Will a Self-Powered Fan Work on a Pellet Stove?

How It Works

• Most fans use electricity to move the fins that produce a steady steam of air. Self-powered fans transfer heat into the energy needed to spin the blades and don't need a source of electricity. The self-powered fans used on combustion heating devices such as wood-burning stoves use the Peltier effect to connect conductors that transfer a charge to power the fan, according to TreeHugger. Stirling engines that power a piston with boiling water are also used to power these fans without a power cord.

Benefits

• Any device that increases air circulation around the outside of a wood or pellet stove helps spread the heat around the room. This makes the space near the stove more comfortable and ensures that the entire space is warmed evenly, according to the Alliance for Green Heat website. Traditional wood stoves don't have any special devices for moving heat, but this isn't true with pellet stoves. This means adding a self-powered fan to a pellet stove may not be as helpful as it is on a different type of heating element.

Pellet Stove Fans

• Pellet stoves have a controlled form of combustion that produces as much heat as possible while burning less fuel. These devices use fans to draw in fresh air to keep combustion even and efficient, reports Nevels Stoves. The units also use blowers and fans built into each stove to circulate heated air around the room. Unlike a wood stove with no electric parts, most pellet-burning models distribute heat well on their own. A self-powered fan can't be used in the place of an interior blower.

Problems

• A self-powered fan should work fine on a pellet stove, but only if the surface of the unit gets hot. Some pellet stoves feature insulation and a decorative outer case designed to stay cool to prevent burns. Rather than releasing heat through the exterior of the stove like a wood burning model, these pellet stoves rely entirely on the internal blowers. If the self-powered fan doesn't have a hot surface on which to sit, it won't spin.