Hello everyone,
I figured I would just start a thread here and see what happens.
I'm very eager to dive in and get this project started/done, I'm very certain I want to install a rocket mass heater.
But there is just so much information, I seem to be a bit overwhelmed here and need to focus myself on what I need to do.
Hopefully you all wouldn't mind getting me on the right pathway here. Please and thank you!!
1) Should I purchase that e-book on rocket stoves as a basis point here?
I will ADD to this thread information regarding my spacing as well as some pictures, so that you all know what I am dealing with.
The space I have to do this is the second half of a somewhat large Livingroom as it is 1 story here and I could easily go through the roof here for the piping out.
2) I guess pictures will help here, but there are possible problems to the layout with every spot I may pick. I would love some input on that for sure.
3) It is on wood flooring above crawl space How much of a problem is this? I saw information about doing an extra protective base layer for the wood flooring issue, as well as weight considerations. What are the initial thoughts here?
4) My Livingroom has a bunch of exterior walls, how much of an issue is this for heat loss? suggestions to offset working off exterior walls?
5) designing the rocket mass heater to accommodate heating a 1580 sq ft house...55" drum? two drums? what's needed here??
6) Are there ways to include cooking elements on a bench style primarily heater focused RMH? Do people heat a kettle off the top of the steel drum? are there ways to put other heating elements or even a small stovetop easily? Or do people generally just dismiss this as too difficult?
7) child safety...batch boxes? lid over the wood placement. fencing around hot spot...what do people do here? I'm working off a living rom that will be the movie watching hang out spot and I want to be as child friendly as I can. obviously i dont want to design and install it and think crap i should have done this this or this to change how safe it is for kiddos being about.
sourcing materials? I'm sure the book will help with this but man oh man, this seems overwhelming to me. Where do people buy steel drums? clay or whatever is is needed for the "mudding" process. I can get fire bricks and cement and piping easily enough for the most part i would think but I'd like to search, pricing out, buy everything and ready myself for project start without starting and waiting 4 weeks for a part or material to show up to my house type deal.
Any advice is most appreciated. And like I said, I will include pictures to help with layout help if interested. Thank you!!!
~Andrew
I noticed two possible additional problems is the crawl space access door is right on this corner, if I need to reinforce through the flooring (do I?) then obviously I could be blocking that access. Obviously that could be solved separately with a different access point being installed if I had to
but I love the availability of cooking components being built in and do not want to miss an opportunity to do that.
Do people cook off the top of the drum, for a tea kettle for instance? I've seen other little heating pads but not sure if it's just using the spot where the wood is inserted or not.
How about
