After doing the Off-Grid series with the masonry heater this just caught my eye! An inexpensive owner-built masonry heater that uses sticks like a rocket stove!
“Rocket mass heaters” in a nutshell:
- heat your home with 80% to 90% less wood
- exhaust is nearly pure steam and CO2 (a little smoke at the beginning)
- the heat from one fire can last for days
- you can build one in a day and half
- folks have built them spending less than $20
The verbose details on rocket mass heaters:
This could be the cleanest and most sustainable way to heat a conventional home. Some people have reported that they heat their home with nothing more than the dead branches that fall off the trees in their yard. And they burn so clean, that a lot of sneaky people are using them illegally, in cities, without detection.
When somebody first told me about rocket mass heaters, none of it made sense. The fire burns sideways? No smoke? If a conventional wood stove is 75% efficient, doesn’t that mean the most wood you could possibly save is something like 25%? How do you have a big hole right over the fire and not have the house fill with smoke? I was skeptical.
And then I saw one in action. The fire really does burn sideways. The exhaust is near room temperature – and very clean. The smoke doesn’t come back up because a huge amount of air is getting sucked into the wood hole. Neat! I sat on one that had not had a fire in it for 24 hours – it was still hot!”
LOL – don’t need to put on my tinfoil hat, because THEY were following someone else to describe this, not me, last Tuesday, or was it Sunday??
I wear bifocals, so I almost never misplace them, unless they fall off in bed, because I forget to take them off :)
Seriously, though, that masonry stove/heater idea is absolutely brilliant.
Glad you like it Wyzyrd!
Nice to know I am not alone with AAADD! Sometimes those emails we all forward are just too accurate!
I don’t use heat that often in central Florida. but what a great idea and design. I appreciate and thank you for the work you both put into this site. Preppping is a way of life. It takes more than a life time of skills to learn. We need each other. Just to let you know we are praying for you and other preppers as well.
Thank you Mike for commenting. The only way we know if people like the articles are if they comment on them! Then we post others in the same vein as we come across interesting ideas and concepts.
Bev :)
Thanks for the info on rocket heaters. It’s very timely for me since I just moved from sunny California to snowy Michigan. I’m going to try to make one for the barn. I love the off the grid and sustainable articles. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Doug –
Quite a move! Appreciate you stopping by. Please keep in touch!
Rourke
Hey Thanks Doug!
I’m just an old homesteader and sometimes I wonder if the off-grid, etc. that I love is even interesting to anyone!
Bev :)
I am interested in building a Rocket Mass heater, how can I get instructions, don’t have much money so the cheaper the better. Love the site.
Thanks for commenting Gladys! Glad you like the topic. Two weblinks are listed right below the video. Permies is the basic site and then the one directly below the video is specific to the plans on how to build one.
When you do, please send up pictures and your experience!
Bev :)
Hi Peirce,
Go to the “rich soil” link in the article. This has step-by-step instructions and videos.
If you build one yourself, take pictures and write about your experience for SCP!
Bev :)