Anyone build rocket mass heater in a conventional home in Maine?

Newbie here in the greater Bangor area.  Insurance company made me take out wood stove because of issue with combined chimney with oil furnace. I am curious about the possibility of bench type thermal mass heater in my raised ranch "basement" living room area. Not sure how that will play out with moving heat upstairs floor.

This is such a great website and resource!

I might be concerned with an insurance company that forced you to remove your woodstove because of a shared chimney, might also be upset at the presence of a rocket mass heater. I am not implying that they are unsafe, nor agree with with woodstove removals, I am just not a huge fan of insurance companies in general. Legalized extortionists I call them.

I am not well versed on insurance companies though to be honest with you. The saying is, only insure what you cannot afford to lose, but with 3 other houses, and having no mortgage, I can afford to lose this one and simply move into another, therefor I do not have insurance. Being a commercial farm, the cost is entirely too much anyway.

So others would be better to advise you, but before I went too far, I would investigate if you can have any other style stove in your home first. Insurance companies love the all-encompassing term "solid fuel appliance" since it means wood, coal, maize, pellet, etc are all included in the ban.

Another alternative would be to build your own place debt-free where you are not saddled by insurance company rules. Easier said then done, but a world of freedom opens up too.

If the only problem the insurance company had with it was sharing the chimney, then you might be OK. But like Travis said, check with them first. Maybe ask about if putting in a separate chimney for a wood stove would make that OK so as not to tip your hand too early.

Others might have something to say about basement placement. There might be some air pressure or air flow issues, but I don't know enough about that other than to say it should be looked into.

I have a 6" rocket mass heater in my 12'x24' cabin in New Hampshire. It works very well. It has a 20' bench that exits through the wall then has an outside chimney rising just above the roof.