Wood Burning Stove Fans (Non-Electric): Guide and Comparison

Having a stove fan can make a real difference in your home. Stove fans are a great way to distribute warm air throughout a room. Many of them don’t use electricity or batteries; instead, they are powered by the heat emitting from the stove, which is why they are placed on top of the stove.

The heat propels the blades circulating warm throughout the room. The stove does not need to reach high temperatures for the fan to work. Your room can get warm in a matter of minutes when the stove reaches a mere 45 degrees.

With a stove fan, you can save on fuel and electricity costs, and you don’t need to add more logs to your stove to keep the room warm. Stove fans are not expensive, and you won’t incur any installation costs.

The challenge you’ll probably encounter is choosing a wood-burning stove fan. They come in a variety of sizes and styles, and some come with advanced features. Stove fans also vary in price.

The easiest way to select a stove fan that will meet your needs is by knowing what to look for. Some fans have more blades than others. The more blades a stove fan has, the more warm air it’s able to push into circulation.

Another factor to consider is the size. The size of the room you want to warm will determine the size of the stove fan to buy. You might also need to factor in the type of air conditioning system you have in your home.

Not all stove fans are built to operate using heat emitted from a stove. Some use batteries, while others use electricity. The battery and electric-powered models are more expensive than heat-driven stove fans.

But if you are looking to save on power costs, buying a heat-driven stove fan would be the ideal solution. As for price, this will depend on the style, design, features, and size of the stove fan.

Here is a list of some of the best wood-burning stove fans based on customer reviews and ratings to give you an idea of what fan to buy.

Things to know before buying a Wood Burning Stove Fans

What are the Benefits of Having a Wood Stove Fan?

It helps you to save money on your utility bills. It also helps you save time heating your home. It can work by itself requiring almost no maintenance. It also allows you to use less fuel.

Features

Now that you are familiar with wood burning stoves and the fans that help to move the air, it is important to know what makes a great one.

Heat Sensitivity

The sensitivity to the heat makes all the difference in a fan for a wood burning stove. If it is not sensitive enough it won’t run when it needs to. If it is too sensitive it will run all the time. You need a fan that has the right sensitivity. It should turn on when the stove begins to heat up and shut back off when it begins to cool down.

There are many fans that don’t turn on until the stove is too hot. This is counterproductive as the air does not get moved at once. Try to check at what temperature the fan will turn on and try it out before you commit to a product.

Durability

This fan will be in a very hot area all the time. It should be made from durable metal materials and be able to withstand very high temperatures. If it is made of plastic it might end up melting.

If it is made out of softer metals that accumulate heat it could present a burn hazard. Pick a fan that’s made from steel and has no plastic parts that may be easily damaged.

Quietness

Having a noisy fan can cause a lot of problems in your home. It can be very stressful if everyone has to scream over the fan noise just to be heard. Find a operates as silently as possible.

Children Safety

All of these fans have a design featuring an open blade that children can easily stick their fingers into. Try to keep it out of your children’s reach and make sure that they know to stay away from the hot stove as well. They could easily get hurt if you aren’t paying enough attention. Keep a watchful eye on any young child around one of these fans.

8 Best Rated Wood Stove Fans (as of December, 2024)

1. ECOFAN AirMax 812AMXBX Wood Burning Stove Fan Review – The Best and The Largest

ECOFAN AirMax 812AMXBX is one of the best because:

• Thanks to the design heats a room 38% faster than other models;
• It has one of the largest sizes of fans on the market;
• Made in Canada (NOT China like most others), comes with 2-year warranty.

Warms Up Faster

This wood stove fan heats a room 38% faster than other models with its large build and tallest height of all ECOFAN models.

14 hours after fire.. still moving..

Via: @my_theia

This fan has only two blades, but that doesn’t make this model any less efficient, even with fewer blades than other fans this one is one of the most powerful on the market.

Heats All Room Sizes

This fan is one of the larger fans on the market, with its high fans it is able to reach farther and warm-up larger sized rooms. This fan can heat any size room it needs to, to keep your home warm and comfortable.

Via: joosttrop

Energy Efficient

This helps to keep your heating costs low while still maintaining nice, warm room temperature.

No Electricity Needed

This fan (like others) does not need any electrical power source and doesn’t use electricity so you can run it at any time without having to run up the electricity bill. This also allows you to fit it anywhere near the stove without worrying about a cord.

Via: @ace_killer_m

Tested

ECOFAN models get rigorously tested in even the harshest winter conditions to ensure that your wood stove fan will warm up the room when the coldest time of year comes around.

Via: @ecofanlife

Main Features

• Largest and highest performing Ecofan model
• Ideal for all room sizes
• Warms your room up to 38% faster
• Proven to reduce fuel usage and emissions by up to 18%
• No electricity needed
• Operating temperature 185°F – 650°F (85°C – 345°C)

2. Sonyabecca SF-334-US Wood Burning Stove Fan – Best 4 Blade Wood Stove Fan Review

Sonyabecca SF-334-US four-blade model is considered a top of the line product for a price reason.

With a magnetic thermometer and eco-friendly capabilities, this wood stove fan is definitely the best of the best.

4 Blades

This model is larger in size to accommodate all four blades that give this fan a large air volume. The four blades diffuse warm air throughout the room by simply placing the fan on a flat surface of your stovetop at least four inches away from the stove pipe.

Temperature

This model begins working when the heat reaches 122 degrees and will work up to 644 degrees.

Once the lowest heat is reached, the blades will start spinning, then as it heats up, the fan will spin faster to heat up the room quickly. It will then slow down as soon as the stove is cooled down.

Anodized Aluminum Material

This fan is made from durable, strong anodized aluminum which will not rust or corrode when the fan gets hot. This material is made to last and withstands high heat so that you don’t have to worry about the fan getting too hot while in use.

Main Features

• Circulates warm air throughout the room
• Powered by heat, speed automatic controlled by temp of stove top
• Anodized aluminum material
• No batteries needed, no running cost, eco-friendly
• 4 blade, fast spinning speed
• Magnetic thermometer
• Working temperature: 50°C (122°F) – 340°C (644°F)
• Safe, built-in protection system to stop them overheat

3. TOMERSUN AB5AC800945_LXLC2 Wood Burning Stove Fan – Best Three Blade Fan Review

This three-blade fan heats your room from the heat of the woodstove without electricity and will help keep your home at a comfortable temperature throughout the entire winter.

Compact Size

TOMERSUN AB5AC800945_LXLC2 fan comes in a compact package that won’t take up too much space on your stovetop. This model is 8.7 x 6.7 x 3.6 inches in size so that you can place it anywhere without taking up much space, even with the blade length.

Safety Device

Whisper Quiet

This fan is very quiet due to the fact that the blades are the only moving part of the product. The fan will move fast but not make much noise so that you won’t even notice that the fan in on until you feel the heat coming from it.

Main Features

• Compact Size: 8.7 x 6.7 x 3.6 inches
• Material is aluminum
• No Batteries or Electricity required
• Recommended surface temperature is between 185F – 660F (85C – 350C)
• Longer lifetime – There is a Bi-metallic safety device in the base of the fan
• If the surface temperature rises above around 300℃, the safety device gently elevates the front of the fan to protect the TEG and motor
• Whisper-quiet – The only moving part is the blade assembly

Past Years Bests Rated Wood Stove Fans

4. Ecofan 810 Ultrair Wood Burning Stove Fan – Best Fan for Medium Houses (Up to 240 ft2) Review

The Ecofan 810 will help the environment by burning less fuel, reducing emissions, and by reducing energy costs by 14%.

Working temperature range is 212°F – 650°F (100°C – 345°C). But it starts to turn at about 165 degrees. From this point the hotter it gets the faster it turns up to 650 degrees. At 650 degrees it’s reached its maximum speed.

It provides higher airflow when at lower temperatures. It helps to increase comfort.

I really appreciate with that fan. Just the utter functional simplicity of design, it well-made, it sturdy and it will never require electricity.

I think it’s a brilliant design. We were fortunate that the fan just fit on my little cubic mini wood stove.

If you have a full-size stove and a big place to heat you might even get a couple of Ecofans and have them pointing off in different directions.

So I highly recommend it. It’s a great little tool. It’s beautiful. We love it.

You can choose from gold, nickel, or black blade color.

UPDATE: Ecofan provides two additional options of this item: Ecofan 812AMXBX  rated at 175CFM for large houses and Ecofan 800CAXBX which moves air at the rate of 100 CFM  for small rooms.

You can also check their low-temperature Ecofan 806CAXBX, which operates at a stove surface temperature of just 167°F/75°C and has a 140CFM rating.

Ecofans are made in Canada.

5. Vulcan Stove Fan for Powerful Wood Burning Stove – Review

The Vulcan Stove Fan need no electricity and starts with a hand spin. The heat from the stove powers the device.

It is quiet and safe.

There is no maintenance; you don’t even need to oil it.

It is environment-friendly and mechanical.

There are no fragile electronics, and it circulates over twice as much air as other fans.

The Vulcan`s power comes from a small stirling-engine cycle power plant. No electricity needed. It works from heat of stove.

In addition, it has 3 year  warranty.

How to use Vulcan Fan?

This is compact hot air powered fan. Just sit it on the top. Wait for it to heat up. Don`t take too long. Just wait for 3-4 minutes. It should start to heat up to hot to touch.  And then literally just give it a flick to start it.

And what it does just keep the air going around sucking all the heat out from behind there. There the heat air can get captured. It is nice kit for stove when it fills the room with warms.

6. Home-Complete Wood Stove Fan for Small Houses – Review

This Home-Complete Wood Stove Fan can help you to save money on your electricity bill. It runs off the heat produced by your stove. When the fire burns hotter, the blades turn faster.

It is extremely quiet and has only one moving part which is the blade. There is no maintenance required just occasional cleaning. Some oil on the shaft of the blade might help it to stay quiet.

Its dimensions 6 inch tall 7 inch wide and 3 inch deep.

Speed

This stove fun can withstand a maximum temperature of 340 °C. It can reach speeds of up to 900 rpm and pushes 170-190 cfm of airflow. It needs just a minute to gain speed. The stove fan can start working already when the fan is heated to 50 °C. And the fan operates perfectly when he reaches a temperature of 100 °C.

7. VODA Heat Powered Stove Fan – Best Wood Stove Fan Convection Review

The VODA Heat Powered Stove Fan requires no batteries or electricity.

It can efficiently circulate the warm air through the room.

No need for power and is efficient. It has an innovative and very durable design that is complimented by its silent operation.

8. VonHaus Wood Stove Eco Fan – Best Cheap Fan for Wood Stove Review

The VonHaus Wood Stove Eco Fan is a heat powered fan that will increase the efficiency of your wood stove by helping distribute warmth evenly. It is Eco-friendly since it is self-powered.

There is a thermoelectric module acting like a small generator powering the motor. There are no batteries needed.

This device will automatically turn on when the temperature around reaches between 140 and 572. It offers extremely quiet operation, a compact size, and requires no installation whatsoever.

It is made from black steel and has a carry handle that makes it very portable. It’s very quiet and requires no installation.

Power

It has eco-friendly & self-powered a thermoelectric module acts as a small generator to power the fan’s motor. This starts up once the module detects a minimum temperature of 60 ° C. But, you can also plug-in this stove fan into your computer to turn it on and off.

Via @vonhaus.us

So it can run on power as well. Also, you just can to plug the USB into the outlet with an adapter which sold separately. It has a little small LED light that illuminates when the fan is running on power.

Speed

The maximum speed of this fan is 1600 rpm. It is capable of pushing between 130 and 150 cubic feet of air per minute. This means that you can use this fan to push air wherever you need it.

Its dimensions 9 inch height 3.68 inch width 6.4 inch length. Its work temperature is 50-350 ° C.

Warranty

The VonHaus brand offers a FREE 2-year warranty on all products. All you need to do is register the product after the purchase. Remember that you only have 30 days from the date of your order to receive such a guarantee.

How to register? After purchasing the product, visit the VonHaus warranty registration page. Find the SKU / product code on the box. You can also find it on the product description page. Use this code and your own data. After successful registration, you automatically receive a free 2-year warranty.

The warmer it gets, the faster the fan will go.

Now that you know all about wood stove fans here are some real products that are available that might work out well for you.

FAQ Buyer’s Guide

What is a Wood Stove Fan?

A fan or a blower is made up of rotary blades designed to move the warm air produced by your wood stove around the room.

This helps by keeping the warm air from getting trapped in the upper part of the space and moving it to closer to the ground where it is needed.

The rotating blades provide a simple and effective solution.

It recirculates and repositions the hot air in your living area. Many of these devices don’t require a separate power source because they are powered by the heat of the stove.

How Does it Work?

It works by using the heat from your wood stove to drive the fan blades making for a simple and elegant solution to your issues with heating. The fan makes use of a Thermoelectric Power Generator.

The heat is moved from a hot area to the cold metal fan blades resulting in an electric current. This energy that is produced powers a rotary motor that spin the blades to move air. This type is very reliable and has no need for any other source of energy.

The base of the fan heats up, there’s a motor here, which is powered by the heat that’s created from your stove. So it sits directly on the top of the stove and as soon as it hits a certain temperature, the motor starts, and it does vary, it will spin faster when it’s hotter.

So the idea is that it sends the hot air across the room.

If you have a really hot fire, which is obviously not the most efficient fire but if it does get too hot, there is a little mechanism there, to allow it to just stand off by a few mil, that the heat doesn’t damage the fan.

Which type of stove does it work with?

No matter which stove you have: gas, electric, pellet stove or wood burning stove, catalytic and non-catalytic, stove fans will work well.

Sterling Engine

Some stove fans are powered is by sterling engines. This type of engine makes use of a cycle of expansion and compression of air at different temperatures. The stove’s heat causes the air to expand making a piston contract.

While the piston is expanding another person is retracting from the cold air. This leads to a conversion of heat to mechanical work – spinning the fan blade.

Where Should You Place Your Fan?

To maximize the performance of your fan, make sure that you position it on a flat and smooth surface on the top of your stove. Place it towards the middle or the back of the stove and far away from the flue pipe. Also, avoid placing it towards the front or in the center.

Why is a Stove Fan so Important?

Most wood stoves come with a blower, but these often not as good as the best wood stove fans. A good stove fan will save you money and more efficiently heat your home by circulating the warm air throughout your living space.

Many see these products as an unrequired item, but in reality, a quality stove fan can make a world of difference when heating your home. If you don’t use one, the heat will be lost up your chimney and will levitate towards the ceiling. Investing in one will help to properly distribute the hot air being produced throughout your home.

Here are the most important factors to consider when choosing what fan will work best for your wood stove.

Automatic Control: If your stove automatically detects that it is at a certain temperature and triggers the fan to start running, you will be moving the air exactly when it needs to be moved. You don’t have to switch the fan on and off anymore. Some items run on heat from the stove saving you on batteries.

Noise Control: All fans create a certain level of noise but having a loud one can be distracting and annoying. Living in a smaller home can make the sound more pronounced. To remedy this, use a heat powered wood stove fan because they are usually a lot quieter than the types.

Simple Installation: You want the installation to be as simple as possible. Choose a fan that will fit in the piping on the exterior of the wood stove. This will help distribute heat throughout your area. A vented system can be used if you want the heat to make it through your entire home.

Price Range

Wood burning fans can get expensive. Higher-end models can sell for several hundreds of dollars while the most basic models can cost less than $100. This price difference likely has to do with the quality of the materials used.

If you spring for a more expensive model, there will be less of a chance that you’ll have to replace it soon. On the other hand, if you aren’t using your wood stove much, a less costly fan will do just fine.

Powered or Non-powered?

Many of the wood stove fans today do not use any electricity, but a few do.

You should also think about how long you will need to have the fan running. It may increase your utility bills if you always have it plugged in.

High-Temperature Efficiency Wood Stove

Modern technology has continued to improve wood stove fans making them more efficient than the previous models. Make sure that you look for a temperature threshold. This indicates what the heat level needs to be for the fan to start rotating. One with a lower threshold is more efficient since it will start working sooner.

Performance

There are three ways that a wood stove fan can operate.

Electricity

These types of fans require a power source and will need to be turned on and off. This type may allow you to get more control over the speed and duration of the fan if it has a timer. These fans will still operate whether they are hot or and thus, are not very efficient.

Stirling Engine

Modern wood stove fans make use of pistons that rotate as material begins heating up. This is a much more efficient method that uses much less energy. Most of these types of fans will only go one speed after the threshold.

Ecofans

This type of fan is very modern using the Peltier Effect which combines efficiency with performance. The fan will rotate faster when the heat begins to increase. The higher the heat, the harder the fan blows. For lower heat, it begins to go slower. You get the amount of performance you need without wasting any energy.

Why Do You Need a Fan for Your Wood Stove?

If you keep warm in the winter by using a wood stove, then you will need to find a wood burning stove fan if you want to make the most of the heat output so you can keep warm for a longer period. This fan will help to raise the temperature of the room while not using any power. You can save money by using a wood stove fan.

A wood stove fan helps to keep your home warm and is easy to install and use. It doesn’t add a penny to your utility bill and actually helps you save on your fuel costs. They are also versatile and energy efficient.

Some units available will only operate at a single speed. Some fans won’t turn on until you have reached a higher temperature than others. They can sometimes be expensive, and you cannot control the output.

We hope this guide gives sufficient information about why you need a stove fan and how they work. This review should also help you find a stove fan with the features that will work well in your home. If not, keep looking, and you’ll be sure to find the best wood stove fan for you.