Description
The Valiant brand is both well-known and well respected. They began by introducing a two-blade model, but gradually expanded their offerings to include a four-blade model and some others as well, including a “Premium” model and another called the Ventum III. All off these fans are designed to be used as a companion product, in conjunction with the stove fan you use to meet your home heating needs.
The idea behind them is a lesson in simplicity. If you have or use a stove fan, then you understand the major drawback and limitation. They do a great job at heating the space immediately around the stove, but the rest of the room is left cold. The fan helps by circulating the air throughout the room your wood stove is in. The superior air circulation leads to an improvement in the overall efficiency of your stove, meaning that you’ll wind up burning less fuel throughout the colder months.
This four-blade model is a significant upgrade to the two-blade model. The major improvement primarily takes the form of an improvement in the amount of air that the fan can move, providing up to 50% greater air circulation over the older model.
As with the other fans in the Valiant line, this fan requires absolutely no external power to operate. No battery power needed and it doesn’t rely on electricity. Instead, it uses the heat from the stove fan itself. When the stove reaches the fan’s operating temperature threshold (which, in this case, is a range from 100 – 340 degrees Celsius), the fan turns on automatically, gaining power for its operation from the heat of the stove itself. When the temperature drops below this threshold, the fan shuts off automatically, with no input required by the user. It is entirely automated.
When you look at the fan, you may be shocked and pleasantly surprised by its small size. Considering how much air it is capable of moving, you may have been envisioning a much larger device, but including its four blades, the fan measures a scant 230mm high and 200mm wide, and weighs merely 800g.
As with the other products in the Valiant line, the fan is virtually silent when it runs. You’ll seldom hear it unless you’re standing quite close. The only way you’ll know it’s on is when you feel the draft of warm air extending out and away from your stove. That’s excellent, because really, who wants an annoyingly loud fan in the room with them anyway?
Note that at the time of this writing, the Valiant four-blade model seems to have been discontinued, although you can still sometimes find it for sale, at least until existing stocks run out. It has been replaced by the Valiant Premium Stove Fan, which offers a number of refinements and improvements that we’ll cover in a separate article.
What separates this device from other similar ones is the shape of the airflow cone – four blades instead of the usual two have been applied in this particular model.
The cooling fins themselves are set up in a way that their cooling surface is significantly enlarged and extended and this is exactly what helps create a big enough temperature difference between both sides of the Peltier module.
The product itself comes packaged in a flawlessly designed box that is meant to ensure 100% safe delivery to the customer. Of course, a full owner manual, printed on a small booklet is also included and, additionally, a concise usage description (in 6 different languages) can be found on the box.
The wires running from the Peltier to the motor might look somewhat fragile at the first glance, but that is nothing to worry about since the fan is constructed in a way that there is no danger of burning or any sort of damage during regular use.
The fan comes with a miniature metal handle that enables movement. Obviously, the fact that it’s made of metal is nothing to worry about as its designed in a way that in never gets hot, which means there is no risk of getting burned when using it to better position and adjust your fan.
The motor is entirely protected from overheating as it is placed on the upper, colder part of the fan. However, if the motor is somehow damaged, it is easy to replace since the screws holding it are easy to reach.
Valiant is a well established brand in this industry and for a good reason – it stands for product quality, top notch customer service and excellent after-purchase user assistance.
Pros & Cons
As you might suspect, the four-blade model is a little more expensive than its two-bladed cousin, so if you’re a price-conscious shopper, and you don’t have too large a room to heat, then you may want to consider the smaller model. The four-blade version of the fan would be overkill in a smaller room anyway.
The company has an excellent support policy, however, so even though the product has been discontinued, you can still expect world-class support from Valiant should something go wrong with your fan, and it comes with a two-year warranty too, which should give you peace of mind when you make your purchase. All that to say that discontinued or not, the Valiant four-blade is an excellent choice, provided you have a large, expansive room to heat.
