I'm wondering if it's possible to hire someone to help us permit and install a rocket mass heater in Madison, WI?
I've read the books, seen the plans, watched the videos. I'm just tired ya'all and would like something less DIY and more plug-and-play. Ideally would like a rocket mass heater than can also heat hot water.
Have we gotten to the point where we can just hire someone to help?
Hi Donal, Scott A Johnson is on here sometimes (look him up and PM him if you want). He's a few miles south of you and had one put in a greenhouse by a builder that I think is certified in some manner. The gent was about a state away but was willing to travel.
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There is a rocket heater called the Liberator https://rocketheater.com/ which has gone through various certification processes in the U.S. and can be shipped to your door. Although you would still have to build a mass for it if you want that aspect.
The Liberator can push 12' of horizontal pipe.
That is pretty short by J tube standards, it should be easy to build a small 5' bench as a mass.
The Liberator has an optional pellet hopper to make feeding easy.
For all your Montana Masonry Heater parts (also known as) Rocket Mass heater parts.
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Donal,
We have had limited success installing rocket heaters with a permit. The two easiest ways are 1) if you need something small (around 30k btu) the Liberator and a small mass bench is a fantastic option fully UL listed and EPA approved. I have installed them in several states. That setup comfortably heats my 1100 square foot manufactured (doublewide) home in Cleveland Ohio. 2) a rocket heater can be designed and built to fit masonry heater code IF your local inspector is willing to go through the process and look up a part of the code they may never have looked at rather than just demand a UL listed woodstove be installed. I will be up your way teaching Rocket Mass Heaters at the Mother Earth News Fair in September if you want to organize a build.
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Thomas Topton,
The Liberator is designed to push 12 feet of pipe. It will push 18 feet of pipe. It will handle a 12 foot horizontal bell bench (3.5 50 gallon drums) but not reliably. That size mass bell doesn't leave enough heat or pressure in the system to let the final vertical exhaust/chimney draft reliably. It works with a 6' bell.
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I have used parts from Thomas Rubino's https://dragontechrmh.com/ website to build a really nice batch box heater that could be made to meet masonry heater code. I have also used parts from https://www.dragonheaters.com/ to build J Tube rocket heaters that can be made to fit masonry heater standards.
You can follow my latest adventures at
https://www.unclemud.com
https://www.youtube.com/unclemud
https://permies.com/u/164246/Chris-McClellan
Buy my stuff at https://unclemud.com/store/