• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • r ranson
  • Nancy Reading
  • Carla Burke
  • John F Dean
  • Jay Angler
  • paul wheaton
stewards:
  • Nicole Alderman
  • Pearl Sutton
  • Anne Miller
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
  • Timothy Norton
gardeners:
  • Nina Surya
  • Matt McSpadden
  • thomas rubino

Building RMH in existing basement

 
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
We are wanting to put a RMH in the basement of a regular stick built house that has a poured concrete floor and cinder block walls. If we build the RMH coupled to the floor and walls - won't we be heating the ground underneath? Thanks
 
Posts: 39
Location: NH
2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I did the very thing, building in the basement, but I didn't couple the heater to the walls. The burn chamber floor is a layer of kiln bricks directly on the concrete floor, so the floor heats up pretty nicely, acting like a thermal battery. After the fire is out, even eight hours later the floor around the base of the heater is still warm.

I keep the heater running all day so the entire basement acts as my battery, then the stored heat just kind of emanates [convection] upwards through the night, keeping the second level around 65ºF even when it's well below freezing outside.
 
Posts: 39
Location: Vermont, USA
17
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Hi, I know it's been many years since your post, Jeff, but I'm curious what size house you're heating, what size RMH you have, and which part of NH you're dealing with in terms of winter temps?
 
It's never done THAT before. Explain it to me tiny ad:
A PDC for cold climate homesteaders
http://permaculture-design-course.com
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic