Quieter is better...

So this is my first experience with a stoker. I'm not happy with the ambient sound level (wife and I are sensitive to sound) so I started thinking how I could make it quieter. Intake noise is fairly high on the combustion fan and on my stove, the convection fans are spinning fast enough to make more noise than I'd like. Since I have a Hearth model, I have this nice, big area behind the stove to hide stuff in....hmmmm.

I started with the combustion fan intake. Went out and bought an "A flange". Just a crimped collar with A shaped tabs you can use as a take-off on pipe and such. 3" one was perfect fit for the LL hearth. Drilled a small hole in 2 of the tabs and added some adhesive backed insulation to the back and attached it to the intake side of the combustion fan. Added 3' of vinyl flex (to be replaced by 3" aluminum flex) and ran the end into the fireplace. Wow...huge difference in sound. Nearly silent now...the stoker motor is louder now when it kicks on. I plan to box that area around the feeder and combustion fan in with drywall to further reduce the noise.

Here's a pic. 15 minutes worth of work.

[removed dead image]

The next thing is to mod the convection fan.

And yes, I do have a large piece of bluestone coming for the hearth to get the depth up to 18" so I can pull the brick out from in front of the stove..heehehe

Not sure how they do it but you can buy computer fans that make almost no audible noise. My computer sits right on top of my desk and has 5 case fans plus the PS fan. All are super quiet models and you can barely hear them.

Richard S. wrote:Not sure how they do it but you can buy computer fans that make almost no audible noise. My computer sits right on top of my desk and has 5 case fans plus the PS fan. All are super quiet models and you can barely hear them.

Brushless motors, lightweight plastic fans, etc. I think my combustion fan is something like 40CFM, and it only needs 31CFM so you might be able to find a muffin fan that was compatible, but you'd need to fab up some ducting. On one hand I'm surprised the stove manufacturers don't use DC motors, but it would add some complexity with the required converter. The good DC motors, as you have stated, can be made nearly silent and if a scimitar blade profile was used for the fan, you could have near silence at these low volumes of air.

Jamie, great job. I'm glad you posted the pics. That's good to pass along.
Jerry

Leisure Line wrote:Jamie, great job. I'm glad you posted the pics. That's good to pass along.
Jerry

Thanks, Jerry. I'll let you know how I make out with the convection fan. I think I can make that one *much* quieter as well. You could add a "low noise" kit to your lineup....maybe put a few more pennies in the bank!

What do you think about using a high temp silicone RTV that is allowed to skin over on the combustion blower flange to help isolate it from the stove body? I figure it can't hurt and might reduce the resonance created by that piece.

av8r wrote:

Leisure Line wrote:Jamie, great job. I'm glad you posted the pics. That's good to pass along.
Jerry

Thanks, Jerry. I'll let you know how I make out with the convection fan. I think I can make that one *much* quieter as well. You could add a "low noise" kit to your lineup....maybe put a few more pennies in the bank!

What do you think about using a high temp silicone RTV that is allowed to skin over on the combustion blower flange to help isolate it from the stove body? I figure it can't hurt and might reduce the resonance created by that piece.

I was actually thinking the same thing. The noise is starting to get to me. Maybe some kind of gasket also. Thanks for posting this I might do the same for my pioneer but don't have that much space to hide everything..

smith10210 wrote:

av8r wrote:

Leisure Line wrote:Jamie, great job. I'm glad you posted the pics. That's good to pass along.
Jerry

Thanks, Jerry. I'll let you know how I make out with the convection fan. I think I can make that one *much* quieter as well. You could add a "low noise" kit to your lineup....maybe put a few more pennies in the bank!

What do you think about using a high temp silicone RTV that is allowed to skin over on the combustion blower flange to help isolate it from the stove body? I figure it can't hurt and might reduce the resonance created by that piece.

I was actually thinking the same thing. The noise is starting to get to me. Maybe some kind of gasket also. Thanks for posting this I might do the same for my pioneer but don't have that much space to hide everything..

I'm going to do something similar for a buddy who just bought a Channing III. I think I'll build a small box out of MDF line it with some insulation and put the intake flex inside the box. In his setup, I can hide the box behind a couch, paint the flex his wall color and it should all blend in nicely.

Intake noise is often missed when quieting things that suck in air. I learned from an old time RC airplace builder/flyer how to make my RC planes as quiet as electrics many years ago. Intake noise was a biggie so it makes sense to apply the same process here.

my stove is in the basement where my eldest son's room is and he enjoys the 'white noise' the fans produce instead of the silence & in the summer he missed it to put him to sleep.

our differences make us very similar--haha

tom

ginski wrote:my stove is in the basement where my eldest son's room is and he enjoys the 'white noise' the fans produce instead of the silence & in the summer he missed it to put him to sleep.

our differences make us very similar--haha

tom

So true...

I really don't mind the noise, but if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!

Anything that gives me an excuse to tinker is good by me. I break stuff just to try to fix it.

I have never owned anything but hand fired stoves & wondered about maybe getting a stoker if & when I ever replace my Harman TLC-2000. The idea that a stoker:
1.Costs $$$ to run
2.Can't run during a power failure .
3.Makes continual noise.
4. Is a complcated machine much more prone to require maintenece.
......Is enough to deter me from ever considering one if the only benefit is longer burn times. Since I am using a blower fan (this year after taking this forum's advice) I am able to burn lower temp fires & get more heat & only shake the stove down once a day. Am I missing a benefit from a stoker that isn't apparent to me?

Devil5052 wrote:... I am using a blower fan (this year after taking this forum's advice) .... Am I missing a benefit from a stoker that isn't apparent to me?

Don't worry, we got you using a blower next you will be having an unexplained hankering to buy a stoker!

You stove guys gotta check out the stoker boilers. Stick it in an outdoor shed or in the basement and there is basically no noise, I can hear my stoker kick on when the house is silent at 3am and I'm watching the deer out the window otherwise I can't hear it. It is as loud as a craftsman 3/8" drive ratchet tightening a spark plug. click,click,click,click..................click,click,click,click..................click,click,click,click..................that's it. The circulator pump makes no noise at all unless your ear is up to it. Hand fired is good when the power goes out and for real-man bragging rights, the other 99.98% of the time a stoker beats it senseless by maintaining a steady fire in all weather conditions with 5 minutes of work a day- empty the ashes and fill the hopper. As far as $$$ to run, I don't notice a big difference on my electric bill from running the stoker, the motor is only .12 hp.

Devil5052 , I think you need to consider it on case by case basis. If for example I was buying one for supplementary heat and I lived in the middle of no where hand-fired is the no brainer. On the other hand stoker all the way if you're in town like me, your concerns are valid but except for the power part are pretty much not that big a deal.

Richard S. wrote:Devil5052 , I think you need to consider it on case by case basis. If for example I was buying one for supplementary heat and I lived in the middle of no where hand-fired is the no brainer. On the other hand stoker all the way if you're in town like me, your concerns are valid but except for the power part are pretty much not that big a deal.

They also cost alot more $$$ to buy, don't they? I just don't see the apeal.

If you want to leave for a few days and the weather is really cold, your hand fired will be done in 24 hours at best, then the oil or gas kicks in. With a stoker like E.alleg's, he can go away for 5 days and just have a overfilled ash pan to clean up,

There are lots of reasons, not everyone's hand fired will run as long or as well as your's is doing right now. Most must be tended to every 12 hours, or have to struggle with recovering an almost-out fire.

Like Richard said, every case, house, stove, lifestyle requires a different appliance.

Sounds like you are REALLY happy with your stove this year. Amazing what a fan will accomplish !!

Greg L