Question 1: How does the Heat Wave work?
Answer: The Heat Wave is a Stirling-cycle
device. The Stirling-cycle works by alternately heating and cooling
the same volume of air very quickly. When the volume of air is heated,
it expands moving a piston outward. When the same volume of air
is rapidly cooled, it contracts moving the same piston inward. For
a more detailed explanation of the Stirling-cycle power plant driving
the Heat Wave, please see our Technical
Info page.
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Question 2: How much will
the Heat Wave enhance the space heating of my stove?
Answer: Wood/pellet stoves are radiant heat
appliances. As such, they do a wonderful job of heating the immediate
area around the stove. However, it is difficult to evenly distribute
the heat energy radiated from the stove. So, what often happens
is the stove radiates an uncomfortable level of heat in the stove's
immediate area, but leaves living areas further away from the stove
too cool. Research has shown that by circulating the heat generated
by the stove, a comfortable, even heat can be distributed throughout
a living area improving overall heating efficiency by up to 35%.
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Question 3: Is the Heat Wave safe?
Answer: Always remain cognizant of the fact
that the Heat Wave is a metal unit designed to sit atop
a hot stove. So, much like a water kettle or frying pan, the unit
WILL get hot when in use and should be handled with extreme care
when in use. The fan is very safe. It turns at a speed sufficient
to circulate air efficiently, but with low enough torque that the
spinning fan should not hurt you if it comes in contact with you.
The fan will stop if an object interferes with it. When the unit
is stopped, it will NOT restart until you manually restart it. So,
if the unit is accidentally knocked over, or if you accidentally
put your hand in the fan's path, it will immediately stop and remain
stopped until you restart it.
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Question 4: How much air will the Heat
Wave circulate?
Answer: The Heat Wave can distribute
up to 300cfm (cubic feet per minute) of air depending upon the surface
temperature of your stove. The hotter your stove, the faster the
Heat Wave runs, thus circulating more air.
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Question 5: How big is the Heat Wave?
Answer: The Heat Wave is surprisingly
compact given the amount of air that it circulates. The unit is
13 inches tall and 10 inches wide. The fan has 5-blades, and is
10 inches in diameter.
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Question 6: How much does the Heat
Wave weigh?
Answer: The Heat Wave weighs approximately
five pounds.
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Question 7: What is the recommended temperature
range for operating the Heat Wave?
Answer: The Heat Wave operates from
about 350°F to a maximum rated temperature of 1000°F. The
Heat Wave operates most efficiently between 390°F and
800°F. The normal surface operating temperature of a wood stove
is 450°F to 700°F. The Heat Wave has been designed
to operate at peak efficiency through the entire normal operating
temperature range of your stove.
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Question 8: How do I know if my stove's
surface temperature exceeds the Heat Wave's maximum operating
temperature?
Answer: The best way to observe your stove's
surface temperature is to use a stove thermometer. If you suspect
that the surface temperature of your stove has exceeded the maximum
operating temperature of the Heat Wave, you should check
to see if your home is on fire and call your local fire department
if necessary.
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Question 9: How do I vary the operating
speed of the Heat Wave?
Answer: The Heat Wave's fan blade
speed adjusts automatically according to your stove's surface temperature.
That is, the hotter the surface of your stove, the faster your Heat
Wave's fan will turn.
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Question 10: What is the lowest start temperature
for the Heat Wave?
Answer: The Heat Wave operates on
a temperature differential between its hot plate and cold plate,
so start temperature depends upon a number of factors, such as ambient
air temperature, but the Heat Wave generally is ready to
start when the base of the unit has been warmed by a 300°F to
350°F surface temperature. The unit runs best on a surface with
a temperature of 375° or greater.
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Question 11: What is the warranty for my
Heat Wave?
Answer: The Thermal Engine Corporation makes
every effort to ensure that each Heat Wave stove fan meets
the highest quality and durability standards, and warrants to the
original purchaser that your Heat Wave stove fan is free
from defects in materials and workmanship for five years from the
date of purchase. For specific details, please see our Warranty
page.
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Question 12: Is there anything that is
not covered by the warranty?
Answer: Basically, the warranty covers all
functional parts of the Heat Wave. There are two notable
exceptions to the warranty; 1. physical damage to parts of the unit,
such as bent components, due directly or indirectly to misuse, abuse,
and/or accident and 2. repairs or alterations outside our facilities
such as having the displacer chamber disassembled by anyone other
than the factory. IMPORTANT NOTE: NEVER take the displacer chamber
apart. To do so will break the air-tight seals of the unit, and
upon reassembly, an unsealed unit WILL NOT run. (Note: The displacer
chamber is the stainless steel, tube body of the unit.) It is very
unlikely that you will be able to properly re-seal the unit and
you will have to send the unit back to the factory to have it re-sealed.
For specific warranty details, please see our Warranty
page.
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Question 13: I would like to remove the
Heat Wave's cover -- I enjoy watching the internal mechanisms
in motion and want to show it off to all of my friends! Is this
okay?
Answer: We get this question ALL of the time.
The Heat Wave is designed to be maintenance-free under
normal conditions. Removing the cover for display is fine, but please
recognize that by doing so, you expose the moving parts to dirt,
dust and other elements. If you use your Heat Wave without
the cover and you notice it running slower than normal or doesn't
start easily, you will need to wipe clean the displacer rod with
a soft, lint-free cloth and place a drop or so of a high quality
lubricant on the rod and on the two brass crankshaft bushings. IMPORTANT
NOTE: Use only a high-quality, low-viscosity lubricant that does
not evaporate and does not leave a residue. (For example, a high-quality
gun or clock oil.) NEVER use a WD-40 or similar lubricant; as they
evaporate, they leave behind a sticky residue that will hurt the
performance of your product. NEVER lubricate the graphite power
piston with ANY lubricant; graphite is self-lubricating, and the
addition of any outside lubricant will degrade the performance of
your Heat Wave. NOTE: If you do choose to remove the cover
of your Heat Wave, we strongly recommend that you replace
the units handle before operation. If for some reason you need to
move your Heat Wave when it is very hot, you will be glad
you replaced the handle.
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Question 14: What maintenance does the Heat
Wave require?
Answer: The Heat
Wave has been designed to operate virtually maintenance-free
under normal circumstances. If you often operate your Heat Wave
in very dirty, dusty, or humid conditions, or if you display your
Heat Wave without its cover, see the answer to the above
question regarding cleaning and lubrication.
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Question 15: Where is the Heat Wave
made?
Answer: The Heat Wave was designed,
prototyped, and tested in Huntsville, Alabama, USA. Every part of
each Heat Wave is made in the USA. Each Heat Wave
unit is assembled, tested, and packaged in Huntsville, Alabama,
USA.
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Question 16: What is the Heat Wave
made of?
Answer: The Heat Wave is made from
only the highest-quality materials. All Heat Wave components
are individually machined from stainless steel, anodized aluminum,
brass, or graphite.
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Question 17: How fast does the fan spin?
Answer: It depends upon the heat of your stove.
The hotter the heat source, the faster the fan turns. However, generally
speaking, a unit warmed up on a 400° surface will turn approximately
400 RPM (revolutions per minute).
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Question 18: If I want to stop my Heat
Wave while it is in use, what do I do?
Answer: It is best to just leave your Heat
Wave on top of your stove until it cools sufficiently for the
unit to stop running. However, you can stop your Heat Wave
by stopping the rotation of the fan with your hand. If you plan
to remove the Heat Wave from its heat source, do so with
extreme caution. First, make sure the handle is not too hot to the
touch. Then lift the unit only by its handle. Be sure you place
the hot unit on a safe surface that won't be affected by the residual
heat.
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Question 19: Does the Heat Wave need
to be mounted or attached to my stove in any way?
Answer: Your Heat Wave is held in place entirely
by gravity! No mounting or attachment is necessary.
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