Rocket Stoves

Poosmate

Someone mentioned Rocket Stoves in a thread I read last week. I didn't know what one was so looked it up on Youtube. Now I am wondering if I could build one in my house (well in the garage attached to my house).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmYaIrHRMLM

I live in England and wonder if I could just build one or would I need to comply to all kinds of building regs. etc.

My garage has a concrete floor and I thought I'd put paving slabs down and build the combustion chamber and chimney on the slabs (using fire bricks).

Then, pop a barrel over the chimney and run ducting from the barrel much the same as in the video above. However, as the initial burn produces smoke I thought I'd create a connection where I can divert the initial burn out the gap under the up and over garage door. When the smoke subsides I am hoping to close that bit off and open up further ducting to carry the heat on and rather than vent it to the outside by cutting a hole in my garage roof, thought I could direct the heat into a hole in the wall (existing) and into the cavity of the house wall.

The next problem is the steam that's produced. I have no idea how much steam is produced and if it's only produced because of the hot air going out into the cold air (?). Would this even happen if I was directing it/venting it into my cavity wall? If so, I wonder if I could put in a condensation trap somewhere so I could drain it?

The only other problem is the last by-product which is carbon dioxide. Again I have no idea how much is produced but wonder if the cavity in the walls would disperse it enough not to be a problem?

Any thoughts on this would be much appreciated.

Poo

phill99

Why are they called rocker heaters? Is it that they sxplode like one when they go wrong?

I'm sure your neighbours will be well pleased about having this in the garage next door.

Poosmate

I think it's due to the sound it makes as the air is sucked in to the combustion chamber.

I'm in a semi detached house and the end house with the garage being on the end so no other property after mine.

From what I've seen it should be perfectly safe as the fire (combustion chamber) would be on slabs on concrete surrounded by a layer of fire bricks and then covered with cob (the head sink).

Any thoughts anyone?

Poo

DVardysShadow

Poosmate wrote: »

Any thoughts anyone?

Yes, building regs will apply. It could be certified by a HETAS installer if you could find one to install it for you. But otherwise, it requires building regs inspection etc.

And if you build it yourself, you'll have a hard job proving that it meets standards for CO emission.

ormus

as above. you may have lots of problems trying to install a rocket stove in a uk average house.
they are more suited to rural/isolated houses.

try googling barrel stoves. more suitable for any home.
you can have double ones and also water heating ones. lots of info on the net.
fairly cheap to make diy.

ie
http://www.woodstovewizard.com/barrelstovekit.html

tony6403

Poosmate wrote: »

Someone mentioned Rocket Stoves in a thread I read last week. I didn't know what one was so looked it up on Youtube. Now I am wondering if I could build one in my house (well in the garage attached to my house).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmYaIrHRMLM


Then, pop a barrel over the chimney and run ducting from the barrel much the same as in the video above. However, as the initial burn produces smoke I thought I'd create a connection where I can divert the initial burn out the gap under the up and over garage door. When the smoke subsides I am hoping to close that bit off and open up further ducting to carry the heat on and rather than vent it to the outside by cutting a hole in my garage roof, thought I could direct the heat into a hole in the wall (existing) and into the cavity of the house wall.

The next problem is the steam that's produced. I have no idea how much steam is produced and if it's only produced because of the hot air going out into the cold air (?). Would this even happen if I was directing it/venting it into my cavity wall? If so, I wonder if I could put in a condensation trap somewhere so I could drain it?

The only other problem is the last by-product which is carbon dioxide. Again I have no idea how much is produced but wonder if the cavity in the walls would disperse it enough not to be a problem?

Any thoughts on this would be much appreciated.

Poo

Assuming that your post is not some sort of joke , directing the products of combustion into a wall cavity could prove to be lethal. Building Regs approval could never be obtained. Your house insurance would probably be invalidated. In many cases even chimneys have to have a liner before being used for this type of heating.
It would however provide a head scratcher for your chimney sweep!!

Poosmate

Thanks for the link Ormus, I've seen those woodburners before but one of those would be too big for my small house.

The thing I like about the Rocket Stove (mass heater) is it's compact construction at the business end and the fact that the heating element can be disguised as a bench seat of sorts. Also, the efficiency of the double burn (of the wood and the wood gases) making it a much greener way to produce heat. I think I've watched every Youtube video posted on these things. To me, it looks like a really safe way of producing fire in your home (or is that very naive?).

Tony, my post is not a joke and "directing the products of combustion into my cavity wall" is the very reason why I posted. Really, the last thing I want to do is kill myself by carbon dioxide and I don't want damp patches in my house because there's steam/condensation in the cavity walls.

I wonder if it would be worth calling the Council and asking if any of their Building Regs. Officers are familiar with rocket stoves? Could give it a try and if there aren't any at the moment, maybe their greenest officer would look into it. Who knows, maybe I could work with them and set a precedent!

Thanks for your replies anyway.

Poo

vaio

It seems to me that the “point” of these is that instead of having a small very hot lump of metal you take the same amount of heat and spread it over a greater area.

Normal fire, you get and A4 sized lump heated to 200 degrees, on this the same energy is used to heat a sofa sized lump to 25 degrees.

Whichever is used you still need to deal with the flue gases in exactly the same way, conventional flue and not via a cavity wall.

I’d also be concerned that allowing the flue gasses to drop to such a low temperature might allow corrosive stuff (or even just water) to condense out which another issue to deal with.

SUESMITH_2

Poosmate wrote: »

Tony, my post is not a joke and "directing the products of combustion into my cavity wall" is the very reason why I posted. Really, the last thing I want to do is kill myself by carbon dioxide and I don't want damp patches in my house because there's steam/condensation in the cavity walls

i would be more worried about the carbon monoxide if i were you

tony6403

"Tony, my post is not a joke and "directing the products of combustion into my cavity wall" is the very reason why I posted. Really, the last thing I want to do is kill myself by carbon dioxide and I don't want damp patches in my house because there's steam/condensation in the cavity walls.

I wonder if it would be worth calling the Council and asking if any of their Building Regs. Officers are familiar with rocket stoves? Could give it a try and if there aren't any at the moment, maybe their greenest officer would look into it. Who knows, maybe I could work with them and set a precedent!"

Your enthusiasm for green issues has to be admired , but your idea is flawed in so many ways. You really should not proceed. Getting in touch with your local building control section would definitely confirm this.

JohnyBM

Hi all this is my first post.
Can you use a rocket stove inside a house or flat?

I hear if its well designed and you use clean dry wood it is so effiecient that hardly any smoke come off it.

I dont want to set off fire alarm, also consider long term smell or colouring of inside of my flat.

I would love a wood burning stove of some king but no way can have a chimney.