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rocket mass heaters

Rocket Mass Heater

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Location: Northeast - 5B

posted 11 years ago

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Just new to this whole concept but have been lurking for awhile....

My first question is location. I have a stick built Garrison colonial built in 1960.

Is a daylight basement gonna have the same issues as a subterranean basement? I just saw Erica and Ernie on you tube. Erica stated that due to air flow the basement is probably not best suited for a RMH.

My basement is one of the most used areas of the house year round...because it being at grade on two sides...easy access to the yard, garden and garage.

I have been thinking alot about my thermal envelope, structure etc. and wanted to put in the basement for the obvious structural reason.

Is this a good place to start thinking about an RMH in the house.

My first project will be an RMH in my outbuilding... hopefully will build the first prototype(outdoors of course)whenever the snow leaves.

Still alot to learn....

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Glenn Herbert

Rocket Scientist

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posted 11 years ago

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In your particular case it sounds more like the first floor of a two-story building. You may do fine building your RMH there. More details of structure and layout will probably help experts give more concrete advice.

Satamax Antone

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posted 11 years ago

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Do you need the heat there? As with RMH, it's complicated to transfer heat.

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Gregory Silling

Posts: 86

Location: Northeast - 5B

posted 11 years ago

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Yes i need heat there... i could certainly improve the quality of heat and reduce my oil bill significantly. It is an open 1000 sq ft area with about 150 mechanical and 150 laundry room. the rest uses baseboard heat that runs along the length of the daylight wall.
it uses probably about half the oil to heat this area.

I wanted to start here because it is a 4" slab on grade and I could build without a structural challange. I have access to an abandoned flue that i could use to exhaust

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Glenn Herbert

Rocket Scientist

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Location: Upstate NY, zone 5

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posted 11 years ago

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Okay, sounds good.What size is the flue, and what materials? Where is it located? Do you want a bench type mass? Do you spend relaxing time in the space, or is it usually busy pass-through time? This will affect the style of core you want, J-tube or batch box.

Gregory Silling

Posts: 86

Location: Northeast - 5B

posted 11 years ago

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the basement is interior is 24' by 46' roughly.

The flue is 8.5"x13" and is located on the wall common to the garage.

I don/t know whats behind the wall there the flue originates. On the fist floor there is a fireplace. Both flues are the same size exiting the chimney. there is no hearth in the basement. But until the snow melts enough to get a debrix box in the yard...I wont know for sure. I am gutting the basement as soon as I can down to studs and concrete.

"Rather than a problem to be solved, the world is a joyful mystery to be contemplated with gladness and praise." Pope Francis

Gregory Silling

Posts: 86

Location: Northeast - 5B

posted 11 years ago

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and that common wall is 24' long and concrete except for the brick work that the backside is exposed in the garage and extends from the Slab on grade to the chimney above the eve. This chimney passes only through one floor above the basement

"Rather than a problem to be solved, the world is a joyful mystery to be contemplated with gladness and praise." Pope Francis

Gregory Silling

Posts: 86

Location: Northeast - 5B

posted 11 years ago

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and yes we use the area all the time

"Rather than a problem to be solved, the world is a joyful mystery to be contemplated with gladness and praise." Pope Francis

Gregory Silling

Posts: 86

Location: Northeast - 5B

posted 11 years ago

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Well I have found a "deal" on Fire brick but I must buy wedges

The Follwing wedges are available

#1 Wedge - 3" Series - (QTY on hand ~223) - Dimension 9"x4 1/2"x (3"- 2 3/4") - about 9lbs each.
#2 Wedge - 2.5" Series - (QTY on hand ~375) - Dimensions 9 x 4 1/2 x (2 1/2- 1 1/2) - about 4.6lbs each.
#3 Wedge - 3" Series - (QTY on hand ~246) - Dimensions 9" x 4 1/2" x (3"-2") - about 9lbs each.

See any problems with these.

They all fall in the temprature range

I can get them for about $1.50 a brick

Thank you all for your feedback

Hopefully a picture is attached

photo-5.JPG

"Rather than a problem to be solved, the world is a joyful mystery to be contemplated with gladness and praise." Pope Francis

Gregory Silling

Posts: 86

Location: Northeast - 5B

posted 11 years ago

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bought #2 wedge for the feed tube, burn tunnel and heat riser and the #2 Arch (for the base)

Enclosed is the spec sheet on the fire brick

Filename: empire_s.pdf

File size: 29 Kbytes

Download Attachment

"Rather than a problem to be solved, the world is a joyful mystery to be contemplated with gladness and praise." Pope Francis

Gregory Silling

Posts: 86

Location: Northeast - 5B

posted 11 years ago

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the #2 wedge is actually 6.4 lbs not 4.6 as noted earlier

"Rather than a problem to be solved, the world is a joyful mystery to be contemplated with gladness and praise." Pope Francis

Gregory Silling

Posts: 86

Location: Northeast - 5B

posted 11 years ago

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seems like there will be alot of cutting for a 6" RMH with 9" fire brick as i look at ernie and erica's or erica and ernie's 6" rocket heater manual.

"Rather than a problem to be solved, the world is a joyful mystery to be contemplated with gladness and praise." Pope Francis

Glenn Herbert

Rocket Scientist

Posts: 4782

Location: Upstate NY, zone 5

738

posted 11 years ago

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I haven't seen Ernie & Erica's 6" core brick layout, but the one I just put together only needed four bricks cut for the base core section, and two of those were just for airflow ease between riser and barrel base. If you want to make the riser of brick as well, you would have to cut about 16-20 more for that (two per course).

Glenn Herbert

Rocket Scientist

Posts: 4782

Location: Upstate NY, zone 5

738

posted 11 years ago

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Hmm, if you're talking about the "annex" plans, I'll have to check back on that and see how the layout they came up with compares to mine.

Gregory Silling

Posts: 86

Location: Northeast - 5B

posted 11 years ago

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thanks glenn i'm not adverse to cutting i can borrow a wet saw so no big deal. I dont think i need a 8" in my out building .... it 12 by 25 by 9' tall

It has a second floor ... but i havent figured out how to address that...it will not support a RMH

Since you responded i have another question I mad a mock up of an 8" yesterday and the burn tunnel was 7" for the feed tube 7" for the riser and then 12 inch for the brick tunnel
so 26" in length overall....following the RMH 3rd addition... with all the variation in bricks they talk about it seems that the length that bricks cover the tunnel is important but not critical. So in your opinoin is 12 ok or too long? should i just do a mock up and burn it and observe?

"Rather than a problem to be solved, the world is a joyful mystery to be contemplated with gladness and praise." Pope Francis

Glenn Herbert

Rocket Scientist

Posts: 4782

Location: Upstate NY, zone 5

738

posted 11 years ago

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A 55 gallon drum is about 23" outside diameter, so if it was centered on the riser it would need a minimum clearance from center of riser to edge of feed tube of about 12". Your setup has 15 1/2" clearance, which is pretty typical from photos I have seen. You could shorten it by a brick and offset the barrel slightly on the riser if you wanted to be more compact, but you are probably fine.

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