I’m looking to add a rocket mass heater where one might typically have a fireplace. Likely, this would be in the living space, to help organize the room and define an area to sit and read during a cold winter. Possibly at 2 areas that would not be catching a lot of the afternoon sun. The thought is that those areas with the afternoon sun would, in the winter, be warmed up by the sun already. In the summer the sun might heat up the unused rocket mass heater and add unwanted heat in the house.
I might add to this a wood burning stove adjacent to it. This would allow the use of the same fuel and you can use it if the preference is to heat food while heating the space. Where? I haven’t figured it out yet. At this point I am still brainstorming ideas.
Can I combine them so my RMH heating pulls cool air (from cross ventilation layout of house) to help with circulation/cross ventilation?
How would this heating options work with the cross ventilation of the living space? Can I combine them so my heating pulls out cool air and helps with circulation? The more we can interweave the systems the more creative the solution gets.
WHY?
The quick answer is access to renewable, efficient fuel. This home would have access to a renewable supply of wood branches on the property. SUre they can be purchased as well. This option would mean an ongoing fuel in the winter-even if winters got colder for Texas (like this recent Feb 2021 freeze). The house would have propane tank in the yard anyway, this would compliment that resource nicely.
Currently I am still researching on this, particularly if any have been installed successfully here in NE Texas. I’ve found some who built them but they did it outdoors to extend their growing season. For now, this is just an idea that needs further study.
I know I skipped ahead, for those who are not familiar with a rocket mass heater, below is a good video/course how one works
My goal at Alt-Ark is to Make Architecture More Permaculture, to help you build that permaculture house on the homestead.
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