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rocket mass heaters

Photos of the process for my RMH

Xisca Nicolas

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Posts: 1981

Location: La Palma (Canary island) Zone 11

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posted 10 years ago

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I have posted some isolated questions often, and today I have some time to charge some pics, so you will see better.
Now I think I am ready to start, as the place is ready, after months of work!

The living room floor is finished, with stones.
I have left a half moon hole enough for 2 persons to sit in the front and above the fire.
So the fire will be in this room, and the bell will be in the kitchen.
Some radiant heat will go into the living room.
I want to heat the kitchen.

mediaLunaSuelo_0052-300.jpg

Xisca - pics! Dry subtropical Mediterranean - My project
However loud I tell it, this is never a truth, only my experience...

Xisca Nicolas

pollinator

Posts: 1981

Location: La Palma (Canary island) Zone 11

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posted 10 years ago

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The corner above right shows you the other side of the rocket place.

The chimney will be behind a pilar, that you can see on its way on the left.
This pilar will sustain a loose stone in the cliff above. (we cannot remove it...)
The total hight is about 4,5m (13' I guess)

To make it strong, the base is large, so I had the idea to make an outside bench to watch the stars...
The bench is 1m20 (4') to give you an idea of the proportions.

The wood plank tells you where is the entrance door.

I have planned some flat windows to get sunlight from above. That is why there is no iron everywhere to finish the flat roof.
The house is facing west.

cocina-banco_0060-300.jpg

Xisca - pics! Dry subtropical Mediterranean - My project
However loud I tell it, this is never a truth, only my experience...

Xisca Nicolas

pollinator

Posts: 1981

Location: La Palma (Canary island) Zone 11

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posted 10 years ago

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You can also see the entrance door planned on the left,
the bathroom door beneath my feet (I am on the bathroom top to take the pic)
On the right is the part of the kitchen with the sink.

Passing those places is the reason of the choice of an underground system.

Where the bathroom door, you can see in grey the water evacuation pipe.
So you can understand that I try to avoid it with the warm duct...

The rectangular plank symbolise the little cooking place.
As I have a little rocket cooker, I plan a little bell above.
It will be along the chimney pipe of the RMH,
so it can also help to warm the chimney!
Remember I am in a mediterranean area... so no big temp. difference with the outside.

cocina-tubos_0064-300.jpg

Xisca - pics! Dry subtropical Mediterranean - My project
However loud I tell it, this is never a truth, only my experience...

Xisca Nicolas

pollinator

Posts: 1981

Location: La Palma (Canary island) Zone 11

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posted 10 years ago

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The rocket will be in the up right angle of the pic.
The 1st bench will be in the angle on the up-left.
Then the ducts will cross the room.
There is a second bench along the stone wall on the right.
Then the duct crosses in an oblic way towards the bathroom wall.

Inside the bathroom, I plan to go up along the wall, so that I can cross back the wall ABOVE the entrance.
And then it can enter the chimney, behind the pilar.

So I just wonder if I can have this pipe crossing there, that's about insulation etc...
Also about draft!
There will be a beginning of the rising, and then again some horizontal part,
And then the last part of the chimney rise.

Is it a problem to cut the chimney rise in 2?

Thanks!

cocina-tubos_0064-300.jpg

Xisca - pics! Dry subtropical Mediterranean - My project
However loud I tell it, this is never a truth, only my experience...

Xisca Nicolas

pollinator

Posts: 1981

Location: La Palma (Canary island) Zone 11

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posted 10 years ago

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Now the flat roof is on, so difficult to take more pics from above!
I decided to reduce the lenth of the pipes, too much problem to cross the entrance back and forth.

I stay with an 8" system.

I would like advise for the idea I got after reading that, when you separate in 2 pipes, you have to use 6" pipes, because of more air contact.

So, if I have an 8" system, can I go out with two 6" pipes, design their path as a square (instead of the zig-zag I had in the above pics) and join them at the base of the chimney, again in 8", just for going out?
That would be great to have a 8" fire with actually a double 6" system!

The drawback I can imagine...
If I have different lenghts in the 2 pipes, gases will meet again at different speed, and different temperatures.
Is it a problem?

I really hope this works out and I can go on!

Xisca - pics! Dry subtropical Mediterranean - My project
However loud I tell it, this is never a truth, only my experience...

Glenn Herbert

Rocket Scientist

Posts: 4646

Location: Upstate NY, zone 5

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posted 10 years ago

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From all I have heard, splitting the ducts in a RMH seldom works well, or at least easily. One always predominates and takes more of the flow and heat. If you have some way of restricting the one that heats more, then you could fine-tune the system with experience. You might have problems with too much restriction unless you are very careful.

Xisca Nicolas

pollinator

Posts: 1981

Location: La Palma (Canary island) Zone 11

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posted 10 years ago

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Thanks, that is clear and logical if I compare to water pipes: the flow is going straight first,
and does not turn unless there is some restriction in the more straight duct.

If I have a 8" system that splits in two 6" pipes, then I should try to have the same angle.
If there is a turn, then gases will tend to take the easiest path,
so I should put a key to regulate, as in systems with a by-pass.

I guess this is what you meant by "with experience"?
Know how much I should open and close.

Xisca - pics! Dry subtropical Mediterranean - My project
However loud I tell it, this is never a truth, only my experience...

allen lumley

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Posts: 4154

Location: Northern New York Zone4-5 the OUTER 'RONDACs percip 36''

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posted 10 years ago

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Xisca : This may work out for you, but perhaps instead of burying it in cob you may want to try the split pipe routine in a bed of sand to see if you can make it work

for you First!

Good luck! There will be the additional expense of buying more 8'' pipe if the two sixes can not be made to work as wanted! Big AL

Success has a Thousand Fathers , Failure is an Orphan

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Xisca Nicolas

pollinator

Posts: 1981

Location: La Palma (Canary island) Zone 11

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posted 10 years ago

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Yes, I will have to try it before finishing the floor!!!

I also have another question to answer, that is how to reach some cleaning holes... Undergroung, between walls...

About the precise question of splitting:
After a search, I found out a clear title, and go on with this particular question here:
https://permies.com/t/40516/rocket-stoves/splitting-duct-reuniting#325018

Xisca - pics! Dry subtropical Mediterranean - My project
However loud I tell it, this is never a truth, only my experience...

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