Rocket Stove Mass heaters

[KFhunter]

A few things jumped out at me


Cons:

1) have to tend to the fire feeding it small sticks for hours.   

2) splitting fire wood much smaller  (although less total amount)

3) 1/10th the wood seems like a pretty generous estimate in WA where we have to have the newer more efficient reburning wood stoves. 

4) big foot print of the rocket mass, people are making benches they won't sit on, it takes up floor space. 

5) barrel, ugly.

6) no visible flames to sit in front of and go in a trance while holding your favorite alcoholic drink

7) trickey to get started, although a boost fan would mitigate that

Pro's

1) no chimney fires

2) holds heat longer

3) less wood to stack

4) could be cool if you're an artist (I'm not)



I love the greenhouse idea, you're going to be in there pretty much every day anyways. 


For my greenhouse idea I want to put in a boiler and keep thermal mass under the greenhouse in a big insulated tank.  Then I can scavenge the heat off that and heat the main house with forced air.  In the summer I can do the reverse to keep things cool.  A modified rocket mass would be cool to heat the water with.

[spin05]

the only major con i see is if or when the barrell or chimney rot out or whatever. Breaking all that up to put in new material would suck

[KFhunter]

use a stainless steel barrel

[Special T]

the only major con i see is if or when the barrell or chimney rot out or whatever. Breaking all that up to put in new material would suck

Dont think you have to break it up. Besides adobe/cob is fairly easy to touch up, and repair.

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[Machias]

the only major con i see is if or when the barrell or chimney rot out or whatever. Breaking all that up to put in new material would suck

Watched a couple of videos on changing the barrel, wasn't much of a problem and they used resealed with fresh cob.  Pretty much a half an hour job.

[Machias]

A few things jumped out at me


Cons:

1) have to tend to the fire feeding it small sticks for hours.   It does take more time than a traditional stove, but generally you have a 2 to 3 hours of a burn and you are done.

2) splitting fire wood much smaller  (although less total amount)

3) 1/10th the wood seems like a pretty generous estimate in WA where we have to have the newer more efficient reburning wood stoves.  The 1/10th firewood comes from folks here in WA.  Several folks went from using 8 cords to less than a cord of wood for an entire winter

4) big foot print of the rocket mass, people are making benches they won't sit on, it takes up floor space.  Most of the ones I see do in fact use the bench as a seat with cushions

5) barrel, ugly. No argument here, but I did see a couple that did things like wrapping in copper or other designs which helped some

6) no visible flames to sit in front of and go in a trance while holding your favorite alcoholic drink 

7) trickey to get started, although a boost fan would mitigate that  Only trickey if you try and start from a dead cold system.  If the mass is still warm the draft is pretty good and easy to get started.  They do have a couple of ways to get the system drafting properly with a cold system

Pro's

1) no chimney fires

2) holds heat longer  MUCH longer, this is a huge Pro for me.  No getting up in the middle of the night to stoke a fire.  Also no need to have a fire going when you are not at home.  I can do a burn for 2 or 3 hours in the evening and then have a warm cabin the following day while I'm at work.  Come home to a warm cabin and fire it up for a couple of hours again.  I'm totally off grid, so the alternative is coming home everyday to a cold cabin and firing up a conventional stove.

3) less wood to stack

4) could be cool if you're an artist (I'm not)



I love the greenhouse idea, you're going to be in there pretty much every day anyways. 


For my greenhouse idea I want to put in a boiler and keep thermal mass under the greenhouse in a big insulated tank.  Then I can scavenge the heat off that and heat the main house with forced air.  In the summer I can do the reverse to keep things cool.  A modified rocket mass would be cool to heat the water with.