greenhouse construction + rocket mass heater how to tutorial

4-DVD set about rocket mass heaters richsoil.com/wood-heat.jsp support my patreon for more videos like this: / paulwheaton permaculture design course
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richsoil.com/stoves permies.com Greenhouse construction with a rocket mas heater, including an excellent demonstration of the rocket mass heater sideways burn. The greenhouse construction class is taught by Ernie and Erica Wisner, featuring the rocket mass heater techniques of Ianto Evans (of cob cottage company fame). I cannot think of a better approach to greenhouse heating.
This is the first phase of building this greenhouse. The focus is on the steps of building the rocket mass heater.
This video has an excellent demonstration of the sideways burn - or fire burning sideways.
Since this will be an oehler style solar greenhouse, then it probably won't need much heat. But it will be a bonus. And the heated air could also be piped into the house.
A rockey mass heater is typically 10 times more efficient than a regular wood stove. And 20 times cleaner.
A mike oehler style greenhouse construction is probably the most efficient greenhouse known.
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[@paulwheaton]

Some folks like to clean these things with a shop vac. With the vertical cleanout, you just drop the hose in there. With a horizontal cleanout, you are trying to shove a floppy hose through a big hole. Plus, you'll be in a narrow space if you are coming in low, whereas you'll have lots of elbow room if you are coming in from above.

[@tinalwolf]

I like the step-by-step addition of the exhaust pipe as the rocket is lit...showing smoke and steam at each junction. Awesome!

[@eawisner]

to have sufficient rise of exhaust gases for a vertical stack you have to have at least 90 degrees temp. (for function in most weather) this system is just at 90 after it passes through the bed when the bed is cold. if it was a horizontal exhaust we could have taken the gas temps down with another pass or two of pipe. the vertical stack is not needed for draft since this is a push systemn but it simplifies things for some applications.

[@paulwheaton]

My article is at the richsoil site. It has a diagram of how the fire works its way through.

[@paulwheaton]

I'm with you: I would like to hear a report on how it is working out.

[@9anda1f]

Great video Paul! Excellent info on how changing the "gap" changes the heating characteristics of the barrel. Can't wait to see future installments on this greenhouse.

[@AlmostWicked]

Excellent description and demonstration of a relatively new concept. This is exactly the same heat source and greenhouse construction project I'm interested in building this summer. Thanks!

[@Gardeningat58N]

Thats a pretty neat idea, I'd love to put one in my polytunel to help charge up the heat of my heat store. Is there a follow up to this video with a completed set up showing how much it heats up a greenhouse?

[@9anda1f]

Paul, the talk bubbles were a stroke of genius! Really appreciate the work you've done to make this video!

[@paulwheaton]

Well, it would be better than most other heat sources in that you could run the exhaust through the floor of your house and the heat would rise, distributed over the whole house.

[@denali525]

Great workshop! This is a very sensible way to add to the growing season using a simple and elegant technology.

[@ClayClaim]

Very awesome! Thank you :)

[@DavidHappel1337]

It sounds like you are communicating from the mars

[@octaviusgalacticus2253]

Lmao u sound like star fire "the mars"

[@paulwheaton]

I have that same concern. My impression is that with the ducts being low, it will be a gentler heat. But I remember ernie saying something about it that made me think this might not be entirely accurate. I'll ask him to check in here.

[@Nirky]

Always appreciate Ernie's insight, can learn much from him.

[@paulwheaton]

The amount of wood that you can put in is pretty small. But the heat starts to come off the top within seconds after starting the fire.

[@eawisner]

I am speaking about the barrel. if you want the cob to be black use an earthen plaster and a black iron oxide pigment (you can get black iron oxide from a masonry supply for coloring cement.) I think pics of our stove is on Paul,s forum. if you want it shiny black. oil it with linseed oil a couple times and get some good glycerin soap and rub it in. then buff it with a soft rag. or use bees wax if your not planning on sitting on it.

[@eawisner]

if you can get one of those briquette presses that where popular a few years ago it would work fine on leaves after a bed of coals was built up. petro chemicals take lots of adjusting to make them work as does veggy oil but either is possible. the configuration has to be changed to get the smoke re burn right so it burns as clean as biomass.

[@EKWisner]

Thanks for putting this up! I'd love to hear more about the progress on the greenhouse (and how it works)!

[@scottlmnop]

Great innovative design. I wasn't familiar with rocket mass heaters, so now I want to learn more. Thanks!

[@eawisner]

that system is a six inch system the feed tube is 5"X5 1/2" it takes a surprising amount of wood to fill. each load takes about an hour to burn down if you are using bigger wood so you can time your burn to how often you load the stove. in the bed the soil absorbs heat at 1 inch an hour. your initial burn will be a long one or you will burn for a couple hours a day, then drop down to a one hour burn every day. the radiant heat part (the barrel) puts off heat as soon as you light the stove.

[@paulwheaton]

Ernie and Erica are based in Porltand. They were really patient with all of my questions.

[@eawisner]

the exhaust is out side the green house and the feed is inside in this setup. the feed outside only has the disadvantage of you having to go outside all the time. the feed inside has the disadvantage of if you get some smoke back it will kill your tomatoes and the other plants that don't like smoke. like anything it is a tradeoff. however you can get creative and build it so you have a hatch to get to the feed or a partition for the stove and tools, ETC.

[@NealMcSpadden]

Paul, this was great. Much steadier video than usual! :) I hope you'll post more of the greenhouse construction and integration.

[@eawisner]

the depth of the duct in the bed is 9 to 11 inches with a slight rise to the duct. the clean outs are easy access for a vacuum hose which is all you need to clean the system at those points. to clean ash out of the burn tube you just use your hand. the next day when its cool. Erica and i dont like ash pits due to them making it to easy to abuse the cleaning out ash every few days; its a safety thing.

[@eawisner]

its also the bypass in case you dont want to heat the bed but want to just heat the green house. the cap thats on the clean out can be removed and the vertical stack place on it and the cap then goes where the stack was and you bypass the bed.

[@paulwheaton]

My article at richsoil will probably do more explaining. This was an attempt to give a visual demonstration and to cover some important points. My 500 hot showers video is using the new camera.

[@homefarmideas]

Very cool!! Is there a follow up video for this one?

[@33jester3]

Good job, Paul. I like the purple arrows. We've been thinking about doing one of these here on the farm.

[@eawisner]

yes the thermal mass works like a battery for heat. the bed in this case planting bed. heats up and stays hot for many hours . (this one should stay warm for 20 or so hours after it warmed up.) like a battery it takes time to charge it up so you fire the stove for an hour or so a day and the heat slowly builds up.

[@eawisner]

the base mix right around the hot parts has no straw. in the vid you also dont see the one inch layer of perlite clay mix that is around the burn tunnel. the outer layer should never get to a temp that will ignite. if it does the straw in the mix will just burn out on the surface and turn to charcoal in the mix. I think paul has some of our stove. several of the barrels at cobville have been oiled, and if you look for "ernieanderica" our website has links to our picture albums.

[@paulwheaton]

If you can tell me the point where something is said that you don't understand, I can try to add some of that floating text.

[@eawisner]

not a problem our house is 1000 and 70yo with no insulation. our stove keeps the house at 63 degrees in 0 to 13 degree weather. its a 6 inch system like the one in the vid. an 8 inch located in a central part of the house should do nicely and not chase you out of the room. what you would notice first is that you don't have temp spikes you would have slow waves with the high spot being when you fire the stove.

[@bobjinmt]

So simple. I hope to incorporate some of this into our lives soon.

[@paulwheaton]

It will depend on how hot you can get your heat riser.

[@ddreamsky]

This SO backs me up when I showed my husband. I want a greenhouse that won't cost us more to operate then just buy the food. Thanks!

[@bootedbear]

Great idea and great video. Thanks for posting this -- very informative.

[@eawisner]

you can get the book. it tells you step by step how to build a basic stove. Erica and I will answer questions as will Ianto at CCC. deviating from the basic stove is where things get diffrent because the variables all change. the basic 8" system can be used to heat a mass bench, bed, wall, floor (if you do the floor right, pretty hard for many to get the depths correct), etc. small warning; we will answer questions but wont spend all day on head scratchers.

[@jboyarsky]

Nice. I like the purple lines to highlight things in the video. I may not have any land, but it still looks neat.

[@paulwheaton]

My understanding is that the fire helps the cob to dry.

[@paulwheaton]

I spent the last hour adding "talk bubbles" so that it might help clear up what was said. If I need to add more, please let me know.

[@paulwheaton]

there is an article with drawings and explanations at richsoil. that might help. And, of course, a whole book on the topic!

[@SOLARCELLS101]

Nice Video Thanks David

[@paulwheaton]

I just now added talk bubbles. Does this help?

[@ischnura]

The talk bubbles are great! Thanks!

[@eawisner]

it does if the ducting is to close to the max root depth. if the plant has a deep tap root its going to get toasted. but most garden plants are shallow so unless you really run the stove for a very long time you will be fine. as with anything excess will bite you.

[@swayzestyle]

Hi Paul! Thanks for the great videos all around! At the end of this video you make reference to filling the trench back in with soil. In your professional opinion, what would be the best way to insulate the duct running through the ground? Should the trench be prepared in any way or even insulated at all?

[@bjhedahl]

What are we waiting for? this is taught in Seattle and all over the planet!

[@EKWisner]

@manyaGodbole , This version is designed for wood. You could use the same concept for a different fuel, but might need to adjust some things. If you want to use any available fuel in the same stove, you'd need an exhaust that goes mostly upward, instead of up down and sideways like this one.

[@tandemcharleston]

Great stuf!!!! Am craving the tomatoes already. Very good instructions.

[@eawisner]

this one is slightly proud of the soil level. if you wanted it below soil level you can put a 5gal bucket with the bottom cut out around the feed and give yourself about 16". but there are drawbacks to this. IE. the bucket can heat up and be a competing chimney. (hot stack effect)

[@brandonzylstra]

The content here is amazing. The production quality is horrendous. (Please keep the quality content coming!)

[@RandallsRestRelaxation]

Great Video! I subscribed.

[@paulwheaton]

@DrGaryGreen I suspect that a one inch gap would melt something.

[@paulwheaton]

A thought for a video: CO monitoring on different kinds of devices. Including RMH.

[@eawisner]

No problem Erica and I are teachers and researchers Its not our job to promote an agenda, its our job to give you the information so you can make an informed decision. We enjoy the questions; thank you ALL for asking them.

[@Insect0man]

Have you thought about integrating aquaponics into the greenhouse design and heating the water as a functional thermal mass?

[@Insect0man]

+Clayton Campbell heating the water seems to be working fine for me at 7000 feet in Colorado. YMMV.

[@Insect0man]

Arduino reads temperature via a thermistor and controls a pump.

[@hjlosada]

Can you re record audio, or do an voice over?

[@erickgreenwillow]

Awesome video! Thanks for sharing!

[@Melo3dewz]

These things work because of the temerature differential between the very expanded gasses created by the supe hot spiral fire and the heat taken out of the exhaust duct via the thermal mass causes those gasses to shrink enormosly in volume as it cools... this action creates a vacuum which pulls the fire sideways and makes it super hot which helps to burn the creosote and volitile gasses from the wood fire... pretty genius stuff

[@hbohan08]

Very inspiring though I also did not get the point of the two inch discussion... but love the idea of using to heat mass in a greenhouse

[@ischnura]

That is a great idea, thanks for sharing! If this is the final set up it seems that the whole rocket stove circuit (feeder/mass/exhaust) is inside the green house! What about locating the feeder just outside the green house... and just the keeping the mass inside the green house? What would the disadvantages be? Will the close circuit combustion not affect the "health" of plants/people inside the green house?

[@paulwheaton]

What is "exfixeate"?

[@grayhand9676]

I wish you actually showed how the inside was structured. I have a good idea having researched rocket stoves but a few things are different than I've ever seen before. The video kind of goes, "we're going to show you how to build a house. Here's the foundation, now look at our finished house". A few steps are missing to put it mildly. FYI for the one looking for clay, any place that sells landscaping materials like crushed rock and garden soil will have it. Most soil has some clay and they may have just gotten it on site. The old trick is to test your soil for clay content is fill a mason jar with soil and water then shake it up. Let it settle for a day and the lowest layer is clay so you can see what percentage is clay. You need a certain percentage for cob and I can't remember off hand.

[@harrymills2770]

I don't think there's any shortage of specs if you slurp up all things "Wheaton" and browse what his disciples are doing and have done. But maybe it wasn't like that 7 years ago. Maybe you were just early in your search. I've seen the specs, but don't remember them. I think you can defy gravity with them, once the chimney's hot (basically), and they'll run themselves if you go up so many inches per foot when you're running that flu through your heat mass. But I'd think about putting a blower or a bellows on it to prime it. Or a fan powered by a flywheel that you spin up before lighting... Once you've got that air all going in the right direction, it works like a charm. Use the fire for your cooking and the cooking ritual would keep the entire house warm, instead of being a separate expense. I'm thinking about stovepipe with fins on it, to pass more of the heat into the reservoir, faster. A lot of people build these without a real plan for getting it started and they kind of sheepishly say "It can get smoky when you're lighting it," which is to say it takes a while to get the chimney to draw. In the trade, we call it the "draw-back." Speaking of rocket stoves, I don't think I've seen a single KZbin video that got the Dakota fire-pit right. You don't use the sideways chimney for air intake. It's the CHIMNEY. For lowest profile, you make a DOWN-draft fire, and you send the smoke up an insulated riser. Very quickly, you're getting almost 100% burn and there's no smoke coming out the top and no sparks flying up in the sky. So all those Bush-Masters out there need to build a SMALL fire at the mouth or in the mouth of the chimney and make it DRAW.

[@adclunn10]

Really what is the point if there is terrible, almost inaudible sound?

[@growfood]

Great idea! Does this design have the potential of overheating the bed? I could see it being a great option for giving bottom heat to plant starts and cuttings.

[@eawisner]

folks do comment on the safety stuff. however; after several years of using a well built stove. we all tend to get lazy about it so we build them to keep you and us in the habit of care.

[@paulwheaton]

I dunno. This is the first time I ever heard the word, so ... should I change the spelling in the talk bubbles?

[@robertjohnhopkins]

hi Paul you've inspired me to put in my own rms in my greenhouse! going to try and build it on a shoe string so here's where i need some advice! is semi rigid aluminium ducting ok? are storage heater bricks ok or even some old fire bricks from an unused chimney? last but not least you think just digging the clay out the ground will be ok? thanks for your help in advance!

[@earthflow]

Nice Job... Hi Ernie, Erica, and Paul..

[@fibiger12]

Is there a golden rule on how long you can make the horisontal tubes. and still get draft enough to pull out the smoke/steam?

[@clavaque]

It is true, it isn't foolproof at all. I guess it'd be safe if you use the CO2 in those greenhouses (more like boxes) where one doesn't go in, but just have plants in them. Or even using the CO2 outside in the fields, with some kind of containing wall around, since it's heavier it stays near the ground where the plants will use it even if it's an open space. I look forward to your podcast on this! Love your podcasts. Thanks for all the work you do and knowledge you share. :)

[@eawisner]

this is why we do workshops. the fire science part takes a day.

[@KateOBrienlove]

This Rocket Heater Rocks! I want one!

[@jeffengland8136]

If, by the time the exhaust reaches the end of your line it is cooler co2 and steam, is there a requirement for a chimney through a roof penetration or would a side venting system be sufficient.

[@paulwheaton]

The wood feed will be below the level of the planting bed. Keeping the soil out .... I dunno ... Ernie and Erica?

[@JG-cy2wf]

Very interesting that you just filled the trench with soil... is the idea to put potted plants on top of this soil or plant directly in it?

[@warrenjfr]

I am buliding a RMH on a wood floor w/o insulation in the floor, however the wallls are insulated. I will build a ten foot bench as the mass. My question is in order to keep the heat from radiating through the wall and floor, what is the best insulation?

[@juliadean2473]

This is soo good. I couldn't quite hear the details of the importance of the gap at the top of the barrel etc. I will listen again. How important is the width of the barrell to that of the fire tower? So far I can only find really big barrels😮. Brilliant video and thank you.

[@mistressphoenix9314]

Is it possible to use kenaf with the stove. I have heard it burns a bit cleaner and it's quicker to grow etc. I have been thinking heavily on getting some seeds and trying it out myself.

[@the1969info]

could you create this same situation without the barrel, and bury the 8 inch pipe 12 inches underground underneath a house. with the crawlspaces sealed up couldnt the radiant heat keep my house very warm if I have a well insulated home?. I am willing to try this in warmer weather but would love your experienced opinion on the matter.

[@christschool]

Was this audio recorded with a potato?

[@zakmclaughlin8450]

anal much?

[@klaterbug66]

christschool hahaha fucking potatoe got a good laugh out of that

[@northwoodsnest2068]

christschool 😂😂😂😂😂DYING

[@Curttttttt]

Lol, thank you

[@audiokees4045]

He has swallow his mike, and it is stuck in his troat.

[@ruggedtraditions]

Anxiously awaiting the follow up video.

[@paulwheaton]

If you can give me an idea of what part you didn't understand, I will try to help.

[@paulwheaton]

keep in mind that plants take up CO2 in the daytime only. At night, they need 02. Also keep in mind that if a RMH is taking in air from a place that is filling with exhaust, soon the fire will go out from lack of 02 - leaving unburned dangerousness. Finally, keep in mind that the studies showing improved growth are with just a pinch of added CO2, not a depletion of 02 and an ocean of CO2.

[@TheBushdoctor68]

Very nice! How do you get the ashes out of the burner?

[@paulwheaton]

FYI ... "eawisner" is .... well I was gonna say "Ernie Wisner, the star of the show", but now that I think about it, it could be "Erica Wisner" the star of the previous RMH workshop video and the co-instructor for this work shop.

[@Idea_generater]

have you taken into consideration condensation that would lead to congestion of pipes?

[@GreenshireEcoFarm]

I just thought of this question at this very moment in time... Would one be able to load it up with wood before bed and have it still producing heat by the morning? Or is there enough residual heat stored by the thermal mass to carry plants through the night despite lack of fire?

[@jimmartin243]

Why not use the water vapor condensed from the mass rocket heater to feed the green house while heating it?

[@paulwheaton]

thanks to my patreon peeps for getting my youtube engine running again www.patreon.com/pwvids

[@caveatemp]

I love this design. Do you need special bricks for the burning chamber?

[@DeadlyDad]

Quick question: Seeing as how, at operating temperature, the exhaust is mostly comprised of warm, moist air and CO2, is there any reason not to put a T on the outlet and return the exhaust to the greenhouse once the heater is up to temp? It seems to me that the plants would certainly appreciate that kind of atmosphere. I understand that a fresh air intake directed at the inlet would be needed to maintain O2 levels.

[@keithbegin308]

It's been 5 years. I'm most interested in the pro/cons of this RMH. How did it hold up? Time for a 5 years in review video. I've been all over permies.com. There's not enough video content regarding greenhouse heating. Thanks in advance!!

[@donovanladner5270]

Usually 1 of 2 outcomes: 1. The client has stopped using it because it requires way more work and effort than return. OR 2. The client keeps on with their expensive but fun hobby. Replacing and fixing everything that doesn't work. In order to get a dozen tomatoes a week. (I buy a dozen tomatoes for about $2) - Paul Wheaton himself insists that you should never use a metal riser yet that is what they do here. - Metal tubes in the ground are going to rust - Rocket heaters require some one to add more wood every 15 minutes. - You will need to buy and split wood to feed this heater And the list goes on

[@tap80843]

did it work? Did any issues come up that you didn't anticipate?

[@paulwheaton]

Yes, burn one fast, hot fire at night and the heat from that fire will last for days!

[@wheelori814]

i wonder if you could use the same loop system and thermal mass with something like the solar heaters using cans painted black. Im not sure what that is called except solar heaters lol.

[@AuburnCreed]

Great video. The whole bit about "making tea" seems a bit of a non-seqitur, but I suppose it made sense to the group at the site in context to conversations we youtubers were not privy to.

[@paulwheaton]

The editing did take an awful long time. And now that I look at the final product, I have spotted a few places that could use still a little more trimming. I think one burn would be about a half hour. And the heat from that should last for days.

[@jackd.ripper7613]

How do avoid creosote problems in the heat exchange pipes/exhaust?

[@paulwheaton]

creosote is fully burned in the heat riser.