Do woodburning stove fans save you money?

Yes, woodburning stove fans have the potential to save you a lot of money. Since your home gets up to a cosy temperature more quickly and more efficiently, a woodburner fan can save you money by reducing the amount of fuel you need to burn.

For example, some woodburners fans deliver savings of up to 14%. If you usually buy your logs, that’s going to add up to a considerable saving over the course of a year.

In the case that you spend £660 a year on logs, a stove fan could put £92.40 back in your pocket in the first year of use.

Less fuel means less refuelling, so a stove fan can also save you time on tending to the fire.

A woodburning stove fan can also save you money by cutting your reliance on central heating. Since the fan pushes air outwards, this helps to heat adjacent rooms, which might enable you to turn radiators down or off around your home.

How much does it cost to run a woodburner fan?

Running a woodburning stove fan costs absolutely nothing. The fan is powered by the heat your stove generates. As your stove warms up, the air it heats will rise, rotating the blades of your woodburning stove fan as it does.

The more intense the temperature from your appliance, the faster the blades will turn. As your stove cools down, the woodburner fan will slow down. When your stove goes out, the fan will shut itself off (so you don’t have to worry about a draught being created).

As a result, there are no batteries or mains electricity involved in using a woodburning stove fan and, therefore, no extra costs incurred. The heat from your woodburner provides all the power that’s needed.

Where do you install a stove fan?

A woodburning stove fan sits on top of the stove body. It will usually be positioned as far back as possible (and always to the rear of the flue pipe). 

Placing the fan at the back of the stove means it is able to blow the full extent of heat being created across the surface area of the top of the stove in an outward direction. This is particularly useful if your woodburner sits within a recess or inglenook.

Also, the cooler air flow from behind is essential for the fan to be able to power itself. The downward movement of the cooler air when it encounters the warmer air is what drives the blades of the stove fan, so correct placement is essential.

Does a woodburning stove fan have other benefits?

The main benefits of a woodburning stove fan are the quick and cost-effective way it makes your home warmer by spreading warmth. But stove fans do have other benefits. 

Some people use a woodburning fan to combat dry air in their homes. Carefully placing a metal tray of water on top of the stove prior to lighting will cause the water to quickly evaporate once the stove is lit. The evaporated water will be circulated around your home by the stove fan to ensure there’s plenty of moisture in the air.

Are woodburning stove fans safe to use?

Yes, woodburning stove fans are perfectly safe to use, as long as they are being used properly. You should not touch a fan when the stove is in use. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, because the blades will be moving and, secondly, because the fan itself gets very hot from being on top of the stove.

A fireguard, or whatever measures you use to keep children and pets away from your stove when it is lit, will also keep them away from the stove fans.

Most stove fans have a handle which can be used to adjust the direction of the fan when it is in use. It is safe to use the handle with the use of a stove glove to ensure that the fan is circulating heat where you want it to go.

Can you use a wood-burning stove fan with all stoves?

More or less all wood-burning stoves are suitable to have stove fans attached. The obvious exception is inset stoves, since they don’t have the flat top needed for a stove fan to operate.

Given the design and function of stove fans, they can be used with almost all freestanding stoves, as long as they have a flat surface of a suitable size.

What to consider when buying a woodburner fan

The basic principles behind the functionality of stove fans are the same for them all. They come in different heights, with a different number of blades and in slightly different designs. It’s most common for a stove fan to have two blades.

The most important factor is that there is enough room within your stove recess or the area around your stove to accommodate the height of the fan and the diameter of the blades.

Beyond that, it’s really down to reviews, recommendations and your design preferences. See what other customers have to say about any stove fans you’re considering, but most are incredibly easy to install and simple to operate (not least because the fan does all of the hard work for you). You’ll just need to position it correctly and let it get to work.

Still looking for your woodburning stove?

If you’ve not yet got a woodburning stove and were wondering whether a woodburning stove fan would be a good idea, we can also share some pointers to help you find the right stove for your home.

See our wood-burning stove buyer’s guide for more information on how to track down your ideal logburner.

Any wood-burning stove owner knows the dramatic effect it has on the warmth and cosiness of your home. Using a woodburner fan with your stove will only enhance that.

Because woodburner owners also know that a woodburner does not deliver that sudden, intense rush of heat that you get from an open fire. A fire in a wood-burning stove heats the metal around it, and the hot metal then radiates the heat around the room.

The result is a more efficient fire and heat that spreads over a wider area than you would get from an open fire, but it’s by no means an immediate process.

Using a woodburner fan allows to aid the process by causing the warmth from your stove to spread further and more quickly than would otherwise be the case.

A quick think back to school science lessons will tell you that hot air rises, and the hot air created by your woodburner is no different. The outward thrust provided by a stove fan causes the hot air to circulate into the room and not just up to the ceiling.

How does a woodburner fan work?

A woodburner fan is no different than any other fan in that its blades rotates to encourage the flow of air. Whereas we are more accustomed to seeing this technology deployed to create cold air to cool us on a warm day, in the case of a woodburner fan it is the heated air that is being pushed around the room (and even into adjacent rooms).

Since the air directly around the stove is the hottest in the room, circulating this around the room causes it to heat much faster, so you feel the benefits sooner.

Saving you money

Since your home gets up to a cosy temperature more quickly and more efficiently, a woodburner fan can actually save you money by reducing the amount of fuel you need to burn.

For example, some woodburners fans deliver savings of up to 14%. If you usually buy your logs, that’s going to add up to a considerable saving over the course of a year.

In the case that you spend £660 a year on logs, a stove fan could put £92.40 back in your pocket in the first year of use.

Less fuel means less refuelling, so a stove fan can also save you time on tending to the fire.

How much does it cost to operate a woodburner fan?

Absolutely nothing. The heat from the stove will drive the woodburner fan. The more intense the temperature from your appliance, the faster the blades will turns. As your stove cools down, the woodburner fan will slow down. When your stove goes out, the fan will shut itself off (so you don’t have to worry about a draught being created).

There are no batteries or mains electricity involved: the heat from your woodburner provides all the power that’s needed.

Where do you install a stove fan?

A woodburner fan sits on top of the stove, usually as far back as possible (and always to the rear of the flue pipe). Placing the fan at the back of the stove means it is able to blow the full extend of heat being created across the top of the stove in an outward direction. This is particularly useful if your woodburner sits within a recess or inglenook.

Also, the cooler air flow from behind is essential for the fan to be able to power itself. The downward movement of the cooler air when it encounters the warmer air is what drives the blades of the stove fan, so correct placement is essential.

Other stove fan benefits

Some people also use a woodburner fan to combat dry air in their homes. Carefully placing a metal tray of water on top of the stove prior to lighting will cause the water to quickly evaporate once the stove is lit. The evaporated water will be circulated around your home by the stove fan to ensure there’s plenty of moisture in the air.

Are stove fans safe?

Yes, as long as they are being used properly, stove fans are perfectly safe. You should not touch a fan when the stove is in use (firstly, because the blades will be moving and, secondly, because the fan itself gets very hot from being on top of the stove.

Most stove fans have a handle which can be used to adjust the direction of the fan when it is in use. It is safe to use the handle with the use of a stove glove to ensure that the fan is circulating heat where you want it to go.

Given the design and function of stove fans, they can only be used with freestanding stoves and are not suitable for use with inset stoves.

Buying a woodburner fan

The basic principles behind stove fans are the same for them all. They come in different heights, different numbers of blades and slightly different designs. It’s most common for a stove fan to have two blades.

The most important factor is that there is enough room within your stove recess or the area around your stove to accommodate the height of the fan and the diameter of the blades.

A recommended woodburner fan

If you’re currently looking for a woodburner fan to spread warmth around your home more quickly, economically and more efficiently, we can recommend the MI Stove Fan 2 Blade Black 23cm.

At 23cm tall, it has plenty of height and power to circulate heat around your room.

The plain black design and finish allow the fan to go about its work unassumingly and unobtrusively atop your stove.

Here’s what one customer had to say about it:

It’s easy to install and simple to operate (not least because it does all of the hard work for you). You’ll just need to position it correctly and let it get to work.