Rocket Mass Heater Build.

BB.

Skippy, I cannot see the attachments--Looks like they may not have been uploaded correctly? I am not sure the upload process is solid yet. If you have reproducible issues, let me know.

-Bill

techntrek

ditto.................................

gww1

Skippy, you wonder about interest of this thread. I am not going to build one and am not smart enough to comment in a way that can help. I do however really enjoy what you are doing and have been reading every update you give us. Just cause I don't comment does not mean I won't steal one of you ideals as you go. So, Please keep updating even if I don't comment further cause I am enjoying your build.
gww

PS I like it even more when your pictures work.

Mountain Don

I don't know if the OP (or any other interested folks) knows this or not, but rocket mass heaters have many discussion threads over at the permies.com forum

Skippy

Mountain Don wrote: »

I don't know if the OP (or any other interested folks) knows this or not, but rocket mass heaters have many discussion threads over at the permies.com forum

Yup, I have a thread on going over there on permies.com - basicly the same info here - I post over there. . .

Skippy

Thanks for the input guys !

I was at the coffee shop, just before closing time, when I found out they had changed the forums - and how to post the pictures.... I quickly ran thru the posting process, and the coffee shop said they were closing - so for good or bad, that was all I could do. Hope it works better now, went in and edited the whole thing.

Had one of my friends suggest that instead of going all the way to the front of the house and down into the basement - too tie into the ground source heat pump - that I just run the water pipes into the back wall of the house, and then right into radiator - water hits 120 F - pump and fan come on - instant heat. I like it , but then all my storage is in that 800 lbs of water in the basement. . . hmmm.

With the temps hovering around -18 C most of the time, I did not have the motivation to go out and fire up the stove this week - too darn cold - but I can say, that I burned the stove last Sunday, and had the shed temp up to 70 F with the water temp up to 140 F. . then I drained the water out of the system into 2 pails. The water in the pails did not start too freeze until wed - thur morning. . .

Skippy

Logged back on today, and found some of the pictures were not there... tried to edit again. . .

mike95490

I'm seeing the photos OK. I would caution you to be careful of the plastic buckets. I have found they loose a LOT of "Structural integrity " with hot water in them. If they droop or collapse, you will have water all over, and no water where you hope to have it.

Skippy

I agree with ya there, once the pails get up around 140 F or so, I start too worry. . ..

I called the building inspector today, to see if he had any leads on who could w.e.t.t. certify this thing . . he is going to make a few contacts for me and see what he can come up with . . . I won't be doing anything as long as it's -20 outside. . . brrrrr that's cold.

As promised, here is the white board with the numbers on it. . . top half is the 4 days or so that it took the shed too cool off . . the bottom half is the warm up that I did today . . . within 4 hours, I can have it warm enough to work in . . acceptable . .

Attachment not found.

Keeping in mind, that the workshop is fully insulated 2x6 walls - floors - ceilings . . .

Attachment not found.

Skippy

Well, bad news guys . . I found out why I can't wett certify this thing.

Called an old neighbor of mine, that used to live down the road from me . . he happens too be certified to wett approve stoves . . found out that my heating mass has too have 5 feet of space above the surface .... mine only has 4.5 feet . . even though after a 6 hour burn it is only 100 F . . . the sides of the mass HAS too be 24 inches from the wall with a STEEL heat shield - not concrete board or anything else - HAS to be steel . . my unit is has only 16 inches of spacing . . . chimney is connected the wrong way around (which I already knew) but after that, I HAVE too install one of those 1,000 $ super chimneys - even though I can show that the exhaust temp is not as hot as a regular stove - maybe gets up too around 200 F tops . . . . and the set up that the building inspector showed me - you knoow the one that came right out of the building code ? - it's garbage - can't use it.

Not sure what too do now . ..

Skippy

Here is an update for you guys and gals . . .

I really want to see how this heater coil is going to heat the house this winter, so to that end, I went out and picked up 80 feet of pex tubing, and ran two lines from the rocket stove - into the house.
First I ran the pipes, then supported them with concrete blocks and 2x6's.  Since wood is an insulator, it should be better than sitting on the cold concrete . .
 I used plain old store bought pipe insulation from home hardware . . since this is just a test, the cheapy stuff will do for now.... once I know that it works, I can upgrade to the good stuff that I have on my solar water heater...
I then covered the insulated pipes with an old eavstrough for water proofing... should keep the insulation dry over the winter .

 

.
Just inside the back kitchen wall, I installed the low temperature radiator, and it blows out alot of heat - anywhere from 90 - 115 F.... so it should work good for this project . ..



On the woodstove side of this thing, only installed one pail and the pump . .  since I don't want to use alot of energy heating water - but heating the house.



While I was tinkering with the plumbing, I realized that the hottest area on that barrel is the top half, so I concentrated the pipe in that area...
First, put two lines of strapping on the inside of the pipe coil...



Then by using two large clamps,  pumping the clamps slowly closed and raising the coil up nice and tight at the top . . .
Notice that the top of the clamp is overhanging to catch both the barrel and the coil....



Then fold over the strapping and bolt the ends together. . .



Once that is done, take the remaining ends of the strapping and bolt them together to keep the coil at the top - and the hottest - part of the barrel.



finished the install, by filling the pail with water, and pumping it around the loop, until it falls back into the pail.  Once the pump is turned off, it still sucks the air back into the line, draining the coil on the stove.




Glycol antifreeze should be here Tuesday...

Bring on the cooler weather  . .

BB.

Pressure and temperature relief valve(s) somewhere?

-Bill

mike95490

You have a great start on a steam boiler explosion going there.   You better get some real advice and fire the person that came up with those plans.
  Sorry, that layout you have shown is DANGEROUS.   The coil is above the water level and will trap steam till the pex melts and blows out.

Skippy

BB. said:

Pressure and temperature relief valve(s) somewhere?

-Bill

No relief valve - since it is an open air system - the coil from the stove drops into an open pail of water (or in this case is will be antifreeze)  will have too see how much foaming and bubbling it does . . .

Good point though . .  don't want a pressure build up anywhere....

Skippy

mike95490 said:

You have a great start on a steam boiler explosion going there.   You better get some real advice and fire the person that came up with those plans.
  Sorry, that layout you have shown is DANGEROUS.   The coil is above the water level and will trap steam till the pex melts and blows out.

I designed this system, with the pex loop going from the pump into the heating coil - then dropping into an open pail.  The reason for this is so that if the power does go out for any reason, the liquid in the loop will boil and steam off - since it exits directly into an open pail of liquid - and the stove can still be used as an emergency heat source. . .

As stated  "finished the install, by filling the pail with water, and pumping it around the loop, until it falls back into the pail.  Once the pump is turned off, it still sucks the air back into the line, draining the coil on the stove."

 - once the pump is turned on it drops into an open pail - no pressure build up anywhere in the system.

But thank you for keeping an eye out for "explosive" situations . .

Skippy

I have had two of my friends tell me that I should put the pump before the heating coil - then go into the pex loop to heat the house . . .

Until I explained that doing so would cause pressure in the loop.  This way any steam blows out the open end of the heating coil loop harmlessly into an open pail.

It runs in this order :

pump - pex - rad - heating coil - pail - pump

open pail - no pressure.

coil is higher than pail - no power - gravity drains liquid back into pail - emptying heater coil of liquid.

Thanks for keeping an eye on me guys ...

WaterWheel

Skippy,     Just wanted you to know that while I'm not going to build a "Russian Stove" like you have you've encouraged me to add thermal mass (soapstone blocks) to my two wood stoves.

thanks.

Skippy

Fun fact for ya Waterwheel . . . soapstone is the closest thing in density to water . . best stuff you can get for heat storage . .  but costly $$$ . . .

Did a test run of the water heater system, fired up the stove, and turned on the pump.  After about an hour, had the top of the stove up to a good temperature (1,000 F  top of barrel) with the glycol in the pail at a temp of 120 F . . went in and turned on the radiator fan - nice warm air from that !!

Let the stove burn and tried to maintain a steady temp (800 - 1000 F) which translated to a glycol temp of 118-120 F  . . . After about 2 hours or so, went into the house, and the temp in there went from 69 F up too 74 F . .  now -  since it is still warm outside during the day, with cool nights, this little test burn warmed the house up for the night, and the house stayed warm for the next night as well - did not have too turn on the heat pump yet....

That night I went out and the shop was at 82 F . . . nice and warm !

Will have to see what happens when it is - 20 C outside . . .  but then with the colder temperatures outside the rocket should burn hotter . .

Yes, I have melted copper in the burn chamber . . .  1,985 F . . .