Masonry Heater Build

[DevilsBrew]

Hello DevilsBrew! It'd be great to hear your experiences with rocket stoves & such. Perhaps in a new thread? I'm very interested.

I'm in NW PA too! Fortunately, just a little south of the real snow belt.

Will do Ted!

 

[byQ]

A few people have contacted me about how the masonry heater build is coming along. It sounds like I'm not the only one who wants one of these things. Besides a masonry heater, I'm also building a house. I've stopped building operations and will begin again in the spring. Anyways, here are some pics.


I'm going to cover the masonry heater with this light green 12" X 12" marble.



Here are some of the parts - clean-out doors, air grate, and a small ash grate.

A small MH would be 36" wide by 24" deep and 6' tall. A large one would be 48" wide by 36" deep and 7'+ tall. I'm going for a mid sized MH, say 40" wide by 30" deep by 6.5' tall.
And here is the footing/sitting area w/rebar for the masonry heater (centrally located which is best),

I'll update this post as I learn more about and get further along in the build of this masonry heater.

 

[Tedinski]

Thanks for the pics!
That marble is going to be GORGEOUS.
Where did you buy the door, covers, etc? Were they a kit, or did you get them separately?

And What.... No Oven? (just kidding!)

 

[byQ]

Thanks for the pics!
That marble is going to be GORGEOUS.
Where did you buy the door, covers, etc? Were they a kit, or did you get them separately?

And What.... No Oven?

Ya, I'll probably go for an oven but I don't have the parts for one yet. You can buy all of the parts separately (or in kits) to fit your personal tastes and needs. I originally was going with a small 14" door, but 2 larger doors were discounted (one needed welding which later cost me $20 in welding repair) so I went with these larger fancier doors ($150 each). Here is where I got the parts. I believe there is a place in Maine that has parts, too.

 

[Tedinski]

I've looked up similar hardware... you found great prices!
Is the stove of your own design, or did you buy plans?
There are so many "how to" videos on YouTube, I think I could just about plan one out myself. Devil's in the details though.

 

[Tedinski]

Oops... I re-read your first post. "plans bought from the masonry heater association".

 

[Seasoned Oak]

A few people have contacted me about how the masonry heater build is coming along. It sounds like I'm not the only one who wants one of these things. Besides a masonry heater, I'm also building a house..

Not true Q. Most of us here would love to have one of those babies to warm out bones in winter but there are a lot of roadblocks. Its not like you an pick one up at home depot and wheel it in the door. Also with the weight factor,most likely has to go in the basement or a heck of a well supported 1St floor. just too many obstacles to overcome for the average dude nopt to mention the cost factor.And you are doing it at the perfect time while building the house it will live in. This is something i may try when i retire ,but no way will it get done before that.

 

[NW Walker]

I've purchased a few masonry heater parts for various builds from North Stone Heat. I can vouch for their great service and excellent product. They carry Pisla HTT cast iron hardware from Finland which I'm really fond of. Good stuff, and great prices for the quality.

 

[DevilsBrew]

A few people have contacted me about how the masonry heater build is coming along. It sounds like I'm not the only one who wants one of these things. Besides a masonry heater, I'm also building a house. I've stopped building operations and will begin again in the spring. Anyways, here are some pics.

View attachment 115927
I'm going to cover the masonry heater with this light green 12" X 12" marble.
View attachment 115928

View attachment 115929 View attachment 115930 View attachment 115931
Here are some of the parts - clean-out doors, air grate, and a small ash grate.

A small MH would be 36" wide by 24" deep and 6' tall. A large one would be 48" wide by 36" deep and 7'+ tall. I'm going for a mid sized MH, say 40" wide by 30" deep by 6.5' tall.
And here is the footing/sitting area w/rebar for the masonry heater (centrally located which is best),
View attachment 115932
I'll update this post as I learn more about and get further along in the build of this masonry heater.

The marble & doors - breathtakingly beautiful.

 

[byQ]

I've purchased a few masonry heater parts for various builds from North Stone Heat. I can vouch for their great service and excellent product. They carry Pisla HTT cast iron hardware from Finland which I'm really fond of. Good stuff, and great prices for the quality.


NW Walker, are you a masonry heater builder? Have you built one for yourself?

 

[BurnIt13]

As I dream about someday building a house, and maybe around a masonry heater....I wonder, how do you clean the masonry flue? I imagine it goes left to right or up and down multiple times before it goes into the chimney and is exhausted.

Even though its super heated and creosote build up is unlikely...I would imagine ash and what not would accumulate over time?

 

[Tedinski]

As I dream about someday building a house, and maybe around a masonry heater....I wonder, how do you clean the masonry flue? I imagine it goes left to right or up and down multiple times before it goes into the chimney and is exhausted.

Even though its super heated and creosote build up is unlikely...I would imagine ash and what not would accumulate over time?

That's what those square cast iron covers are for (in the photo up above). They're the covers for the "clean out" at the bottom of the channels.

 

[NW Walker]

I've purchased a few masonry heater parts for various builds from North Stone Heat. I can vouch for their great service and excellent product. They carry Pisla HTT cast iron hardware from Finland which I'm really fond of. Good stuff, and great prices for the quality.


NW Walker, are you a masonry heater builder? Have you built one for yourself?

I have not built a traditional one, but I have built many mass heaters using RMH techniques. I could never afford to do a real masonry heater, so the RMH's suit me since I can build them for just about nothing using mud and recycled materials. I do heat my home with one. I am a finalist in the design challenge thing coming up and use Pisla parts on my Challenge stove.

 

[Tedinski]

I have not built a traditional one, but I have built many mass heaters using RMH techniques. I could never afford to do a real masonry heater, so the RMH's suit me since I can build them for just about nothing using mud and recycled materials. I do heat my home with one. I am a finalist in the design challenge thing coming up and use Pisla parts on my Challenge stove.

Neat!
I, too, cannot afford a "real" mass heater. I'd have to cut into my basement floor & pour a new foundation, just as a start.
How well have your rocket mass heaters lasted? Do the 55 gallon drums burn out quickly (holes/rust in the top)?
Would you feel comfortable putting one in over a 4" concrete slab, or are they too heavy?

Sorry... lots of questions. I'm interested.

 

[NW Walker]

No problem Ted, we probably shouldn't jack Q's thread too much, so if we keep going maybe start a new one. Weight on that concrete will be no problem, mine's on a suspended wood floor. The barrels won't burn out for a long, long time. Decades, I believe, since when it's hot there is no air and when there's air it's not hot.

 

[Tedinski]

A new thread would be great. I'll look for it.
Thx.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

I have not built a traditional one, but I have built many mass heaters using RMH techniques. I could never afford to do a real masonry heater, so the RMH's suit me since I can build them for just about nothing using mud and recycled materials. I do heat my home with one. I am a finalist in the design challenge thing coming up and use Pisla parts on my Challenge stove.

Just what is an RMH heater? And how do you build it?

 

[Tedinski]

RMH stands for Rocket Mass Heater. They are extremely cool!
I've never built one, so I hope NW Walker starts a thread for discussion.
I'd kinda like to put one in my basement along the wall where the chimney foundation is.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

THese things are as fascinating as a MH ,here is a good example of one.
http://www.richsoil.com/rocket-stove-mass-heater.jsp

 

[Tedinski]

Those are some good videos.
Start checking through YouTube for Mass Heater, rocket Stove, Rocket mass heater, there are a LOT of interesting videos there!
Lots on large masonry mass heaters, too.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

Those are some good videos.
Start checking through YouTube for Mass Heater, rocket Stove, Rocket mass heater, there are a LOT of interesting videos there!
Lots on large masonry mass heaters, too.

Im startin to think you could take a couple steel drums and build a form and pour some concrete around them and have a mass heater in no time.

 

[Tedinski]

I'd be worried about making it in concrete!
That'd be a little too permanent for my tastes.
Perhaps large wooden benches filled with sand...

 

[byQ]

I just found out from the Masonry Heater's Association that they will be building a medium/large sized contraflow masonry heater (without pizza oven) at the World of Concrete training/seminar in Las Vegas, Nevada, January 20-24. Specifically, it sounds like January 21 & 22 (Tu & Wd) is when the actual building will occur. They are going to build a separate pizza oven, too.


I think it is free (it was last year you just had to get a pass from the masonry heater's association). And you are allowed to help in the builds or to just take pictures and watch. They are building the Finnish contraflow measuring 34" x 52" x with a 22" firebox. It is said to heat a house up to 1800 sq feet. Kind of like this one in size,

 

[begreen]

Sounds like a good place to cement relations. <ducking>

 

[mellow]

Why is it every time I look at one of those I smell pizza.