Autumn brings cosy nights and stubborn draughts. A small gadget now promises to shift warmth where it’s needed most. At last, living rooms feel even again.
Across homes with wood stoves and fireplaces, warmth often hugs the hearth and never quite reaches the sofa. A compact fan now appearing on Lidl shelves aims to change that pattern, using the heat you already produce to move air gently, evenly and cheaply.
The simple physics behind stubborn cold spots
Even with a capable stove, warm air pools near the appliance and the ceiling. Corners stay chilly. The result is a room that looks toasty yet feels uneven as soon as you step away from the flames.
The fix is circulation. By nudging warm air outwards and drawing cooler air back towards the fire, a stove-top or flue-mounted fan closes the loop. Temperature differences shrink. You stop overfiring the stove just to chase comfort.
Self-powered at around 55 °C, the fan needs no plug, no batteries and no cables. It moves heat, not bills.
A €19 push for even warmth
Lidl is pitching a TRONIC-branded fan designed for wood stoves and open fireplaces. It uses a thermoelectric module: when the base gets hot, a small generator powers the blades. There’s nothing to wire or charge. When the fire fades, the fan slows and stops. When you build the next fire, it wakes automatically.
In everyday terms, that means fewer cold pockets and a more consistent room temperature, especially in spaces up to roughly 35 m². Owners report faster comfort at the start of an evening burn and less need to stand guard near the hearth.
Under €20, and sized for small tops: about 19 × 22 × 7 cm for the four-blade version, with a carry handle.
Two versions for different set-ups
Configurations vary, so the range comes in two shapes. One stands on the stove top. The other clamps to the flue where surface area is tight.
Free-standing model
This unit sits on the hot plate. It needs a stable, flat patch and space for air to pass. The handle helps you shift it when cool. The compact footprint suits many small stoves.
Flue-mounted model
Where the top plate is crowded or narrow, the clamp-on version fixes to the stove pipe. It lives in the hottest column of rising gases, which helps it start early in the burn and maintain flow as you reload.
| Model | Placement | Approx. size | Power | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRONIC free-standing | Stove-top | 19 × 22 × 7 cm (4-blade) | Thermoelectric, starts ~55 °C | Flat tops with room for airflow |
| TRONIC flue-mounted | On the stove pipe | Varies with clamp position | Thermoelectric, starts ~55 °C | Compact tops or crowded surrounds |
Set-up and daily use
Installation asks very little. The aim is to sit the base on the hottest area you can safely reach, without blocking vents or crowding pans or kettles some owners use for humidity.
- Place the free-standing unit towards the rear of the hot plate for stronger heat and a stable base.
- On flues, tighten the collar firmly and align the fan to push warm air towards the centre of the room.
- Leave clearance around the blades so the flow is not obstructed by trivets, guards or ornaments.
- Let it cool fully before touching; the base becomes hot during use.
- Dust the fins occasionally; clean fins move more air with less effort.
Noise stays low because the motor is tiny and direct-driven. You hear the fire, not the fan. The aluminium bodywork and stainless handle add durability while keeping weight down.
Works during power cuts. Heat turns into movement, so circulation continues even when the lights go out.
What it might save you this winter
Numbers help. Imagine a 30–35 m² lounge warmed by a 6–8 kW stove. Without circulation, warm air rises fast, and you compensate by feeding extra logs to feel heat at seating height. With a fan, the perceived temperature at the sofa rises sooner, so you can run slightly cooler burns and keep reloads calmer.
If better distribution trims wood use by 10–15 percent, and a household burns 3 cubic metres in a season at €90 per m³, that’s €27–€40 saved. Many homes burn more, so the payback can arrive within a few weeks of regular use. Savings grow further if the fan stops you reaching for an electric heater on shoulder evenings.
There’s a comfort dividend too. Drafty corners soften. Doors left ajar share warmth with adjacent rooms. Family members stop clustering by the stove and spread out. That behavioural shift matters because you end up firing to comfort the room, not the ceiling.
Placement tips that change the outcome
Small tweaks sharpen results. Angle the fan so the stream crosses the fireplace front and aims at the centre of the room. If you have a raw corner that stays chilly, point the fan to set up a gentle loop towards that area. In tall rooms, a slow ceiling fan on reverse helps pull hot air down while the stove fan pushes it out.
Mind materials, too. Thick rugs and heavy curtains absorb heat and slow movement. A clear floor path lets air travel further before it cools. If children or pets tend to sit near the stove, position the unit to avoid direct blasts on faces and paws.
Price, service and what to expect
Lidl lists the TRONIC unit at under €20, with online delivery options and a 30‑day return window on many ranges. Stock varies by region and timing. The value proposition rests on three points: no electricity cost, no wiring hassle, and a tangible rise in comfort from night one.
Performance will still track your fire skills. Dry wood, clear flues and sensible loading patterns matter. A fan can’t fix a starved burn or a door seal that leaks. It amplifies good practice by moving the heat you already make.
Beyond the living room
The same logic applies to garden rooms, cabins and insulated workshops that rely on compact stoves. In these spaces, airflow often proves the missing piece. Pair the fan with a magnetic stove thermometer to learn the temperature range where circulation feels best, then repeat the routine each lighting.
For households weighing upgrades, a fan offers a low-risk step before bigger spends. If you were eyeing a stove replacement purely for better warmth distribution, try the €19 fix first. You might reserve the bigger budget for chimney maintenance, window seals or an extra CO alarm, which bring safety and efficiency gains of their own.
Bought it this morning (free‑standing version) and my sofa finally feels the fire within 10 minutes. For under €20, that’s kind of wild. Comfort is way more even across my ~30 m² lounge.
55 °C start temp sounds optimistic—most stove tops run much hotter, but will it kick in early enough on a small burn? Color me duboius until someone posts real numbers.