# Moving Air ?



## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

It seems like I spend way to much electricity moving air. 
In my small cabin it seems like there is always a fan running and usually more. 
During the winter the heat stratifies in the foot closest to the ceiling and has to be forced back to floor level or up I to the loft. 
I also run a fan in the bathroom that forces air under the tub and behind the washer to prevent frozen pipes. 
Any thoughts on moving air ?


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

You ever have a chance to see one of these up close and personal? I haven't, but am intrigued...

https://www.lehmans.com/product/small-heat-powered-stove-fan/hearth-accessories


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## Nimrod (Jun 8, 2010)

Can you slip a piece of Styrofoam insulation behind the washer? How about the foam insulation that is meant to go on pipes?

When I had a bath tub that lost heat too fast I put a 5 foot piece of tubing on the nozzle of a can of spray foam and filled the space under the tub with foam. It took several cans but I could have a long, hot soak when I was done. Be sure to use the minimally expanding foam. The expanding foam could push the tub off it's support. Wear rubber gloves. There is no solvent known to man or God that will remove foam from skin.


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

Nimrod said:


> Can you slip a piece of Styrofoam insulation behind the washer? How about the foam insulation that is meant to go on pipes?
> 
> When I had a bath tub that lost heat too fast I put a 5 foot piece of tubing on the nozzle of a can of spray foam and filled the space under the tub with foam. It took several cans but I could have a long, hot soak when I was done. Be sure to use the minimally expanding foam. The expanding foam could push the tub off it's support. Wear rubber gloves. *There is no solvent known to man or God that will remove foam from skin.*


LOL! Spoken from the voice of experience, no doubt.


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## Steve_S (Feb 25, 2015)

Here is an idea someone took commercial but with a few bit's & pieces you can make one up in less than an hour (if you have the bit's on hand, which are few). 
http://www.heatstick.com/_heat stk03.htm


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## Solar Geek (Mar 14, 2014)

I have the stove top Lehmans air mover referenced above. But it doesn't move very much air. We have ceiling fans that we reverse the flow summer and winter. They cost us very little to run &#8211; &#8211; perhaps you need a more economical fan?


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## Nimrod (Jun 8, 2010)

Bellyman said:


> LOL! Spoken from the voice of experience, no doubt.


FYI. It takes about 10 days for it to wear off.


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

Bellyman said:


> You ever have a chance to see one of these up close and personal? I haven't, but am intrigued...
> 
> https://www.lehmans.com/product/small-heat-powered-stove-fan/hearth-accessories



I've had one. They have to sit in the stove and don't come near the volume I need to move.


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

Nimrod I have insulation under the tub. I think that's part of the problem. The pipes to the washer and tub run along the wall under the tub then still at floor level turn and run along the wall under the tub to the washer that sits next to the tub.


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

Lol Steve my current setup is the same thing but powered by a 20 inch box fan. I works great but it seems like it's always on and uses. Lot of power.


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## Steve_S (Feb 25, 2015)

Well a 20" box fan will certainly use a heap more juice but a 120 CFM 12vdc computer cooler fan runs around 0.15a to 0.30a and can be run from a Wall Wart if need be. Not high speed and won't dry your hair but will circulate the air without cooling it much. IF you're 120V you can use a small timer on the plug for when to be on/off.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Solar Geek said:


> I have the stove top Lehmans air mover referenced above. But it doesn't move very much air. We have ceiling fans that we reverse the flow summer and winter. They cost us very little to run â â perhaps you need a more economical fan?


There's no need to reverse the fans. They still move the same amount of air if operated at the same speeds.

A small light bulb near water pipes is more efficient than using fans


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## AVanarts (Jan 2, 2011)

Bellyman said:


> You ever have a chance to see one of these up close and personal? I haven't, but am intrigued...
> 
> https://www.lehmans.com/product/small-heat-powered-stove-fan/hearth-accessories


We have a larger version of that fan that we bought at our local Solar Shop and we really love it.

Some things to note:
1) It may not seem to move much air, but it does what is needed, which is to redirect some air that would normally go straight to the ceiling out into the room.

2) Pay attention to the directions that say to not get it too hot. We keep ours at an angle on a back corner with part of the base hanging over the edge. This keeps it from being on the hottest part of the stove and also allows the fan to sweep the most surface area possible. That last is important since our stove is rather small.

3) It seems that no matter how careful you are in regards to heat the motor will burn out. Our first one lasted about a winter and a half. Fortunately Amazon carries the replacement motor kits and they are easily replaced. We paid 14 or 15 dollars. for our replacement kit then took the numbers on the motor and ordered several spare motors from the Chinese supplier for a little over 3 dollars each.


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

AVanarts. 
Since you have had yours apart do you think it would be possable to put the. Motor and fan part in a remote location ?


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## oldasrocks (Oct 27, 2006)

Bellyman said:


> LOL! Spoken from the voice of experience, no doubt.


Finger nail polish remover works to clean it off.


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## AVanarts (Jan 2, 2011)

AmericanStand said:


> AVanarts.
> Since you have had yours apart do you think it would be possable to put the. Motor and fan part in a remote location ?



In theory it should be possible, but the current that is generated and sent to the motor is so low that I don't think it would be practical. It just seems to me that too much would be lost in resistance in the wires.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

AmericanStand said:


> AVanarts.
> Since you have had yours apart do you think it would be possable to put the. Motor and fan part in a remote location ?


One of the problems in doing that is that the fan helps with the temperature differential needed to generate the electricity.

WWW


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## BlueRidgeFarms (Mar 23, 2014)

Nimrod said:


> FYI. It takes about 10 days for it to wear off.





oldasrocks said:


> Finger nail polish remover works to clean it off.


BTDT, finger nail polish remover did NOT work. Well, it only took about three days to wear off, so maybe the acetone did help some. But I'm wearing gloves next time.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I read about a house that created it's own airflow. The house had a false wall on all of the exterior walls. The false walls stopped an inch or so below the ceiling. The floor stopped an inch or so before reaching the real outside wall but was sealed where it went under the false wall. 

The air between the real wall and false walls would be cooled in the winter and drop down into the basement where it would then be heated by the stove and move upward creating it's own passive air flow. I'm probably not describing it very well but it makes sense.

Think of a donut where the air moves to the outside on the top, down on the outside and then back up on the inside.

This explains it better. http://www.motherearthnews.com/green-homes/the-double-envelope-house


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## 12vman (Feb 17, 2004)

AmericanStand said:


> It seems like I spend way to much electricity moving air.
> In my small cabin it seems like there is always a fan running and usually more.
> During the winter the heat stratifies in the foot closest to the ceiling and has to be forced back to floor level or up I to the loft.
> I also run a fan in the bathroom that forces air under the tub and behind the washer to prevent frozen pipes.
> Any thoughts on moving air ?


I use these in 3 different areas. If you have a 12 v.d.c. supply, these are great! I have one over the bed for the summertime..

https://www.amazon.com/Plastic-Leav...8-1-fkmr1&keywords=12+volt+ceiling+fan+ps-500

If ya don't mind waiting on the slow boat.. (This unit has a switch in the power cord)

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Whi...lgo_pvid=4e29997a-1c91-43b1-88b3-c3e249ddcfae


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## ScotchCollies (Apr 23, 2017)

Just an off the wall idea that should work. Get some flex duct or some hard HVAC duct and place it along the wall all the way to the ceiling peak with an elbow facing the room interior and another elbow at floor level Place a small DC fan inside the duct where it will blow air down the pipe. It should be able to move enough air to the floor to set up a convection current in the room. If you aren't fighting the turbulence in the room this should move a bunch of air right were you want it to go.


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