Anybody made a rocket stove?

Qualitymark

Interesting designs for rocket stoves as a kind of low-tech, low-pollution central heating: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4usXIAoy9us (outdoor version for cooking is here: http://www.rocketstove.org/index.php/household-stoves )

TomOnBoard

Qualitymark wrote: »

Interesting designs for rocket stoves as a kind of low-tech, low-pollution central heating: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4usXIAoy9us (outdoor version for cooking is here: http://www.rocketstove.org/index.php/household-stoves )

The Wisners are world leading experts on a particular branch of 'rocket' wood burners, ie. wood burning heaters that exploit solid density conductible heat stores that are loaded with heat by horizontal flues.

This is actually easy technology, relying only on a few cheap mechanical components, a reasonable supply of well seasoned wood, and an insurance company with at least one blind eye.

And to answer your question, I have built about 10 of these as part of a shed project.

Qualitymark

TomOnBoard wrote: »

, and an insurance company with at least one blind eye.

Eh?

TomOnBoard

Qualitymark wrote: »

Eh?

Their design would be highly unlikely to be accepted by your fire insurance company.

shootme

this stove heats my house fast

Boardnashea

Nice looking stove Shootme. Where from or all your own work?

shootme

thanks i made it last summer from 45 kg gas cylinder and 3 mm mild steel.the firebox and heat riser are lined with vermiculite board i lite it with coal which gets temp up very quik downstairs from 63f to 77f in about 45 minutes i would like to have a mass bench attached but its rented accomadation. i took a couple of rocket designs off youtube and mashed them together works great no smoke happy to answer any questions that might help

azul

shootme wrote: »

this stove heats my house fast

Neat looking design. I´ve just discovered the rocket concept and I´m hooked. Before I go the whole hog with a mass heater cob bench I´d like to make something like your one. I´ll use it in the workshop, then if that works out I´ll feck out the old multi fuel stove in the house and fit a mass heater with the fifty gal metal drum.
So, the question is, do you have a design for your stove. I´m a bit puzzled as to how you made it. It looks really neat.
Cheers.

shootme

hi thanks for the comment i took a couple of ideas from youtube and combined them look up apostol rocket stove water heater on youtube that is basicly the inside of how my stove works

reilig

How do you go about getting something like that approved for house insurance? I read a case recently where a homemade stove caused a house fire and the insurance company refused to pay out because the stove was not built to standard and tested. It's something that people need to consider very carefully when they are considering something like this!

azul

shootme wrote: »

hi thanks for the comment i took a couple of ideas from youtube and combined them look up apostol rocket stove water heater on youtube that is basicly the inside of how my stove works

Thanks shootme, that´s exactly what I was looking for.

shootme

no worries azul if you decide to make one of your own you will build it to suit ur own style almost everyone does thats how these stoves evolve take ur time line the firebox and riser with fireboard or refractory brick check ur welds are solid and this will be the safest warmest stove around good luck and thank you YOUTUBE

Pretzill

shootme wrote: »

this stove heats my house fast

Shoot me you're talented that's a cool looking stove ( pardon the pun) - we have a little Stanley that cost many hundreds many years ago, oh to be handy.

shootme

cheers pretzill i got bit by the rocket stove bug and had to give it a whirl im no craftsman just determined im thinking of doing a brick barbeque rocket with a heated bench in the back yard still trying to work out how if i try it il post my progress

blue5000

Here is my contribution, post no. 86

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055596057&page=6

bazery

shootme wrote: »

no worries azul if you decide to make one of your own you will build it to suit ur own style almost everyone does thats how these stoves evolve take ur time line the firebox and riser with fireboard or refractory brick check ur welds are solid and this will be the safest warmest stove around good luck and thank you YOUTUBE

i'm on the verge of building one of these could you describe the innards of your stove. could you do a really quick sketch, i'm trying to figure out where the intake opens on the inside and what you insulated the combustion chamber with. amazing work btw and thanks for sharing
i'm starting out at welding, did you mig weld it together?

shootme

hey bazery look up "apostol water heater mk1" on youtube at the end of the video you will see what i used for the guts of my stove only difference is that i made the heat riser square and lined it with vermiculite board. i cut the top part off a 45kg gas cylinder at the seam.welded in the guts then welded the top back on leaving 2" gap between the riser ans the top of the cylinder the exhaust is down low on the stove.i hope this helps you.

azul

shootme wrote: »

hey bazery look up "apostol water heater mk1" on youtube at the end of the video you will see what i used for the guts of my stove only difference is that i made the heat riser square and lined it with vermiculite board. i cut the top part off a 45kg gas cylinder at the seam.welded in the guts then welded the top back on leaving 2" gap between the riser ans the top of the cylinder the exhaust is down low on the stove.i hope this helps you.

Hi again Shootme. A low level question for you. Did you manage to do the welds with an arc welder? I'm going to make one of those stoves shortly but only have basic arc skills. Cheers

shootme

hi azul yeah i used arc.the welder wasnt great and neither am i but i managed to get there let me know how you all get on its a good project

bazery

I'll be arc welding also. Gonna Make a start at the mid term. Is vermiculite board easy to find?

shootme

bazery wrote: »

I'll be arc welding also. Gonna Make a start at the mid term. Is vermiculite board easy to find?

You should find it in a hardware store or stove dealer its dere enough about €55 you might consider making your own castable lining i hav nt made it myself but it can be done clay perlite cement and lime

Qualitymark

What's the risk of carbon monoxide leakage with homemade rocket stoves, by the way?

shootme

Qualitymark wrote: »

What's the risk of carbon monoxide leakage with homemade rocket stoves, by the way?

I hav nt heard of any cases so far.

bazery

shootme wrote: »

You should find it in a hardware store or stove dealer its dere enough about €55 you might consider making your own castable lining i hav nt made it myself but it can be done clay perlite cement and lime

Is it the sort of stove you'd find in bandq or is it more specialised

Qualitymark

Drawings all over the place if you just google "rocket stove" and "drawings" together. For instance:

http://www.richsoil.com/rocket-stove-mass-heater.jsp

Odd that no one's making these commercially if they're safe.

azul

Qualitymark wrote: »

Drawings all over the place if you just google "rocket stove" and "drawings" together. For instance:

http://www.richsoil.com/rocket-stove-mass-heater.jsp

Odd that no one's making these commercially if they're safe.

It's very early days. I think stove manufacturing companies are slow to endorse them in case there's a big shift away from their conventional products. It's going to happen eventually. You just have to do a small bit of research to see that its a no brainer. Already there are some fantastic amateur designs out there.

azul

Qualitymark wrote: »

Odd that no one's making these commercially if they're safe.

http://www.zaugstoves.com/wordpress/ Just came across these guys in the States. They're a bit pricey and very basic but it's a start. Won't be long before one of the bigger manufactures start making them.

brianiac

Apologies for the resurrection - but has anyone actually built a rocket mass heater? or know of any ones that have been made around ireland? very curious as to how well they work...contemplating the renovatio of a 69's bungalow that needs a significant overhall. i certainly want to be entirely heated by wood (stove or rayburn or equivalent/vacuum solar tubes +/- wood gassifier linked into underfloor heating). interesting idea.

TomOnBoard

Hey Brianiac

I've answered your questions already in posts #2 and #4 of this thread alone...

Ok.. Here we go again:

"has anyone actually built a rocket mass heater?" Yes, previously had done 10 or so, since then about another 15 with different nuances, so 25 in total....

All made in Ireland... and many others have done similarly...

ABSOLUTELY FORGET about putting a rocket stove/heater into yer plan.,, NOOOOOO insurance company will cover your house if you do...

Now, yer re-stated objective- ie "i certainly want to be entirely heated by wood (stove or rayburn or equivalent/vacuum solar tubes +/- wood gassifier linked into underfloor heating) you have soooo many options. JUST FFS don't mention Rpcket stoves / heaters.... Lots of other ways to achieve the same result without frightening the crap outa the horses!!! Know wot I mean ;-)??

Qualitymark

TomOnBoard wrote: »

ABSOLUTELY FORGET about putting a rocket stove/heater into yer plan.,, NOOOOOO insurance company will cover your house if you do...

Why so?

brianiac

TomOnBoard wrote: »

Hey Brianiac

I've answered your questions already in posts #2 and #4 of this thread alone...

Ok.. Here we go again:

"has anyone actually built a rocket mass heater?" Yes, previously had done 10 or so, since then about another 15 with different nuances, so 25 in total....

All made in Ireland... and many others have done similarly...

ABSOLUTELY FORGET about putting a rocket stove/heater into yer plan.,, NOOOOOO insurance company will cover your house if you do...

Now, yer re-stated objective- ie "i certainly want to be entirely heated by wood (stove or rayburn or equivalent/vacuum solar tubes +/- wood gassifier linked into underfloor heating) you have soooo many options. JUST FFS don't mention Rpcket stoves / heaters.... Lots of other ways to achieve the same result without frightening the crap outa the horses!!! Know wot I mean ;-)??

Lol true enough - i suppose I should have asked if peoples experience with rocket stoves/ RMH in ireland was documented well anywhere - blogs / websites etc. Specifically if anyone had incorporated the idea into water heating into it. i have a largish garage directly connected to the side of a bungalow i have recently purchased and which is needing a complete overhaul. It has occurred to me that a multi-heat water tank could be legitimately connected to a number of sources: rayburn / oil central heating/solar tubes....including a RMH within the garage as opposed to the house.
I'm no plumber / welder/ tinkerer so if i am honest the chances of me doing so is low enough. However if someone had documented using one instead of a wood gassifier (costing ?5k?) i think it would be worth trying it out. Made of cob it could easily be demolished if it turned out rubbish.