Greetings All
I have attached a few drawings (I think) of a rocket mass heater I would like to try to install by next winter. My goal would is to use the basement wall as the heat storage. This an old house that has been added on to and the basement wall to be used is (now)in the middle of the house.
Currently we use a wood furnace as our heating with a oil furnace as back up(witch we have not used in years), would like to remove the oil furnace and install a rocket mass heater as our primary heating.
Our basement walls are stone,we have lots out here and would use that with a mortar/cob combination mix. I think I saw plans where they ran the ducts up the wall instead of on the floor.
These are my questions:
1) What would be the minimum distance from the top of the heater to floor joist? I was going to put a 1 inch layer of cement backer board above the stove to protect the wood.
2) Because we are not using it to warm our buns but to heat the wall up will running the ducts up the wall work.
3) I am hoping to use the radiant heat from the heater to warm some of the house via ducts with inline fans. I thought about making an umbrella (or something like and attach the ducts to it??
4) I believe Erica out in Oregon did some work on building permits, is there anyone else have any info?
5) I know that they burn very little wood has anyone used dried cow patties for fuel? We have lots of that just laying around.
6) Would the amount of duct work be too long (approx 90')? I was thinking on using 8" duct with a slight reduction on the last 8 or 9', will that work?
7) Have you heard of anyone else with a similar plans?
Thank you for your time and I will be ordering a few of the books that have been recommended in the near future.
Kenneth
Kenneth and Valorie Wilson
RedBird Inn Farm
Antwerp, NY 13608
