Ecofan AirMax Review: 175 CFM, but Only From 85°C
This Ecofan AirMax review starts with what you are paying for. The AirMax 812 is the biggest fan in Ecofan’s Classic range and it has the highest standards-tested airflow figure of any stove fan we have compared: 175 cubic feet per minute, which Caframo, the Canadian company that makes Ecofan, says is tested to ANSI/AMCA standards. It runs on a stove top between 85°C and 345°C, stands 25.4cm tall and carries a two-year limited warranty.
That combination makes it the fan to beat for a hot wood stove in a large room. It also makes it poor value on a small, cool-running stove, where a cheaper fan that starts at a lower temperature will often do more. Below is who should buy it, who should not, and the one running cost the box does not mention.
Ecofan AirMax at a glance
| Ecofan AirMax 812 | |
|---|---|
| Model | 812AMXBX (black blade) |
| Airflow | 175 CFM (297 cubic metres an hour) |
| Operating range | 85°C to 345°C stove surface |
| Size | 8.4cm deep, 14.0cm wide, 25.4cm tall |
| Blade | 9 inch, two-blade design |
| Best for | Rooms over 240 sq ft, about 22 square metres |
| Fuel saving claim | Up to 18% |
| Power | None: thermoelectric module |
| Warranty | 2-year limited |
| Spare parts | Replacement motor kit MRKCA01BX; replacement blade |
All figures are from Caframo’s AirMax 812 product page, checked 7 October 2026.
What the AirMax does well
It moves the most air of any mainstream stove fan with a published figure. 175 CFM is 40% more than Ecofan’s own UltrAir 810 (125 CFM) and well over the Original Mini’s 85 CFM. Valiant, the main UK alternative, publishes no airflow figure at all. On a fan, airflow is the whole point: it is how far the warm air off the stove top gets pushed into the room instead of rising straight to the ceiling. Our best stove fan comparison has all six figures side by side.
It handles a hot stove. The 345°C ceiling is 45°C higher than the Valiant Premium IV’s 300°C. On an older cast-iron stove, or a steel stove that you run hard on cold evenings, that headroom matters. Caframo still warns that overheating can permanently damage the fan and void the warranty, so it is not a licence to run the stove flat out.
Its lowest start point in the Classic range. At 85°C it gets moving earlier than the UltrAir (100°C) or the Original Mini (110°C), so it keeps turning further into the dying fire.
You can keep it going for years. Caframo sells genuine replacement motor kits and blades, and the motor connects with push-fit connectors. That matters more than it sounds, because the motor is a wear part (see below). Most budget fans are thrown away when the motor fails.
It is quiet. Caframo calls it virtually silent, and owners agree: there is no hum, just the blade.
Where it falls short
85°C is a high start for a modern stove. Clean-burn stoves built to Ecodesign rules often have well-insulated tops that run cooler than older stoves, particularly when burning slowly. If your stove top sits around 100°C to 150°C for much of the evening, the AirMax will turn, but at a fraction of its rated airflow. The Valiant Premium IV starts at about 50°C, and our Valiant Premium IV review explains when that is the better choice.
It is tall. At 25.4cm it needs clear space above the stove top. Measure from the plate to the underside of any beam, mantel or alcove shelf before you buy. Leave a gap: hot air rising round the fan heats the fins and slows it down.
The fuel saving claim is a best case. Caframo quotes up to 18% less fuel from testing at the University of Waterloo. Real savings depend on the room, the stove and how you burn, and in a small room that is already warm, a fan mainly makes it feel warmer faster rather than saving wood.
It is not for gas, pellet or electric stoves. Caframo points users of cooler stoves to its AirDeco models, which start at 65°C and 70°C, or the BelAir for gas and pellet stoves.
The running cost nobody mentions: the motor
The thermoelectric module that makes the power should last many years, but the small motor does not. Caframo’s own payback table on the AirMax page allows for a replacement motor kit roughly every 4.5 heating seasons. Signs it is going: the fan slows down, needs a nudge to start, or stops at temperatures where it used to spin.
The good news is that this is a five-minute job with the kit, MRKCA01BX, which fits the UltrAir 810, the AirMax 812 and the AirDeco models. Buy the genuine kit, so the motor is matched to the fan’s generator.
Where to put it
Caframo’s placement advice is the same as Valiant’s, and it is the single biggest factor in how well and how long a fan works:
- Place it toward the rear of the stove top, to the side of the flue pipe, so it pulls in cooler room air from behind and pushes warm air forward.
- Never put it in front of the flue, where rising hot air heats the top fins and kills the temperature difference that powers it.
- Use a stove thermometer to keep the surface under 345°C. Our guide to the best stove thermometers explains where to fit one.
AirMax or something else?
| Your situation | Best choice |
|---|---|
| Hot wood stove, large or open-plan room, plenty of headroom | Ecofan AirMax 812 |
| Hot wood stove, average room or less headroom | Ecofan UltrAir 810 |
| Modern stove with a cool top, or a low mantel | Valiant Premium IV |
| Gas or pellet stove | Ecofan BelAir 806 |
| Small budget, small room | See our budget stove fans |
Should you buy the Ecofan AirMax?
Buy it if you have a wood stove whose top regularly reaches 150°C to 300°C, a room bigger than about 22 square metres, at least 30cm of clear space above the stove, and you want a fan you can repair rather than replace. It is the most capable fan we have compared, and its airflow claim is backed by a published test standard.
Look elsewhere if your stove runs cool, if headroom is tight, or if the room is small enough that a cheaper fan already fills it with heat.
Check price on Amazon. Ecofan stock on Amazon UK can be thin once the weather turns cold, so compare stockists before you pay.
Frequently asked questions
What temperature does the Ecofan AirMax start at? 85°C on the stove surface, according to Caframo. It speeds up as the stove gets hotter, up to a maximum operating temperature of 345°C.
How much air does the Ecofan AirMax move? Up to 175 cubic feet per minute, about 297 cubic metres an hour, which Caframo says is tested to ANSI/AMCA standards. That is the highest airflow in the Ecofan Classic range.
How tall is the Ecofan AirMax? 25.4cm (10 inches) tall, 14cm wide and 8.4cm deep. Leave clear space above it, as hot air trapped under a mantel slows the fan.
Why has my Ecofan slowed down? Usually the motor is wearing out, which Caframo allows for roughly every four to five seasons. A genuine MRKCA01BX motor kit restores it. Also check it is not in front of the flue, and that the stove top is above 85°C.
Does the Ecofan AirMax work on a multi-fuel or gas stove? It works on freestanding wood and multi-fuel stoves whose surface runs between 85°C and 345°C. For gas and pellet stoves, Caframo recommends the low-temperature BelAir instead.
Is the Ecofan AirMax better than the UltrAir? It moves more air (175 against 125 CFM) and starts at a lower temperature (85°C against 100°C), but it is taller. Choose the UltrAir for an average room with less headroom.
Sources
- Caframo, Ecofan AirMax 812AMXBX product page, specifications, placement advice and payback table, checked 7 October 2026.
- Amazon UK listing for the Ecofan 812AMXBX, checked 7 October 2026.
- Valiant FIR361 user guide, for the Premium IV comparison figures.
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