River Jack is the only way to go with a fireplace. I had it put on the fireplace after I bought my home. I only wish I knew about masonry heaters before I had the fireplace re-built on the inside. This is a great video. Much appreciate your time videoing the process.

Outstanding video Gentlemen. This was a very unique and challenging retrofit. I thoroughly enjoyed watching how you dealt with every aspect. The homeowners made a wise decision and sound investment. I live in the northern ADKs on eighty acres and am the proud owner of a Norbert Senf masonry heater which is almost thirty yrs old and going strong. It’s been a godsend thru many power outages. All my firewood comes out of the “back forty” which doubles the pleasure.

The double-bell masonry heater design seems to be just as effective as the baffle system, but also would appear to be the only way they could have retrofitted this chimney. I was pleasantly surprised by the engineering and technical sophistication of this work and the emissions testing. Seen tonnes of vids: this sits right on top. Kudos.

Outstanding !! I’ve been looking atv Russian stoves / Rocket stoves have 2 wood stoves And A 100 year old Pot belly. It’s lA Magnificent Machine from 1908 My Father was a StoneMason for 50 years. ❤️it 😎👍

The beam is supported by the foundation on the one side but it seems at 10,000lbs you should have increased the slab thickness under the steel post. The standard 3”-4” basement slab seems a bit vulnerable. Thats some clean stonework btw. Very nice.

This is an incredible video and an incredible outcome.

I just finished watching this video. Not only a great project, but a very well done presentation. Any idea how many labor hours? I agree on the eyebrows - stellar.

Fantastic video.. TY for posting. Down to a science for efficient and clean heat.. love it

Just great. Thanks for sharing this kind of videos.

Great job! You guys have the best videos on youtube!

Really good video and lovely work. Thanks.

Norbert built my masonry heater core as well.

The info on this video is something I've wanted to see for some time. It's sad that I'll probably remember the dudes eyebrows better than the information though.

@billywalton87

3 жыл бұрын

HOLY HELL YOU AINT LYIN

Curious why the ceramic wool insulation was used between the core and the existing masonry, but then used cardboard between the core and river rock face. Also, couldn't believe the lack of roof safety while working on a snow filled roof. But, an incredible project, especially the steel foundation and integrating the new heater to use the existing chimney.

@arcticminer32

2 жыл бұрын

It was used as insulation because the original wall was not and bleeding heat out of the house. The cardboard was a sacrificial material expansion joint and cheaper than the ceramic wool. Also, it transfer the heat better through the stone into the room.

@quantumofconscience6538

9 ай бұрын

Roof safety? What are they supposed to do, put parachutes on or wait for summer?

Great---most instructive---Terry

My brother has to repair his fireplace i am trying to talk him into converting this into a masonry heater. .... next I will convince him to start his own coppicing lot for renewable firewood.

Wow I wish I had that in my house it looks fantastic and I bet it works great too. Just one critique... You did all that beautiful work on the inside, why use that lame stainless chimney cap instead of more decorative terracotta or custom made brick one? That would have been a really nice finishing touch. Otherwise it looks fantastic.

I wonder, since you have less ash per burn, if the incidence of COPD is lower with these types of stoves. When i was growing up, we had a regular Buck Stove inside a chimney and we would constantly shovel out the ash, lowering the air quality of the room (in the basement).

Was wondering if the steel beam support system has developed any problems?

At 9:30 in the video, did the 1.5" refractory substrate have anything between it and the new concrete slab below or was it pouted directly onto it?

My slab is directly on ground. If I wanted to replace my fireplace with a heater like this, would i have to have my slab redone or would it be fine since its directly on the ground?

So is a heater like this not capable in a cold climate of reducing other sources of heating to near zero? 20% doesn't seem significant. Is that one burn a day? Or a continuous burn?

how are you going to cook on this stove?

No, the 1.5" refractory layer was poured directly over the new concrete slab below Dave

Is the only fresh air feed source from the front door slots on the glass doors?

What was the overall efficiency of the heater? On the lap top screen I saw 73.9% was that it?

No mesh on the chimny cap, you are going to get birds and animals getting in there.

If they put Invisaflects on the walls the Infra Red heat would be reflected back into the room providing more comfort fyi.

I understand the improvement to the wood fireplace, but why wouldn't you update the 80 or so percent efficient oil boiler with a high efficiency propane or natural gas boiler unless propane or natural gas is not available. Beautiful Masonry Heater though.

question: Every masonry stove and every rocket stove I have seen has always had the exhaust gases traveling either above the fire box or at the same level as the fire box. my question is can you put the exhaust below the fire box without extra problems. I have a poured concrete wall below grade with 24" of block above that. I would like to reach the concrete without putting my fire box below grade as well. I could have my firebox above the floor and heat the concrete as well without having to use the stairs. As I am handicapped, that would allow me access.

@jeremiahshine

7 жыл бұрын

armchairintrepid The place to ask is the Facebook group Rocket Stove Mass Heaters International

@carolleenkelmann3829

2 жыл бұрын

@Jeremiah Shine. You're stuffed if you don't have Facebook

What's the cost of a retrofit like this? I put in a fireplace insert and it was $4300 for everything with me doing all the install work. I would think this would be at least 2-3 times that amount. No?

I'm curious if anyone knows the feasibility of using 'angle iron' steel in a masonry heater. This would seem the easiest solution to a big problem with masonry heaters. Spanning certain openings with brick. Like the firebox or smoke chambers. Would a regular piece of angle iron hold up to the temp? How would using steel work in a masonry heater? Just curious. Any information is appreciated.

@donr416

3 жыл бұрын

Any steel parts in the firebox or near the top of the bells would fail quickly.

what is the cardboard for?

I'm not sure I hear anything but banjo music at 11:00. But it's a coincidence you mentioned it because Britney did actually stop by hoping to be in the video. And, unfortunately, she forgot her safety gear. Dave

Retrofit also have a place to heat water or food or something at the top?

@carolleenkelmann3829

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, I too would have liked to have seen more practical application to the possibility of such. But they already had an expensive oil based water heater in the basement. ?.

@arcticminer32

2 жыл бұрын

@@carolleenkelmann3829 We have baking options and had hot water heat coils until EPA restricted the heating of water. Even so, baking could be done in the firebox after the fire burns down to coals.

How deep is the hearth? Looks small

Only the exterior chimney is original and even so the existing flue was lined with a stainless steel liner which was then surrounded by a mixture of poured in place vermiculite/concrete.

@jamesmorgan8106

7 жыл бұрын

will there be issues with expansion/contraction of pipe without any buffer against concrete? won't the concrete/flue crack?

Qué proponen para eliminar la gran cantidad de humo que se aprecia al encendido, ( minuto 36:57 ), y que es lo que generalmente molesta a vecinos , y momento en el que las Auroridades de algunos Paises toman videos para hablar en contra de la quema de leña .

What was the $ cost +- number in total?

4 жыл бұрын

20,000.00 I'm guessing.

@dantonio5000

3 жыл бұрын

@ that’s a lot of years of only saving 20% of your firewood resources. Think I’d want to position a new chimney in the in the center of my house if I were going to invest that much

@carolleenkelmann3829

2 жыл бұрын

@dantonio5000. Every restored an Old Timer or Vintage car? This chimney was designed to last for centuries. Someone will be restoring the house in 300 yrs and all that might be left is the masonry fireplace and chimney and they would marvel at the engineering.

Oh, if the main firebox door is gasketed, why not the flue access port doors?

@arcticminer32

2 жыл бұрын

They all have gaskets even though they didn't show up in the video.

@tomrecny6437

Жыл бұрын

Gasket on the door is very important part of the air intake for the air wash that keeps the window clear.

I get the feeling they're adding a $100K heater to a $50K house.

@carolleenkelmann3829

2 жыл бұрын

There ain't nothing like havin' a warm house when it's cold outside, irrespective of house price comparison, not to mention the combustion efficiency and the reduced negative emissions. Maybe they will retro-fit the house, quite possibly to include an esthetic appearance for wood storage.

@steve-ey3rx

2 жыл бұрын

@@carolleenkelmann3829 Only that's not just objectively wrong, but plain stupid. What's the point of adding a fireplace to a house that you'll have to rebuild?

@jjlpinct

Жыл бұрын

And they couldn't call a plumber to move a pipe or an electrician to move some track lighting

impeccable mason;y work but why do people want to stack river rock?

@carolleenkelmann3829

2 жыл бұрын

I wondered why you couldn't cut the rocks in half and stick them on with the cement. A novel project. Maybe it was for the father-in-law.

@Nikletheman

2 жыл бұрын

@@carolleenkelmann3829 It's for mass. More mass means more heat held for longer. I'm surprised they had flue gasses at 300 degrees, but with all that firebrick it makes sense.

@arcticminer32

2 жыл бұрын

@@carolleenkelmann3829 Too much labor and expense. The idea was to use local material that was readily available and keep the cost down.

@tomrecny6437

Жыл бұрын

@@Nikletheman spot on re thermal mass. The 300F likely has to do with the retrofit being a less than ideal design. Not sure what my MH flue temps are but I understand 250F is consistent with a good design.

any masonry heater design should have all masonry inside the insulated space and NO masonry chimney above the insulated space, The old chimney should have been removed because it will be continueously wicking heat from the masonry below in the insulated space.

Cost of doing a project like this?

@wesfrazier5739

5 жыл бұрын

If you have to ask.......

@fatherlandchild2780

4 жыл бұрын

$30K

2:25

Yeah, this construction was done log time ago, but it still looks ugly like a pile of rubble

Seriously!? Track lightning into the stone!?

Great video, but why does one of the main workers have fake eyebrows?

73 pct is not flying coors!? What happened to the 98% claims lol time consuming? very involved, many different trades? and and and and Xpennnnnnnnnnnnnnsive as hell !, maybe?

@tomrecny6437

Жыл бұрын

If I understood it correctly (and I am a masonry heater owner) the 98% is in reference to the combustion efficiency of the firewood and the 73% would be the overall energy efficiency given that warm flue gases go up the chimney. Bear in mind too, that this was a challenging retrofit which likely limited overall efficiency. I have a Norbert Senf unit that is almost 30 yrs old now and the overall efficiency was rated at about 85%. A masonry heater should last 75-100 yrs or more and adds a lot of value to a home. An oil or nat gas heater 20-25 yrs? This was an expensive retrofit but I think it was a sound one.

thats not 10.000 pounds.... 2000 max.

Was the overall efficiency 74 percent? or just durring the initial testing phase. I ask because iwas watching the rate of efficiency increase as the video was rolling. where did the percent stop? thanks.