Post by carol on Nov 14, 2010 13:43:05 GMT -8
We have just assembled a rocket stove with an Oil drum, a 6" flue and six meters of bench. A few gliches and questions. Some thoughts would be appreciated.
1) Water dripping from a joint 2.5meters along the bench. This is still after 10 or more burns. We're using well seasoned (4yrs) split hardwood. Does cobbing the whole bench reduce the condensation in the pipe as it maintains heat? Or am I still drying out the insides? (I find that hard to believe).
2) Backdraft; The flue exit is horizontal and sticks 1' outside the wall. We live in a hollow where wind gusts around. A puff of wind can blow down the bench and put a good flame out and fill the place with smoke. A hard blow from me and it's back on again. This is most vexing. I intend to take the exit flue vertical then horizontal under the eaves away from the pravailing wind. Does that sound like a plan? Any other tips please.
3) Flames climbing the feed hole and a waft of smoke now and again. Half covering the feed hole helps but it's not ideal. I had the thought to shorten the burn tunnel I could probably remove 1 bricks width if not 2 to the burn tunnel length. Following Ianto Evans "Proportia and Dimentia" I don't think the tunnel is too long. However, what do you know?
4) After wrapping 15m of soft copper pipe around the barrel and doing some crude plumbing, I warmed up 2 gallons of water in a butt, though I didn't get a thermosyphon working. The hot water bubbled up through the cold feed when it got hot enough. Anyone tried this? the outside of the copper pipe reached 70/90c at times. I sure this could work and I intend to get a well safe plumber to help me. But I need to help them have confidence in this wacky bit of kit. Anyone had success with this.
Many Thanks
1) Water dripping from a joint 2.5meters along the bench. This is still after 10 or more burns. We're using well seasoned (4yrs) split hardwood. Does cobbing the whole bench reduce the condensation in the pipe as it maintains heat? Or am I still drying out the insides? (I find that hard to believe).
2) Backdraft; The flue exit is horizontal and sticks 1' outside the wall. We live in a hollow where wind gusts around. A puff of wind can blow down the bench and put a good flame out and fill the place with smoke. A hard blow from me and it's back on again. This is most vexing. I intend to take the exit flue vertical then horizontal under the eaves away from the pravailing wind. Does that sound like a plan? Any other tips please.
3) Flames climbing the feed hole and a waft of smoke now and again. Half covering the feed hole helps but it's not ideal. I had the thought to shorten the burn tunnel I could probably remove 1 bricks width if not 2 to the burn tunnel length. Following Ianto Evans "Proportia and Dimentia" I don't think the tunnel is too long. However, what do you know?
4) After wrapping 15m of soft copper pipe around the barrel and doing some crude plumbing, I warmed up 2 gallons of water in a butt, though I didn't get a thermosyphon working. The hot water bubbled up through the cold feed when it got hot enough. Anyone tried this? the outside of the copper pipe reached 70/90c at times. I sure this could work and I intend to get a well safe plumber to help me. But I need to help them have confidence in this wacky bit of kit. Anyone had success with this.
Many Thanks