European Thermal Mass stoves.

[Mesquite]

Mr Chickadee filmed the building of his latest mass stove and included a link to the person who designed all his stoves.

If you've not watched Mr Chickadee before then make the time to. His videos are so enjoyable and his building a variety of things using antique hand tools is a delight to watch.

 

[slowworm]

If anyone is tempted to install a DIY mass stove, make sure you put in a CO alarm

Anyone with a any type of stove should have a CO alarm.

 

[slowworm]

I wonder how much of a Midway step could be made between the Two types - Bigger than a Modern aesthetic stove - smaller than a massive unit of thermal material. A Goldilocks type stove if you wish.

I've been mulling over one of these types of masonary stove which might fit the bill? https://eccostove.com/

They would fit in with our lifestyle, i.e. firing it up a couple of times a day and then using the heat. However, I often cook on our wood burner which I don't think you can do on these sorts of stoves.

I have the skills and room to build my own but I expect in a normal house it would be very hard to get building regs sign off and even harder to get mainstream companies to insure the property after that.

 

[TLM]

Kadushu stated the problem, first: complete burning, second thermal storage and heat exchange to room air. If one wants stable temp some kind of automation is needed, not necessarily very complicated. Otherwise nothing very difficult in the design. In practice it has been noted that water is a fairly good medium for heat storage, I have 2 cubic meters of insulated hot water storage that is enough for about 2 days hot water and heat for the cottage while outside -25C.

Stone can be used for heat storage and it works but it does require some clever design to fulfill std living requirements.

There are quite a few practical solutions for keeping a house warm. No witches required, just some good basic engineering.

 

[SaraR]

That describes it so much better and more clearly than I did
It's not upright like those tiled European 'wall' stoves, it's a kind of low recumbant sleeping dragon kind of thing It's not a fierce drawn fire either, it's a burn it and let it go out, doesn't need constant feeding. It's literally a huge great warm mass that gives off a very comfortable heat for very little work. Really, really efficient.
I wish I had room for one.

The Swedish ones were also meant to have a smaller fire for short periods of time with long intervals in-between. They were pushed as a way of reducing firewood consumption and smog in the cities, if I remember correctly.

 

[TeeDee]

Just dropping this here a relevant to anyone interested in the topic.

 

[GreyCat]

Interesting.

I looked at a masonry heater for the new place and eventually decided against it. For the same money (buying the stove, not including installing and getting it signed off), I had my modern ultra-efficient multi-fuel burners plus my Rayburn overhauled and all installed.

The Rayburn location does heat most of the house, it takes a day to get the big lump of cast iron and firebrick fully warm but oh my it chucks heat out- and stays warm too. The other multifuel burners are used for short burns mainly, the house being well insulated is the key there.

I like the concept of masonry heaters, but the cost and challenges of getting Building Regs sign off in UK were too much when looking at benefits (vs the stoves I have). ALbeit if budget had not been an issue and time hadn't been so pressing, I'd have gone for a masonry stove anyway..... but head won out over heart.....

GC

 

[TeeDee]

Fair comment - Which multi fuel burner did you go for ?

Interesting.

I looked at a masonry heater for the new place and eventually decided against it. For the same money (buying the stove, not including installing and getting it signed off), I had my modern ultra-efficient multi-fuel burners plus my Rayburn overhauled and all installed.

The Rayburn location does heat most of the house, it takes a day to get the big lump of cast iron and firebrick fully warm but oh my it chucks heat out- and stays warm too. The other multifuel burners are used for short burns mainly, the house being well insulated is the key there.

I like the concept of masonry heaters, but the cost and challenges of getting Building Regs sign off in UK were too much when looking at benefits (vs the stoves I have). ALbeit if budget had not been an issue and time hadn't been so pressing, I'd have gone for a masonry stove anyway..... but head won out over heart.....

GC

 

[GreyCat]

@TeeDee : in the living room it is the Ekol Clarity double vision raised option, multifuel grate option. It is a big room, the stove about 2/3 down the room divides dining and sitting areas. Standard black. New double wall flue which goes up through the house, put in before/ as the roof went on so no cutting holes in a roof.

In the office/ library I put an Ekol Pumpkin Pie with oven and mohave red door, again the multiifuel grate (you also still get the wood burning grate in case you want to switch back later on). This into an original chimney which was lined as part of the refurb work, which included rebuilding the chimney stacks to stop water ingress into the walls

Refurbished Rayburn in kitchen. New flue as per living area.

Very happy with them.

GC

 

[GreyCat]

@TeeDee : here's some (stock) pics of the stoves:


This is the Pumpkin Pi with the oven on top, mine has a red door with wooden handles though. It sits in a large old fireplace.

Then there is the Clarity double-sided (again a stock pic, they also do a single-sided version):



In our case, we have a black stove and flue, single pipe out then double wall flue from about a foot below the ceiling, the flue runs up through the house in a special enclosed area- double wall pipe and the surround is heat-resistant board which is a specified distance from the pipe, with spacing grids at intervals. It's a good install, but the sort of thing which is much esaier to do as part of a refurb.

This is the manufacturer: https://www.defrastoves.com/

They are UK based and apparently are good with providing spares etc later on. The stoves seem well made and solid.

When I was stove hunting, I saw an amazing oval double-sided wood burning stove at a showroom, it was way out of my budget, but looked amazing. Then I found the Ekol Clarity one, not only a much more sensible cost, but also with multifuel option.

GC

 

[TeeDee]

@TeeDee : here's some (stock) pics of the stoves:

View attachment 98088
This is the Pumpkin Pi with the oven on top, mine has a red door with wooden handles though. It sits in a large old fireplace.

Then there is the Clarity double-sided (again a stock pic, they also do a single-sided version):

View attachment 98089

In our case, we have a black stove and flue, single pipe out then double wall flue from about a foot below the ceiling, the flue runs up through the house in a special enclosed area- double wall pipe and the surround is heat-resistant board which is a specified distance from the pipe, with spacing grids at intervals. It's a good install, but the sort of thing which is much esaier to do as part of a refurb.

This is the manufacturer: https://www.defrastoves.com/

They are UK based and apparently are good with providing spares etc later on. The stoves seem well made and solid.

When I was stove hunting, I saw an amazing oval double-sided wood burning stove at a showroom, it was way out of my budget, but looked amazing. Then I found the Ekol Clarity one, not only a much more sensible cost, but also with multifuel option.

GC

Thanks for that GC - I had taken a look at these and Like the look , spec and price.


I do like the look of the Pumpkin Pi unit - at least I like the functionality - I need to replace a main Lounge fire place and not sure this will look in keeping - I will continue looking and see if I can find a similar design but with a more overt secondary function.


However thanks for posting - its opened my eyes to more fire options.