hey who on here has a masonry stove/ fireplace the best heating system ever. im really thinking of building one in my house one day. 2 chords of wood for a whole winter of burning im in....
masonry stoves who has one lets see some pics!!!!
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cmonSTART
Minister of Fire
Masonry heaters are great! A guy in my town built one (retired stone mason) and it's BEAUTIFUL! I really wish I had some pictures.
I just rescued a small Tulikivi from demolition. Search Mountain Flame Heaters, it's the top right picture on their home page. Can't be moved in one piece as I found out. Hard to find anyone willing or able to advise on reconstruction. This model ( T 750 C ) is rated to heat about 650 square feet. It weighs +- 2000 lbs.
Ehouse
Ehouse
woodmiser
Feeling the Heat
Not a rocket stove, but a contraflow design where the heated exhaust travels through a couple of vertical switchbacks before exiting the chimney. Some have heated benches like a rocket stove, but the fire box is more conventional. The soapstone (including the firebrick) soaks up the heat and releases it slowly. Supposedly, only 2 firings per 24 hrs. maintain even temps. Some are now sold in kit form for DYI.
Ehouse
Ehouse
The original installer of the heater I scored is probably one and the same, and would offer no help or advice unless they were to come and do the rebuild. I can understand their position, I suppose, so I've started gathering the info. elsewhere.
Ehouse
Ehouse
Martin Strand III
New Member
TempCast masonry heater, about 8 years old and still cookin' (and about 7000 lbs)
* refractory "floating" contraflow core
* solid brick over core
* tile veneer over brick
See it here:
Sorry, it's in the hearth.com gallery, fireplaces, "tilestone" about
5 pages in from the beginning
Aye,
Marty
* refractory "floating" contraflow core
* solid brick over core
* tile veneer over brick
See it here:
Sorry, it's in the hearth.com gallery, fireplaces, "tilestone" about
5 pages in from the beginning
Aye,
Marty
woodmiser said:
Hardly. Do a simple search and begin to really learn about thermal mass. Rick
http://mha-net.org/html/gallery.htm
Ehouse said:
Tulikivi masonary heaters are designed to be taken apart and reassembed in another location. Looks like you've got a real 'find' there
I had a Temp Cast unit built into my last house. Worked great! I used 2x4 and 2x6 construction scraps. It never saw a piece of 'cordwood'. 2 fires a day kept the house comfortably warm 24 hours per day.
"Twas a 'bit' too big and heavy to move when I moved. NO.....I didn't get my investment back when I sold the house. It was considered by the realtors/new owners as just another brick fireplace.
Marty S, That's a nice install. Did you do it yourself? Is the bake oven a good usable feature? I'm thinking of adding one if I get the info. to rebuild this.
Nelraq, Tempcast seems to be the most popular kit. Do you know where I might find info. on a Tulikivi Rebuild? specifically, type of refractory cement, insulating spacer material, grout for the outside seams and firebox design? My local installer won't help unless they do the rebuild. I've scoured the internet for specifics to little or no avail.
Ehouse
Nelraq, Tempcast seems to be the most popular kit. Do you know where I might find info. on a Tulikivi Rebuild? specifically, type of refractory cement, insulating spacer material, grout for the outside seams and firebox design? My local installer won't help unless they do the rebuild. I've scoured the internet for specifics to little or no avail.
Ehouse
Martin Strand III
New Member
Ehouse said:
I'm not that handy with handling 175 lb refractory core "lego" style blocks, so, no I didn't build it. Not to mention the poured footing with rebar, foundation about 8' tall with CMBs and poured concrete cap with more rebar all "absolutely" level and plumb. It's a man made monolith of about 4 tons or better (the "mass" in 'thermal mass' heater).
Since the masonry portion was less strenuous (bricks and tile) but required some tricks near chimney, floor damper and both doors, I decided to let the pros do it all. It was a good choice. The penalty for screwing it up is rather nasty considering if too much air spaces are left in the mortar, the wrong grout, the bricks are not solid or properly filled, expansion joints are not spaced correctly or the chimney insulation is not up to snuff - well - 'fire burns' is all you need to know.
My next one (veneer) is going to be all solid brick pavers.
Refractory grout came with the core pieces. email TempCast may/maynot be helpful. Exterior grout contained some latex something which has worked well since in my 8th season, I have no cracks.
The spacer between the floating core and the brick/tile veneer I could have done. Simply one layer of corragated cardboard.
The bake oven is a joy. With flames just out and coals aplenty it's too hot for most sane cooking. Timing is the thing to master. Pizzas hot and fast to slow cookin' is all simply timing.
Aye,
Marty
Ehouse said:
Sorry, I can't help you with the rebuilding details but suggest that you contact a Tulikivi dealer/installer. They will probably give you basic directions if you purchase the necessary supplies from them.
firecracker_77
Minister of Fire
Masonry heaters are awesome after studying about them for the last 3 hours. This will be something I dream about for some time. They are really beautiful and an architectural feature in a house. They can be custom built with any stone or brick finish. What a great idea
Martin Strand III
New Member
firecracker_77
Minister of Fire
firecracker_77
Minister of Fire
Before today, I wondered why those things needed to be so big and expensive. I did not understand a normal size firebox and a massive stone surface. Now, I understand with all the internal switchbacks trapping heat in that gigantic thermal mass. Eventually, the veil is lifted and a wash of understanding pours over you from time to time.
Martin Strand III
New Member
Marty S; is a cold start difficult? I assume there is a damper to keep heat in the stove after the fire is out that must be opened for a new load to catch.
Ehouse
Ehouse
firecracker_77
Minister of Fire
I think those stoves have a damper on the chimney to trap the heat after firing and an air control for start-up. I spent a few hours yesterday reading about these.
Martin Strand III
New Member
These things have no air inlet control. It's always full bore "ON"
which is what it needs to burn fast, hot and clean. This may be a
scary concept to a metal stove burner. Air inlet size is engineered
into it to be a "no brainer" to achieve the planned hot burn
(stoichiometric air plus just a little more but not too much).
These things do have a damper. The choice is either near the top
of the chimney with a "pull" cord or at the base of the chimney with
a manual lever. I have the latter which traps warm air in the unit
after the coals are out. The former traps warm air in the unit and
the chimney. Both are opened on starting another fire. Either type
can be used to "cool" down the heater somewhat when desired, as
in the off season, by leaving them open after the coals are out.
Cold starts are never difficult with dry wood. You get almost
immediate radiant heat thru the glass. So hot standing close
will singe your short ones. The masonry takes more time to
warm up to 170* F or so (never more)depending on the fuel load.
Aye,
Marty
which is what it needs to burn fast, hot and clean. This may be a
scary concept to a metal stove burner. Air inlet size is engineered
into it to be a "no brainer" to achieve the planned hot burn
(stoichiometric air plus just a little more but not too much).
These things do have a damper. The choice is either near the top
of the chimney with a "pull" cord or at the base of the chimney with
a manual lever. I have the latter which traps warm air in the unit
after the coals are out. The former traps warm air in the unit and
the chimney. Both are opened on starting another fire. Either type
can be used to "cool" down the heater somewhat when desired, as
in the off season, by leaving them open after the coals are out.
Cold starts are never difficult with dry wood. You get almost
immediate radiant heat thru the glass. So hot standing close
will singe your short ones. The masonry takes more time to
warm up to 170* F or so (never more)depending on the fuel load.
Aye,
Marty
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