Why Ecofan and DIY Don't Mix

For some, nothing is better than seeing a task that needs to be done and accomplishing it all by yourself. Do-It-Yourself, or DIY projects, can fill you with pride, as what was once not working has now been fixed based on your ingenuity and out-of-the-box thinking. A lot of wood stove owners are inherently dynamic. Chopping and stacking wood deserves a sense of pride, and we know that laborious tasks are considered enjoyable parts of the process. But regarding Ecofan, some fixes are best to let us help with!

Ecofans last a long time. We routinely hear from customers who have had theirs running for over ten years with heavy seasonal use. Unfortunately, we sometimes hear from customers whose Ecofan stopped performing in a fraction of the time it should have. The reality is that some factors will affect an Ecofan’s performance, some will negatively impact its lifespan, and on occasion, drastically so. These factors are laid out in the manual that arrives in the box with every Ecofan and is available on our website.

Factors Affecting an Ecofan’s Performance:

The Ecofan Module

The module that makes the Ecofan work is not only best in class; it’s installed at Caframo in Wiarton, Ontario, using air-pressurized equipment and tools set to certain torque specifications. It has been our experience that without using the proper assembly jigs and tools, the thermoelectric module can be improperly installed, resulting in damage to the module or premature failure.

Thermal Paste

Please do not attempt to apply thermal paste to your Ecofan module. We never recommend taking the Ecofan apart. Please call us, and we will walk you through every option available. However, despite the various videos on YouTube, applying thermal paste is not one of them.

Drops

Dropping a product containing an electronic component is never good. We build our Ecofans with premium parts and high-grade aluminum, which are heavier than most other fans on the market. As such, knocking over an Ecofan is more complicated than it is for other stove fans. Still, accidents happen, especially if you have kids who find the Ecofan interesting or dogs with big, wagging tails (as much as we love them). A fall can damage the mechanics of the Ecofan or bend the blades. Fortunately, we offer replacement motors and blades! Call us if your Ecofan suffers a fall and you notice a change in performance.

Improper Placement

This might be the most crucial piece of information in the Ecofan manual. Where you place your Ecofan on your stove matters a lot. Placement will impact performance and the life of the motor and module. The temperature of the heat sink or top cooling fins will increase when the Ecofan is placed in front of the stove or pipe, minimizing the temperature differential between the module and energy output. It also limits the efficiency of the Ecofan and can drive up the motor's temperature, making it wear out faster.

Where to Place Your Ecofan

The best place for your Ecofan is the back corner of your free-standing stove- not at the front of the stove and especially not directly in front of the stove pipe. While the base of the Ecofan is designed to transfer heat up to the thermoelectric module, the top cooling fins are designed to remain cool to create electricity through a temperature differential. Suppose the back corner of your stove is unavailable. In that case, you can bring the Ecofan up to either the left or right-hand side edge or one of the front corners of the stove – but it’s best to angle the Ecofan so that the back is pointing out towards the open area of the room and not towards the back of the stove.

​If your stove is an insert, we recommend placing your fan as close to the front as possible, on either the left or right-hand side, while angling it outwards, as mentioned above.

Stove Temperature

Of course, every stove is different, so placement may or may not be as vital for your stove as it is for others. The most significant factors are the stove model, material grade, and type of stove pipe- single or double-walled. Each Ecofan model has an optimal temperature performance range listed in its manual, and keeping your stove within this range isn’t only better for your Ecofan’s performance but likely your stove’s as well!

Rest assured, Caframo is constantly looking at ways to produce Ecofan models that outperform what’s on the market. Because of this, our Ecofan models don’t suffer from any performance factors that other brands do as well. Through vigorous testing, we know that our models outperform the rest.

This is a friendly reminder that our customer service line is a one-call system. We pride ourselves in your ability to speak to a real person when you call us. So please do, or send us an email! We’re here to help.