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Post by bikeralan on Nov 29, 2008 18:25:45 GMT -8
Hi everyone Nice Forum! Couple questions right out of the gate. I am building a sauna 6x8 steam room, I plan on a small 6"' stove, could I run the stack down from the heat exchancher in sort of a circle then out roof? I figured I could place stones around exhaust and up around the heat exchanger (with appropiate support) Sound feasible? Thanks Alan
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Post by Donkey on Nov 30, 2008 16:19:27 GMT -8
Well... Can't really make a definitive answer without more detail.. But ... So far, it's possible. Feed us more info and let's see if what you want to do looks probable.. Welcome to the board.
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Post by alan on Nov 30, 2008 17:31:24 GMT -8
Thanks for the welcome, I built a sauna yrs ago and used a 15 gal drum, fitted a chimney clean out door for the feed, built a baffle inside, 6" chimney straight up, piled stones all around. Worked quite well, bldg was 8x8 with 6x8 stove room. I plan on the same size again, I have a 2' piece of 6" insulated ss pipe, plan on this for the burn chamber and prob a 30 gal drum for heat exchanger. Thinking of making exhaust at bottom of heat exchanger 6" as well and making some tight serpentine curves then straight out roof. Would have to plan some beefy supports to cover all with stones. Just want to try a rocket for fuel savings, and emissions, and of course just to do it Thanks! Alan
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Post by canyon on Nov 30, 2008 23:58:03 GMT -8
Sounds like you are going to use a 2' section of 6" metalbestos or hopefully something better like excel or duratech for your heat riser? Or are you actually using 6" pipe (thick) thats insulated some how? The thinwall stuff won't last long (even stainless) I'm afraid, at least as a heat riser. Thats why I slipped excel over 1/4" wall thickness pipe (you need 7" for 6" pipe) on my portable tester rocket. So I think I understand that you are wanting to build a mass sauna. I sure like the experience of a mass sauna compared to a low mass sauna. It certainly takes more time and wood to come up to temp but it can be worth it. Are you going to build it to stoke from outside? Have you checked out the bell concept? I've been dreaming about a masonry bell in the sauna room covered with mortared rocks and a rocket sunk into the ground below down fed from a changing room. With a bell you don't have to build serpentine channels and you get the best of the hot gasses up in the bell without so much cooler ballast air. Could you elaborate on the beefy supports or shed some light on what kind of foundation you have or envision?
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Post by bikeralan on Dec 1, 2008 15:58:24 GMT -8
The pipe I have on hand is metabestos, but I have some pretty good scrounging ground so may end with some 1/4" steel. I don't really plan on a huge mass, just want to cover with stone so I wanted to make sure the heat exchanger was well supported by bricks or something to carry weight of stones. Prob will put a slab footing under the stove, and lay some brick around the exhaust that I run on floor then maybe a grate on top for more heat or cover with stone. I live in northern lower peninsula of Michigan and snow is butt deep right now with lots more on the way so I am sure I will have plenty of time to plan, sure would be nice to crawl in a hot sauna right now though. Thanks, Alan
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Post by canyon on Dec 2, 2008 22:54:07 GMT -8
Sounds like you have a good plan going already except for the metalbestos part. Better raid the scrap stashes for the thick pipe or if you don't find any you can always build the heat riser with firebrick. Butt deep in snow already beats the knee deep we have! Good luck and keep us posted!
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