I'd be interested in collaborating with others in the UK to develop a
rocket stove perfect for tiny houses, boats and vans! I've spent a great deal of time looking for a heating solution for my tiny space and I've failed to find ANTHING quite right for my needs.
I'm currently living in a really tiny house on wheels, that I've made in the UK. My space is well insulated (4inch sheep wool, double glazing + WR Cedar cladding). The British climate is is fairly cold but moreover is very damp so buildings need a dry heat to drive our dampness, which degrades the building and gets very uncomfortable.
The criteria from resiliance.org explain exactly what i'm looking for:
"My criteria for the ideal biomass stove / heater for a tiny house are as follows:
1. Must have exhaust flue / chimney – absolutely essential requirement
2. Minimum use of fuel
3. Minimum emissions
4. Small and light
5. Little need for constant tending
https://www.windysmithy.co.uk/files/windysmithy/styles/woodburner_lightbox/public/woodburners/Wendy.jpg?itok=mbw0Iy5G
6. Ability to monitor fuel and flame
7. Able to source air intake from exterior
8. Affordability
9. Other issues eg aesthetics"
What I'm looking for is a
rocket stove tailor made for a small indoor space. Most rocket stoves fall short because they are too bulky and heavy; too powerful; or not suitable for inside. It needs to have a draw pipe reaching outside the building and a flue leaving the room - ideally smokeless and cool by the time the heat is transferred to the room. A hot plate for cooking (or placing fire bricks/a big rock) is desirable.
Hot water systems aren't primary concern.
The most promising example I've seen is from Jay Shafer (of
course). He talks about a rocket stove he's recently developed that will heat his space with a candle. However I cant find anymore information on similar such stoves.
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The best contenders I've found are as follows:
WENDY by WIND SMITHY
https://www.windysmithy.co.uk/woodburners/wendy
MINI CYCLOPS by GLASTONBURY BURNERS
http://www.glastonburyburners.co.uk/minicyclops.html
Both these stoves are brilliant. But they don't meet my criteria for use in a tiny house. Not having a secondary burner they consume lots of fuel compared to, say, a rocket stove. They also take a fair time to heat up (maybe 40 minutes to boil a kettle) and when they're up to heat and burning optimally they're too hot and consume a considerable amount of fuel. In my
experience, I can never be bothered to light them unless I'm sitting in for an evening.
JOTUL F602
https://www.jotul.co.uk/products/wood/wood-burning-stoves/jotul-f-602-eco
This is an awesome stove too, with a secondary burner making it pretty efficient when burning at its hottest. However its too big. It kicks out far too much heat for a small space and thus uses an unnecessary amount of
wood. They're also very expensive bought new.
KIMBERLY STOVE
https://www.unforgettablefirellc.com/kimberly-wood-stove/
This stove looks very promising. The problem is that it's very very expensive and not available for the UK.
CHEAP EBAY VAN STOVE
https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/1361835900?iid=164314245107
This is excelent in that it is very quick to light; burns very hot; doesn't take much fuel; is a good size; can boil a kettle without over heating the rest of the space; is very cheep. Putting a rock on top and adding a few lumps of coal will keep it warm throughout the night however this model leaks
carbon monoxide... In general the build quality isn't so good. Something like this but a J-curve rocket stove style would be perfect - with an air inlet from outside also.
PLEASE SHARE ANY IDEAS LINKS OR GET IN TOUCH ABOUT MAKING A PROTOTYPE. As living in small spaces is getting so popular I cant believe that this isn't happening already!