Kris Hurtubise

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since Jan 01, 2023
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Farmer on 20 acres (13 prairie/7 forest) trying to incorporate permaculture and natural farming methods in a intensive market garden. Currently finishing KNF chicken coop. Plans for KNF piggery, fruit walls and a protege garden. 
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New Brunswick, Canada
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Recent posts by Kris Hurtubise

Anne Miller wrote:Kris, welcome to the forum!

Have you seen these threads that you or others might find interesting:

https://permies.com/t/60923/Wet-Tolerant-Rocket-Mass-Heater

https://permies.com/t/151152/Suggestions-sustainable-inexpensive-Greenhouse-heating

https://permies.com/t/94457/Starting-greenhouse-RMH



Wow, that was quite the adventure you sent me on. That led to all kinds of great information. I now want to grow more weeds on my farm and the epic rmh build by Midwest permaculture with comments was very helpful. Thank you
2 years ago

Jeff Bosch wrote:Uncle Mud's Webinar on Heating a Greenhouse with an RMH is schedule for Jan 14.



Thanks for sharing that. Now I have possibly that and r-future to look forward to this month.

"How con-VEEN-ient!" -Dana Carvey
(Sorry couldn’t resist)
Thank you
2 years ago

Hans Quistorff wrote:I spent 9 years across the ST. John river in Maine so I know how those arctic blasts feel.  I was thinking about how the wells would fill with snow which would protect from the arctic blast but harbor rodents to chew on the bark.



Yes, we learned to wait on the mulch until the cold sets in or the voles nest in there and kill the tree. I need more cat’s.
2 years ago

Anne Miller wrote:Kris, welcome to the forum!

Have you seen these threads that you or others might find interesting:

https://permies.com/t/60923/Wet-Tolerant-Rocket-Mass-Heater

https://permies.com/t/151152/Suggestions-sustainable-inexpensive-Greenhouse-heating

https://permies.com/t/94457/Starting-greenhouse-RMH



Nice, thank you. I will dive in.
2 years ago

William Bronson wrote: That sounds like plenty of room.
A heat exchange coil immersed in an open top boiler of water is considered a safe option for hydronic heating.

I'm preoccupied with using hydronic heating to move heat from outside into a building, because a homebuilt stove inside my house isn't an option.
I like the idea of using tanks from waterheaters as the boiler vessel.
They come with threaded outlets and they are fire tested.



Do you have a thread going on it? I thought I was reading it yesterday but now I can't find it.
2 years ago
Your right it is precious but there might be space where it transitions from the growing area and starts area. Possibly 3-4' and about 25' giving about a 4' passage to move through.  The governments greenhouse specialist would be looking at me sideways if I mentioned putting something like this in there.  All about the sqf$ but I'm hoping the RMH would save us the money on propane that it will be worthwhile.
2 years ago
Well I explored, using that "search" and it looks like inside the greenhouse would be best all around.  Would the exhaust need to be piped outside or could i keep it inside to take advantage of the co2?
2 years ago
Thanks, can't believe I didn't find my way here sooner.

I agree I should of put in some foam board along the outside and I just might have to make it project for the fall. The walls going into the ground does have polycarbonate panels going down 2' on the sides but not much r-value at 1.5 and the bottom of the end walls is rubber rodent barrier going into ground.  We had planned to do an Ground to Air Heat Transfer system but we didn't have a 10' drop for drainage, so the contractor recommended the pex as an alternative to use with a propane hot water tank or an outdoor wood furnace. But hearing about the RMH and the amount of wood it uses, seems like something I should explore.
2 years ago
After seeing how efficient the RMH is, I would like to pick your brains on creating one for a greenhouse.  We put up a 30'x120' Harnois ovaltech3 with double walled poly. I'm currently digging trenches to put in 1/2" pex piping 18" deep with 2' spacing and was planning on using a propane water heater or bio-furnace to heat the water, but no I'm wondering if RMH would be better. The greenhouse will be divided into 2 areas, one 85' section for the beds and 35' for starts. The greenhouse has a propane furnace but would be expensive to run exclusively, and don't plan to run it in the very cold month and hoping the RMH will keep things alive after the 10hr day passes.  

I am thinking of placing it outside the greenhouse in a building with our well that will be about 15' away from of the greenhouse and piping the hot water in.  Another option might be to put it inside the greenhouse where the two areas meet, which would be about 4'x28'. Thanks
2 years ago
Thanks for the links and references, great reading.  The fruit wall article and connected article about China building passive solar greenhouses was interesting. I'd like to create the horseshoe microclimate using trees/shrubs with hugel bed and will likely try something like this but I'm getting on to 50 and the fruit wall will be faster. After seeing all mass heaters at Wheaton Labs and being blown away by the efficiency, I think I'll have to figure that out for the walls. Thanks all, given me plenty more to think about and more research that will likely lead to more. I will post the project on here if we attempt it.  
2 years ago