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Post by pioniers on Feb 26, 2012 10:37:59 GMT -8
Hello,
I am a dutch oven builder, working now for 6 years with the rocket stove to make it a reliable alternative to the standard masonry heater like the people from the MHA are building. Increasingly people in Holland are becoming interested in the Rocket mass heater, the standard type with the oil drums/bench, etc.
My question is: Are there any true safety hazards related to the RMH?
As far as I can see there is only one true hazard and that is that the smoke gasses turn around, due to a backdraft in the chimney for example, and start to smoke out the owners. Are there any cases known where this has led to damage or worse? (In the rocket masonry heaters I build myself I place the airinlet below the floor of the fire chamber, which prevents the problem above)
Thanks
Sjang
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Post by Rinchen on Mar 12, 2012 7:49:24 GMT -8
Hello Sjang,
I find that the connection between the barrel and cob (or brick) is difficult to seal properly due to the large difference in heat expansion. This I think is a cause for concern as CO gasses can leak out. I am not too pleased with the current connection of my barrel, however the CO alarm has not gone of yet.
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Post by Donkey on Mar 12, 2012 8:19:04 GMT -8
Mostly, safety issues fall into the category of inexperienced users. Covering the feed to shut off the fire, then lifting the lid to see how it's going, the works can fill with flammable gasses which can ignite explosively when in given air. The most common is placing really long sticks in the feed, which can hang up and fail to slide down, when the bottom burns off, the sticks will over-balance and fall out of the firebox onto the floor of your home. The rest of the safety concerns come from inexperienced builders. Using river rock too close to the heater core or (my personal favorite) placing water heating coils in the barrel where temperatures can flash water to steam. Problems can come from placing different materials with different characteristics against each other and not allowing for differential expansion. The stove will crack and though I haven't seen a problem yet (my stove suffers from this) my assumption is that it's a real issue.
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