Masonry Heater Build is Underway

[Prof]

The masonry heater is well underway--the core is almost done. I'm having a local mason do the work. The core was designed by Alex Chernov (stovemaster.com). We will have a cook top and black oven in the heater.

 

[webby3650]

I love it! Keep the updates and pics coming!

 

[Simonkenton]

That is fabulous! I love it! I have done a little masonry, and I built the fireplace at left.
But those masonry heaters are something else. It looks like this guy really knows what he is doing.
Keep the pics coming.

 

[begreen]

Very cool. Keep us posted on progress.

 

[HisTreeNut]

+1 on the above comments. Pretty awesome looking.

 

[Dantheman300z]

Way cool. Digging it, I see lots of thermal mass, so will you be able to touch that stone when it's full bore?

 

[Jags]

Any estimates on the rated output?

 

[Prof]

Any estimates on the rated output?

The heater is estimated to put out about 25,000 BTU/hr. Up to two 50lb loads per day is the max in terms of input.

 

[Prof]

Way cool. Digging it, I see lots of thermal mass, so will you be able to touch that stone when it's full bore?

Yes--it should only ever get warm to the touch. In the pics is the core only. There will be a layer of common bricks and then some one inch stone on the face as well.

 

[Simonkenton]

I'm sure your builder already knows this, but dark material gives off radiant heat much better than light matter. That's why most all the wood stoves are black.
So if you want good radiant heat from that stove, and you do, use dark rocks.

 

[Prof]

Here are a couple more pics.

 

[begreen]

Great progress. What is the black frame on the horizontal top above the firebox for?

 

[Prof]

Great progress. What is the black frame on the horizontal top above the firebox for?

That is the frame for the cook top.

 

[mark cline]

Is the stone, real or a cultured stone? I love the look, I plan on using our creek stone , for my chimney and the outside basement wall ,which would give me the same look.

 

[Simonkenton]

I used creek stone when I built my chimney pictured at left. I got the rocks out of Bear Creek. They really look great.

 

[Kevin*]

It looks amazing but that's I different world too me. What size flue does it use? Are there secondary air tubes or a cat? If neither how does it get epa cert? What's the plan, like build a fire and let it burn for 2 hours then enjoy the heat for 12?
Lots of questions but a custom home build is a year away for me and that is one sexy machine

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

[Prof]

Is the stone, real or a cultured stone? I love the look, I plan on using our creek stone , for my chimney and the outside basement wall ,which would give me the same look.

It is real--I pulled it out of a creek that runs through our property.

 

[Prof]

It looks amazing but that's I different world too me. What size flue does it use? Are there secondary air tubes or a cat? If neither how does it get epa cert? What's the plan, like build a fire and let it burn for 2 hours then enjoy the heat for 12?
Lots of questions but a custom home build is a year away for me and that is one sexy machine

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

It uses a 8 inch flue. No cat or secondary tubes. The designer (Alex Chernov) is working on some approvals. The work he has done to measure efficiencies put his heaters in the same realm as EPA stoves. You got the idea--one raging fire for about 2 hrs, and then 12-24 hrs of heat depending upon the heat loss in the house. Check out Alex's site: stovemaster.com Lots of very interesting stuff on there.

The thing does sit on its own foundation, so it does need to be considered early in the planning phase. I essentially designed the house around the heater. In my area, we burn at least 6 months out of the year--I'm really looking forward to heating the house and cooking meals at the same time.

I'm happy to answer any questions you have about the heater.

 

[sportbikerider78]

Very interesting.
I have seen a large masonry heater in a friend of ours home. They love it and it was very tall. It was a ranch style home with a basement and you fed the firebox in the basement and the chimney was also in the masonry and snaked through to the rooftop. There was about a 1/2" gap all around the masonry on the 1st floor (extending from the basement) and it was mainly decorative on the 1st floor...as the burning was in the basment...8-10" below. It had a massive firebox that only required loading once a day.

Just guessing,,,i'd say it was twice the mass of the one you are building. They said it was built by a retired european mason for about $12k, 20 years ago.

 

[Lake Girl]

Nice looking project ... stone adds so much! Since Alex is located in Ontario, any issues with importing his designs?

 

[Prof]

Nice looking project ... stone adds so much! Since Alex is located in Ontario, any issues with importing his designs?

No problems--He emailed the design. Some of the hardware did get banged up in shipping, but nothing that couldn't be fixed.

 

[mark cline]

What are your specifications for the foundation? I had a 6' x8'x2' thick foundation poured when the basement floor was poured. My intentions are to build a basement to roof line block , stone , 2 flue chimney about 32' tall. 2 EPA wood stoves would heat the basement /rec room and the great room and house above . But seeing your heater and viewing the website, I need to look into a masonry heater. I had looked into the Tivuliki ,heaters but the 25K price , was a turn off. I'm located in Cattaraugus ,NY, probably not far from you in western Pa

 

[HisTreeNut]

Cattaraugus? That's not far from where I grew up. Near Arcade, NY.
Small world .

 

[mark cline]

Did you source all the firebrick locally or was this a kit that was bought from stovemaster? Was a refractory cement used on main core and regular mortar used on the stone and brick?

 

[Prof]

What are your specifications for the foundation? I had a 6' x8'x2' thick foundation poured when the basement floor was poured. My intentions are to build a basement to roof line block , stone , 2 flue chimney about 32' tall. 2 EPA wood stoves would heat the basement /rec room and the great room and house above . But seeing your heater and viewing the website, I need to look into a masonry heater. I had looked into the Tivuliki ,heaters but the 25K price , was a turn off. I'm located in Cattaraugus ,NY, probably not far from you in western Pa

The foundation was 5'6"X6' (outside dimensions) using 10" block. Just as an FYI--the cost for my heater, materials and labor (local mason) will be about 10K less than a Tivuliki.