A Tulikivi Brought Back from the Dead

[begreen]

It sounds like fate dropped this sopastone heater into the right hands. You did a great rescue. I hope you have a lifetime of warmth from that beauty. Please keep us posted on it's operation, cleaning and heating as you get used to running it.

 

[jetsam]

IThe gentleman who I got it from was a family friend and used to install these. He used this particular heater as a display for home shows. I was able to get it from his wife after he passed.

How'd you like to throw that in your suitcase and carry it through the airport? ("Your checked luggage will be subject to a weight surcharge of $83,419,208.17. Cash or credit?")

Great job putting that lovely thing back in action.

 

[burnbabyburn139]

So far what I have learned from the heater after a week of burning:
-It drafts incredibly strong with only 12.5' of chimney above. I may have to add chimney as temperatures warm up, we'll just have to wait and see how that goes.
-Unfortunately all of my firewood was cut and split with an open hearth in mind so they are larger splits. Many around 24" and up to 8"+ diameter. Forcing me to load the splits standing up vertically and limiting how full i can fill the firebox.
-I am still determining where I would like to place the rough cut stones (shown on the right of the heater in the finished picture). I will update with pictures when I have those set and finished when I get around to it, I am having too much fun just burning it for now to put any more work in.
-I am getting firebox temps over 600. Stone temperatures between 270 and 180 after 3 to 4 hours of burning.
- Burn times are short, as expected by design. I'm getting around 1.5 - 2 hours before I throw a few more splits in.
-For the most part I have been burning with the air wide open. This weekend I will try playing with the air control more when I have time to keep an eye on how the fire reacts.

Thank you all for the responses and input. Great to see!

 

[prezes13]

My dealer have few of them on his floor. They are drop gorgeous. Please tell us more about your daily life with it.

 

[Simpleacres]

Not really. The idea is that they have a hot, short burn with the stove mass (bricks) absorbing the heat as the gasses go through the chambers. This will burn off any creosote that might have been created during the start of end of the burn.
I spent a year looking at a masonry heater and there is a Tulikivi mason less than an hour from me. The heat/cost ratio is quite bad IMHO and the kicker for me was that they should be placed in the center of a large room. I've got the large room but do not want a stone or brick mound in the middle of it. I spoke to 3 of the top builders in Canada and they all said not to put it on an outside wall. To much heat loss. As to that is the insurance question and the cost. I dropped the idea after that.

I have built several masonry heaters against an outside wall. Planned right it allows no heat loss. I have worked with several but Empire Masonry Heaters is my favorite. They cost a fraction of a Tulikivi and I can install a core in as less than 8 hours. I have actually replaced worn-out Tulikivi firebox with a long-lasting refractory one from Empire.

 

[jetsam]

I have built several masonry heaters against an outside wall. Planned right it allows no heat loss.

How does that work? I guess you insulate between the outside wall and the heater?

Ever do a "rocket" mass heater? Those look interesting.

 

[Simpleacres]

How does that work? I guess you insulate between the outside wall and the heater?

Ever do a "rocket" mass heater? Those look interesting.

Here is one I'm building against an inside wall. If it was an exterior wall I would use a material like ceramic wool - provides zero clearance insulation.

I've looked into the rocket mass heater but it is rather inferior in performance to a refractory masonry heater. The right refractory mix is 100% organic material but holds and delivers heat slightly better than soapstone! I think rocket mass heaters have been a DIY solution to the extreme cost of masonry heaters but some serious r&d has happened and masonry heaters are now more affordable than ever.

 

[jetsam]

I wouldn't think performance would be the top factor for people who choose a masonry heater anyway. In terms of performance, you're making a heater out of something with (relative to steel) very poor thermal conductivity but very high thermal capacity in order to overcome short burn times- a problem which a couple modern stove companies have overcome anyway (BK, IS).

Not saying masonry heaters can't heat a house very nicely- but they trade thermal conductivity for thermal capacity. If I didn't have a BK I would probably be asking why everyone didn't do that.

In terms of aestheticics, though, there's some jawdropping masonry heaters out there. I don't usually even remotely care how stuff looks, but I've seen some that made me go 'WOW'.



The coolest wood stove on the internet. In addition to its looking cool, the big glass surface area probably allows a lot of radiant heat, which ought to help with warming up a cold house in a timely fashion.

 

[Simpleacres]

I wouldn't think performance would be the top factor for people who choose a masonry heater anyway. In terms of performance, you're making a heater out of something with (relative to steel) very poor thermal conductivity but very high thermal capacity in order to overcome short burn times- a problem which a couple modern stove companies have overcome anyway (BK, IS).

Not saying masonry heaters can't heat a house very nicely- but they trade thermal conductivity for thermal capacity. If I didn't have a BK I would probably be asking why everyone didn't do that.

In terms of aestheticics, though, there's some jawdropping masonry heaters out there. I don't usually even remotely care how stuff looks, but I've seen some that made me go 'WOW'.


View attachment 176218
The coolest wood stove on the internet. In addition to its looking cool, the big glass surface area probably allows a lot of radiant heat, which ought to help with warming up a cold house in a timely fashion.

I understand what you're saying. The difference is the type of thermal transfer. Quick heater output is attractive, but the thermal mass puts out infrared energy which is absorbed by everything - and everyone - in the room. It also reflects along walls, halls, and through doors. So yes, it takes a few hours to warm up but then it is the most comfortable heat you can get. I didn't believe any of it until I experienced it first-hand though.

 

[coloradoperson]

The room the heater is in is approximately 250 sq. ft of a converted 3 season porch so it is 3 walls of glass and gets a bit cool in the winter. It is somewhat open to rest of the main floor.
I believe the heater was previously used as a display model for home home shows or something like it because it was clearly siliconed together. We got the stones through a friend of a friend who has since passed away so I don't think I will ever know the full story behind it. The stones are not in the best shape from all the years unprotected outside and likely being moved place to place multiple times.

Hello there, I am new to this group. I am looking at a newish Tulikivi that will have to moved. Is this possible? are there resources on this? and do you have any suggestions? thanks so much . Gillian

 

[begreen]

See other posting.

 

[Nick Mystic]

You mention that you are getting 600F firebox temperatures. What sort of clearances does the stove have? I see that it is right up against what appears to be a wood shake covered wall. How does that work?

 

[begreen]

This is an old thread from 2016. The OP may be long gone.