How To Heat A Greenhouse For FREE

This video details the two primary ways I heat my hugelkultur greenhouse using fire and the ambient heat from the ground.
Watch the build video: • How To Make A Hugelkul...
I make a rudimentary mass heater to heat the greenhouse with fire. The primitive furnace will be fired with waste wood from the construction of my home and the limbs that fall from the large oak tree in my yard. The idea is a riff off of Primitive Technology's floor-heating-fireplace is his tiled roof hut video on KZbin. Check it out • Primitive Technology: ...
The greenhouse will also be heated with ambient warmth from the ground. The 4-inch plastic pipe will snake through a hugelkultur bed outside the greenhouse to pick up heat from the ground which will rise up the inclined pipe into the greenhouse, while allowing cold air to flow out. It is a sort of poor man's geothermal.
Once the furnace is fully tested and the greenhouse completely sealed, I plan to do some thermal camera tests on both the furnace and earth air mechanisms.
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[@sinksalot8860]

Some people call the things we do mistakes. I call it learning. I learn everyday. My greenhouse project is a design build and learning experience as I go. It is also fun! Enjoying you vids!

[@GreenShortzDIY]

I fully agree with you on the learning angle. I also believe in putting out the videos that don’t turn out as expected, so others can benefit from the process. Thanks for the encouragement. Thanks for watching.

[@robinburkey2466]

Years ago the mother earth news had an article about a Frenchman who made BIG piles of leaves with coils of black plastic pipe inside. He heated his home with the heat from the decomposition of the leaves. I really like your version of just letting the leaf pile heat be on the building! Very passive, super simple. Nice job! Thank you for sharing.

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Thank you Robin. I need to get that Hugelkultur bed finished and get a good temperature reading. Thanks for watching.

[@DrCorvid]

That's Jean Pain, the Frenchman into wood chips and heating with compost...they teach building soil with shredded ramial wood now in Laval and McGill universities in Quebec Canada, agronomy studies using bois raméal fragmenté.

[@helengren9349]

Plastic that is heat resistant... 🤔

[@keithandrew3079]

What version of mother earth news was it? I have some back issues and would love to find it regards keith in New Zealand cheers

[@dickburns9200]

When you build a form you can brush it with used motor oil or any waste cooking oil and your concrete will not adhere to the form so you don't have to worry about breaking your finished product.

[@GreenShortzDIY]

I’m definitely going to use an oil release. Thanks for watching.

[@stevesmith7560]

I agree with David, with some additional information. There are 3 foundational aspects of fire, heat, fuel, and retention. You have all 3 and it was a good build, but the power of induction is often overlooked. The fact that the smoke was choosing to come out of your fire box shows that you actually built a reverse system. Your chimney is acting as the air feed instead. Increase the angle of elevation or shorten the distance of your chimney. You could also warm your chimney to stimulate the flow of heat. As heat rises it causes a draw and will pull air, smoke, and heat. The hotter the path gets from the firebox the greater the inductive force. If you use a fan to keep fire going, you might as well use an electric heater and not bother with a fire. You are over complicating it for yourself. Hope this helps.

[@derbersdiscoveries5938]

It has been cold in Northern Illinois for over 6 months I've been watching your videos vicariously living outside in the backyard

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Ha! I know your winters Derber. I went to Wheaton College and lived in Chicago for three years afterwards. Moved to Georgia in mostly for family, but the long winters too. Will always love Chicago. Spring is coming my friend.

[@derbersdiscoveries5938]

I'm in Carol Stream right next to Wheaton. Small world.

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Wow! Cool. I spent a lot of time in Carol Stream at Denny’s and the ice rink where our hockey team played. This was 25 years ago. Is that place still there?

[@derbersdiscoveries5938]

GreenShortz DIY the rink is but, the restaurants have changed. Brown's chicken is still there lol. I think their building hasn't changed a bit in 25 years either.

[@chuckkottke]

Grandpa’s greeenhouse! European-style, cool!! In Grandpa’s design, he had a T at the end where the stovepipe comes up, so he could induce a draft by starting a little kindling fire in the T at the far end - keeps the smoke moving in the right direction upon startup. Grates were leftover coal stove grates, I like your home-made grates! Pretty cool!! Thanks for sharing the video. Warm earth keeps the heat banked, gentle heat...

[@catgynt9148]

Just Stumbled on this series and have yet to view part 2. I was surprised that you didn’t drill a wood screw into each wood plug. You could have used a piece of board an a claw hammer to remove the plugs. Yours is an interesting journey. Did you add a sprinkle of yeast to your compost beds to encourage growth and warmth? Wishing you and your family a happy new year. Peace brother.

[@jennings69]

suggestion, screens over your vent pipes to keep the critters out. sweet project.

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Thanks Lane. Great suggestion. I’ll be adding the screens. That pipe would be varmit heaven. :-) Thanks for watching.

[@sunnyseacat6857]

Yes, heavy duty screens. Steel wool?

[@terrancetoll7003]

to get the draw going quicker, i would take a drill and drill out the centers of those pegs and then let them burn out the rest of the way on their own.

[@veefriend4201]

These projects are so cool.

[@jomichael1060]

People who try to solve problems instead of crying are my heros. 👍✌️ You got my attention keep doing what is good in helping others.

[@SLFYSH]

It’s nice to use natural physical laws to heat and cool, rather than working against nature. However, With no screen over either end of the tube, you’ve found a great way to feed rats directly into your greenhouse.

[@aaronlohr8477]

Ahhh, nature’s way.

[@hectorperez7655]

if you warm up the chimney first it will work best, the chimney conduit will be hot already and will help you out with the back draft a lot. also try to keep as much chimney conduit inside. Great idea over all, I really like it.

[@travelingkaspersworld4096]

Such a cool name for a channel.

[@wulfclaw4921]

Awesome thought and application. I used OBC for a while and then went to FM (Freak'n Magical)😉 Great work, man!

[@Seafariireland]

Looking good!

[@petesingh292]

You said something about fan to pull hot air into green house , great idea. My occupation here in Ca heating & air . Try installing inducer motor at the end of the exhaust pipe see if it does the job

[@_dave4460]

with all that georgia red, you could have made the stove and piping! i’ve been looking for cheaper ways to heat my greenhouses for decades. thanks for sharing this idea; whatever tweeks it may need, you’re well on the way... green thumbs up!

[@watermelonlalala]

I thought greenhouses would keep themselves warm by the sun and the glass.

[@keithandrew3079]

Great video well presented I have just found it here in New Zealand I have subscribed and look forward to see how you got on thanks for sharing from keith in NZ 😊

[@CaptCutler]

Hahaha, the dad bit came right as I was mentally correcting you about calling curing concrete "cement". Once you add the aggregate and water to cement, you get concrete.

[@mufama9995]

Thanks for your video. I am so happy to say hello as Korean.

[@catfunksfabulousfinds]

It's a lot warmer in Georgia than here in Oregon. Here you would be spending all your time feeding twigs to that tiny box to keep it warm. It's a great idea, just need a larger scale in the northern states. With added air flow won't those twigs burn up fast?

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Hi Cat. You are right about the scale. The smaller sticks and twigs are consumed quickly. To make this work in an Oregon setting, it would need to be bigger and designed more like a true rocket stove or rocket mass heater. Check out Paul Wheaton’s videos on rocket mass heaters. He’s the guru. Thanks for watching.

[@harrymills2770]

@@GreenShortzDIY I'm not sure the size of the firebox is all that important, nor the size of the fuel you feed it. In Georgia, especially, but just about anywhere, you wouldn't have to run that thing very long to get things heated up, and then it would give heat for hours. It would have to be pretty darn cold for a pretty long time for you to need it at all, in Georgia. I think it's smart to build it in such a way that you can tear it all down and experiment. I see a LOT of these greenhouse builds where people end up putting electric heaters in the things, and if YOU'RE the one building it, the most efficient, low-tech system would be rocket-mass-heater (RMH) system. You don't want and you don't need it to put off much smoke, and you want as efficient burning as possible.

[@stevenrobertson4470]

One thing you might try, it seems to me that it might be a good idea to insulated your vertical heat riser (smoke stack) to get a good draw going. If you lose too much heat through your single walled duct your combustion products will cool and you won't get the strong draw up the stack.

[@fiskfarm]

Insulated chimney pipe is a must for a proper draw. Grab them at yardsales when you see them.

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Thanks for the suggestion Fisk. I'll keep an eye out for a yard sale deal. Thanks for watching.

[@lemonbalm2604]

that dirt is so colorful and interesting!

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Ha! We love our Georgia clay. The red color is due to it being rich in iron oxide. Though, it can stain white clothing. :-) Thanks for watching.

[@cw4608]

@@GreenShortzDIY aha, I was thinking Oklahoma.

[@sapulpaorganics5402]

tap your concrete form to vibrate the concrete, this will remove air pockets. Also use a lubricant like diesel fuel, or motor oil as a release agent on the pegs and wood form, they will pop right off very easily You get some crazy sounds when speeding up the video NO FAN....use a door on the front with a damper or use the holes in the bottom as a damper. ALSO raise the stove pipe higher and cap it to keep rain out, the higher your stove pipe, the better draw you will have

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Good suggestions Herr Blitz. I’ve gotten a few comments about a door with a damper mechanism and diesel or oil as a form release. I’ll be making a door for this stove at some point. And I’ll be using a mold release for future concrete forming projects. Thanks for watching.

[@brasilnut9586]

Please note that diesel and oils are accelerants for setting concrete as is salt. Part of the reason for the initial poor draw, could be due to; the long horizontal section of pipe, the pipe and flue being cold and need to warm for a better draw and the vertical flue section maybe too short. Hope this is useful info:)

[@harrymills2770]

Yeah, I'm not sure what the exact ratio is, but the more you go horizontal, the more you want to go up. I also thought about using a regular chimney with a bypass/diverter/flapper valve that would have superior draw, and start diverting the gases into your mass more gradually, until that part of the unit warmed up and the mass-heat part drive itself.

[@cap_n_munch3139]

How'd it turn out?? Please update us! I live in a MUCH colder state and this would be extremely helpful if all the kinks were worked out. Lol

[@GreenShortzDIY]

In the end, this didn’t work. I think the ground just soaked up the heat and didn’t really dissipate it into the greenhouse. However, I think the trench does a great job keeping the greenhouse warmer than the outside air. One method using a furnace like this would be to use it to heat a barrel of water inside the greenhouse. The water soaks up heat really well and releases it slowly. I’ve seen a KZbin video where someone does this. If i were to do this again, I’d do the trench with a water heat sink, fired with a copper coil in a rocket stove. I do have a video where I make a Cobb rocket stove water heater. That could be adapted to warm a barrel of water. Thank you for watching.

[@cap_n_munch3139]

@@GreenShortzDIY thank you for your informative answer. I'm going to put some more thought into it and continue my research. Hopefully i can figure something out before winter. Haha.

[@anomikaanderson4583]

The clay!!!!! I'm so jealous.

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Love the clay here. :-) Fun to make stuff with. Thanks for watching.

[@aparecidomiranda6637]

👍👍🇧🇷 Parabéns

[@foottv5134]

I like your idea and great video. It just seems like you really took the long road around on that project.

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Thank you Frank. And you are correct, I did take the long road. My approach is somewhat intuitive, which usually takes me the scenic route, but for me that is enjoyable...but it does make for longer videos. Thanks for watching.

[@Sa1d1n]

Have you thought about possibly putting a door in front of the actual fire once the plugs are burned through? That will also improve your draw. Also, it might be an idea to put some sort of variable restrictor on your air intake. My thinking is that you may want to reduce the air flow for a slow burn during nights. Anyway, cool project and thanks for sharing :).

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Rene, yes. I was going to add a door when I did my rebuild video, but it was getting long and I was running out of daylight. I have a particular design for a door in mind with a variable draft control. I’ll do an update video at some point once I’ve worked out the details. Thanks for the feedback.

[@aaronlohr8477]

Doors are not permaculture.

[@whatisgoingonineedtoknow.]

Any fire in a cold winter always looks so inviting no matter what it's for.

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Yes. I could watch this rocket stove just burn for hours. Very mesmerizing. Thanks for watching.

[@GreenShortzDIY]

...well, that is an exception.

[@davidmay3504]

Ok, I haven't read all the comments cause it's after 1 in the morning, but I have some ideas for your firebox. And yes, I realize that this video is more than 9 months old and you probably can't use what I'm gonna tell you, but here it is anyway, just in case. Keep all the bends in the chimney to a very gentle, sweeping curve and down to an absolute minimum. That way you don't restrict your momentum of your air. Think fluid dynamics. Also, a longer pipe gives you more negative inertia as it moves, so you will want at least 6 or 8 feet of straight pipe as your chimney. And one last thing, I couldn't really see, but it looks like the chimney and the firebox are both outside your greenhouse, just on different sides. You could gain a lot of waste heat from your pipe as it exits if it's majority is inside your greenhouse and it exits through the roof. Those are my suggestions from my time working on gas furnaces and water heaters. Good luck.

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Hi David. Thanks for the great feedback and suggestions. I always like hearing from people who have made a career of what I am attempting to make. I agree with your assessment on the heat gain. However, I was concerned about the hot pipe passing through the plastic roof. I will apply your insights to my next build. I'm afraid this furnace might be toast. When I lit it again, I got very little smoke out of the chimney, with wisps rising up through the bed inside the greenhouse. I think my smoke channel may have collapsed. It might dig it out and put a pipe in place. If I end up doing that, I'll implement your suggestions. Thanks for watching.

[@wendyknoxleet]

David May r

[@pattigoebel3136]

Anytime you try to pipe smoke sideways you get a lot of creosote build up. I would avoid doing that altogether, or at least make certain you are using very dry wood and plan on having a way to chimney sweep the horizontal runs frequently.

[@davidmay3504]

@@pattigoebel3136 I agree with that. My example of waste heat from the chimney was a propane burner and a lot of chimney pipe that had a small amount of rise over a long pipe and it wound up to the roof on one side of the shop my dad used to work in. That thing would run you out in no time, and it was a drafty shop. It makes sense that it wouldn't build up much suit cause it was burning propane. I really didn't think about that. But wood, on the other hand, would be more like a fireplace. But they still capture waste heat from those as well. My causin has one, even though they use straight vertical chimneys. The gas furnaces I've worked on use vertical chimneys also, cause the heat exchangers have the curves and bends that capture the heat. You could use a chimney that's not vertical, but you probably would have to treat it like a fireplace and burn a really hot fire every so often to clean it out and only use low tar wood like hardwood, etc. I concur with you.

[@tammipineda4121]

Great idea!!! And great work!!

[@leashfreak3023]

That little yellow foam ball is a great cat toy ( 6:47 )

[@kathylord7939]

Wow you are awesome and this series is very interesting. I love the way you use so many recycled materials, that is My Thing also. Great blog

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Thank you for watching Kathy. I appreciate the feedback. Thanks for being green as well. :-)

[@austinmesta9862]

Part of the reason for aggregate is for the silica which binds with the slaked lime. Portland cement is strong all on its own so I'd guess it has a source of powdered silica in it already by design.

[@TheCyberRebel]

Don't let it get to hot. That vent pipe you used will melt quite easily. You need black stove pipe. Too get proper draw you need twice the vertical pipe as your horizontal. Block the opening in the front to force the exhaust out the pipe. Once the pipes are heated the block on the front can be removed.

[@savoy6100]

wonderful. it took us a few lost vegies before we figured it out . Enjoy all of your delicious vegies.

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Thanks Zenda. I made some modifications to the furnace yesterday. New video this Friday. Veggies planted and hopefully I’ll have some spouts soon. Thanks for watching.

[@joejoebus8814]

Havn't seen any other of your videos but it u turn stove around and use it like a rocket stove i thing would work better. just my idea. thanks for sharing.

[@GreenShortzDIY]

You're correct on what would make this function better. This was a bit of a hack build. Sometimes I like going the intuitive route, which doesn't follow directions. lol. There are some good formulas for building rocket stove concepts like this. I'll likely use the rules in the next build. Thanks for watching and for all the feedback.

[@jasonfoster9118]

I've done a lot of construction work and just want to say you've got good methods. I see a lot of cringe videos haha. The Dad lecture was classic 😂

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Thanks 👍 My dad got a kick out of it too. I appreciate the feedback! Thank you for watching.

[@kijungkim4801]

good

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Thank you. It was fun to make, but didn’t really work. Lol.

[@heindlwest]

Red clay has been difficult to work with by my experience, good work making the best of it. 🙂

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Thanks. By itself it is pretty temporary,, but using it as an ingredient in cob works great. I’ll end up rebuilding this rudimentary mass heater and will make it more permanent when I do. Thanks for the comment.

[@drrobotnikmeanbeanma]

It's a KZbin video I was watching called "No Electircity Needed Heater" she says using crisco makes the candles more efficient more effective.If that's possible you can save money.I will use bigger candles for that experiment and bigger flower pots.And put a metal tea pot filled with water on top with a vent over it with a fan to blow the steam.And carry some extra tea bags and some sugar and try using a metal pot that don't rust.You can Google pots that don't rust and it will give you the names of the pots that don't rust.

[@jonbravo8610]

Cool bricks i have some of those im from Greenup Co. Ky

[@Hannahcode1]

I think the size of the entire draw hole needs to be consistent with the size of the intake. Just a thought. Thanks for sharing, learning more than i knew before!

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Thanks Hannah. I’m pretty sure I’ll be tweaking the furnace. I appreciate the feedback and advice. Thanks for watching.

[@seattlesue178]

If you kept the Georgia clay as the insulation, would it eventually fire into terracotta?

[@drakeweddner]

At 800 degrees

[@smokeydabeecharlescoleman8365]

Raise the stack above the fence, it will draw. That is why building codes require vent above the roof peak.

[@zorantavcer2013]

This is free?

[@psycloptic_Cycosis]

you could increase draw by regulating your air-fuel mixture at the firebox opening with a piece of that concrete tile as a vent restriction. less fuel same heat. great video .

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Thanks for the suggestion, Damon. I’ve gotten a few that make a case for a vented door. Will have to make one. Thanks for watching.

[@RalphLaurant]

Tom.. Dad knows best.. but thank you for this video that you are the son that knows also..

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Indeed. My dad is a kind and wise man. He gets a kick out of my KZbin videos, so I like to bring him in when I can. We’ll be making a solar kiln for drying wood together this Spring. Thanks for the comment.

[@returdable]

rocket mass heater wouldforce a draw and burns clean

[@FeenixRyzeen]

RMH would have been an excellent option. Add lime to preserve it

[@anotherluckydad]

I hear gold has been found inside , or riding on top of that Georgia clay. Cool project.

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Yes. I’m keeping my eye out for nuggets. :-) in fact, the first US Gold rush was in North Georgia. I’ve been watching a lot of gold prospecting videos on KZbin lately. Dan Hurd and Pioneer Pauly are my favorites.

[@TwilightMysts]

Thoughts: Earth tubes need to be buried *at least* a foot under the ground, preferably 3 feet or more, depending on application. Have you considered using compost as heating? A good compost pile actually gets quite warm, though it only lasts for about 3 months. I won't even touch the stove. Though you probably fixed a lot of issues in follow-on videos (This was posted 7 months ago).

[@lloydcoleman5469]

That red clay makes me miss Georgia, the soil is not good but the land is great!

[@TheBaseShop]

what editing software did you use when making this? I really like your time lapse

[@mickerdoodle51]

add more chimney, to make more draft...

[@recyclebills]

Correct! Chimney should always be 3' taller than anything within 10' of the chimney. In other words, the chimney needs to be 36" taller than the fence next to it to achieve proper draw.

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Good idea. Thanks for the suggestion.

[@gloryanna365]

Yes on the taller chimney, and try burning balled up newspaper first to push the plug of cold air out the chimney. Fran

[@chadmckenzie4017]

And insulate the exhaust stack in needs to stay warm to draw properly 👍

[@frustratedfarmer1]

On the mixture, you used for the firebox, did you use cement and perlite or concrete mix and perlite? The reason I'm a wee bit confused is you used both terms in your monologue. Many thanks, I am impressed.

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Ha. Sorry for the confusion. I tried to remind myself to say cement and perlite, but often used concrete. It was just cement with the perlite. Thank you for the kudos and for watching.

[@chrislangdell117]

You have a few issues. Your chimney isnt tall enough to create a draft. Its not getting hot enough. You can preheat the chimney by stuffing news paper down the top of the chimney then light it and let it burn. Then start your fire in the fire box. I'm not so sure about your side draft rocket mass heater adaptation. Its cool but not usually the way they are built.

[@theconstitutionalconservative1]

Wow someone must have given you a lot of free tools and supplies. Looks very free to me. They drop off free wood too?

[@GreenShortzDIY]

My trust fund pays for everything. :-) Joking, of course. Lots of hidden costs here, as you’ve noted. I was referring to the free fuel used to heat the greenhouse. The big oak in my backyard does, in fact, drop free wood for me. Actually, this little furnace didn’t work like I thought it would, but it was a fun experiment. Thank you for watching.

[@theconstitutionalconservative1]

@@GreenShortzDIY I was just busting your chops. I think your videos are great man. Watched plenty.

[@GreenShortzDIY]

@@theconstitutionalconservative1 No worries. I always look for the elements of truth in the quality sarcasm. Lol. Thank you for the reply. This video has gotten its fair amount of grief for “FREE” in the title. :-)

[@timothykeith1367]

Reminds me of the ancient Korean ondol underfloor heating.

[@michaelripperger5674]

Did you pack wood around the chimney flue ? Not sure how safe that is

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Hi Michael. It is actually concrete siding. Still I'll be monitoring that as well. What I've seen so far is that the metal chimney doesn't get too hot. I'm hoping that the mass of clay and the bed inside the greenhouse absorbs most of the heat. Will be watching closely. Thanks for the feedback and for watching.

[@Carl4193]

loved the train sounds

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Me too. The train went by my grandparents’ home. It was always a happy sound for me. I love that I live near a train now. That’s why I leave them in my videos. Thanks for the comment and for watching.

[@RussellBallestrini]

I think you should have at least tried to drill out the plugs a bit. Looking forward to an update! Great video!

[@GreenShortzDIY]

True. I was thinking I’d have to go back and do that, but the plugs are sliding out pretty easily. At least the few I could get to. They were just cut from the tree before i used them, so they fire was able to remove a lot of moisture. I’m thinking that shrinkage helped make then easy to remove. I plan to dissemble the furnace to get at the rest of the plugs and redo the connection to the greenhouse. Thanks for watching.

[@diytwoincollege7079]

Go get a brisket for that homemade smoker. 😁🍺

[@PracticalModernHomestead]

New sub here...just found your channel.

[@ProjectDORTON]

Great idea

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Thank you! Thanks for watching.

[@jeffavery5278]

i commend you for trying/doing(words of jimmy stewart/shannondoah-if we don't try we don't do,and if we don't do,then what are we here for)...but the simplest designs are usually the best..........I DO LOVE YOUR EFFORT AND WORK ETHIC....keep it up brother,,,,you'll keep tweaking your design till you get it perfect......GOD BLESS ps.i watched your simple worm pipe in garden-LOVED it.watched it right after i realized why dropped corn seeds were growing in compacted clay with no attendance----my bsf composter is setting near by and leaching into the ground(HAPPY ACCIDENT,words of bob ross)

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Thanks for the good words Jeff and thanks for watching. A friend of mine was wearing a Bob Ross shirt today. It's amazing how his positive approach to life and art is still relevant today. We all need to be a little more Rossy. :-)

[@jeffavery5278]

@@GreenShortzDIY i like it(lil more rossy)chuckle

[@satixaxr4385]

Put an exhaust fan on it and it’ll make it so much better but great job really well made (Make It off grid add a solar panel and a battery to run the exhaust

[@richardmethot7195]

If I was your neighbor I would be pissed at that smoke coming at that height, make your chimney taller. Your draw will be better once the dowels are burned out, but the air pressure so low to the ground with the air temp difference will clog, once the fire is burning and the fire sides are warmed and the chimney path has all the cool air removed it should draw much easier, what your experiencing is down draft, which happens with air differentials in temp. You could prime your entire path easily with a small propane torch you could blow into the fire box for about a min, that would purge the heavy cool air out the other end.

[@GreenShortzDIY]

I see your point. Thankfully my neighbor is pretty cool. That doesn’t change the issue with the smoke in the corner. I actually rebuilt this rocket furnace in this week’s video. It will up Friday. The draft is much better with a slightly bigger firebox and insulated concrete body. The dowels are our and that helps too. Thanks for the feedback. By the way, my neighbor has a cameo in the second half of part 2 of the greenhouse build. Thanks for watching.

[@richardmethot7195]

All good man your lucky good neighbors are so rare.

[@sapulpaorganics5402]

WHAT?? Have you ever used a wood stove??? All he needs is a door on the front of the stove and a small damper, or the holes in the bottom will work as well. After you start the stove just close the door and it will work just fine AFTER you make the stove pipe higher for better draft. Your pipe should be at least over the top of the fence, even higher is better, then cap it to keep rain out

[@matthewmilan1646]

i was so excited to see one of these in action this video was way too long

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Ha. Probably so. The videos where I’m figuring things out as I go, tend to be longer. This furnace didn’t work like I thought it would. I ended up tearing it out when I rebuilt the green house. It was a fun experiment. Thank you for watching, in spite of the long video.

[@lemonbalm2604]

any recommendations for getting the worms? i built them a nice two room house and ordeedr some worms. followed the instructions exactly and when i stopped in for a visit the next day they had all moved away with no forwarding address. that was several years ago and i think i am over the mope and disappointment and may try them again from a different source.

[@mydanishgarden3112]

It's basically how the Romans heated their villas 2000 years ago. It's worth looking at their designs, they lost a few villas through fire from their underfloor systems, so it's worth being careful. I'm up for trying this, great idea.

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Hi Johnny. I didn’t see much heat transfer to the interior. And the heat tunnel collapsed in the course of the year. I plan to refit the greenhouse heat system using a hot water coil and a better thermal mass. Thanks for the info on the Romans. I’ll have to research their designs. Thanks for watching.

[@crazysquirrel9425]

You installed your piping backwards. The corrugations will leak smoke and such the way you have them. Not only a problem if they leak inside of a desired area but they can reduce the draw effect. Also, you built a rocket stove/heater. To make it easier to use make a 'K' type design so it is self feeding and you won't have to kneel down to feed it. In my experience I had to 'prime' my discharge pipe with sticks to initially start the draft by heating up the flue pipe. And using an uninsulated pipe cools down those flue gasses too much and reduces the draw. There is a ratio of the size of the input/opening to the size of the output pipe but I can't recall what it was at the moment. I think it was something like 1:3 or 1:5 input/output. Both input area and output area (diameters if you will) should be the same size. Small input and big output can slow the draw effect. If output pipe is too short not enough draw. If too long flue gasses cool down too much and not enough draw.

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Thanks for the feedback. This project was pretty experimental and no so planned. :-) It didn’t really perform like I was thinking. You touched on a lot of the issues...I appreciate the feedback. I think if I did this one again, I’d use a simple rocket stove with a copper coil, heating a mass of water to capture the heat and slowly release it in the greenhouse. Or make a proper rocket mass heater. Thanks for the feedback and for watching.

[@crazysquirrel9425]

@@GreenShortzDIY You're very welcome. Your design can work if you used enough piping. And maybe cover it with cob. There is another way that uses a hollow pipe and a Sweedish stove (log) that heats a tent safely. It is on youtube.

[@SchoolforHackers]

I’m years late to this, but as a former installer I have to note that putting the male end of the pipe down is CORRECT. Your worry will be about creosote dripping down and out of a female end that’s downward. Smoke won’t leak out with a proper draw; air will instead be sucked in. So male end down is always correct.

[@akbychoice]

Seems that drilling the center of the wooden lugs would help speed up their removal from the cement.

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Agreed. That would have helped. Thank you for watching.

[@russellsmith8609]

If you were to add a small flame just above the elbow that the final chimney section slides into, it would burn the smoke coming out. This would accelerate the exhaust and the draw as well as eliminate the smoke. You would only need it until the system came up to operating temperature. It does not need to be a blow torch, think more like a pilot light to ignite the smoke. By burning the smoke the whole system will be more efficient. Good luck on this.

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Thanks for the suggestion Russel. I was able to get the furnace to draft today. I think it may have just needed a hotter fire when it was drafting well, there was virtually no smoke. Definitely better combustion than my last try. Thanks for watching.

[@Beinhartwie1chopper]

Reminds me of when i build vulcanos as a 6 y old

[@GreenShortzDIY]

We are of the same kind, HH. :-) I was always playing in the mud. Thanks for watching.

[@mk1computron68]

Not sure if path of least resistance applies here, maybe you can try cover up the firebox loosely with some bricks, then most likely the smoke will go through the chimey.

[@GreenShortzDIY]

A good suggestion. I am definitely going to rebuild this firebox and the connection to the chimney. I’ll likely use the concrete - perlite mixture I used for the hearth. It did start drawing better once I got a hot fire going.

[@user-nt2fy8nr6x]

한국어라니?! 신기하네요ㅎ😀😀

[@johnwilliamson4231]

Should have drilled small holes in dowels for air flow to begin with

[@monkeytrainer8135]

Is the purpose of the rocket fire part just to draw the hot air generated by the thermophilic bacteria in the hugelkultur bed? Does removing that heat make it so the pathogens are not destroyed? I thought destroying pathogens was the reason hot composting is so worthwhile.

[@GreenShortzDIY]

I wasn’t thinking that direction, but I understand what you are getting at. My thought was that the heat would be stored in the mass of soil and then radiate into the greenhouse. In the end, this didn’t do that. I saw very little heat increase from this. After 6 months or so the chimney channel in the soil collapsed and I tore out the furnace. It was a fun project, but I learned more about what not to do. Thank you for your feedback. Thank you for watching.

[@liefdegator1]

I also feel the need to correct that cement is not drying but that it is setting. that its a chemical proces. ha ha always followed by roling eyes. Will the fire be going all winter or only when the temperature dips below freezing?

[@GreenShortzDIY]

:-) I think I’ll just use the fire as needed even though my pyro-self may want to burn it more. The inside of the greenhouse has a 3.5 foot deep trench, which will provide some ambient heat as well as the earth air tube. I’ve got to seal up the greenhouse before I can get a true temperature reading. Thanks for watching.

[@anthonygabriel1937]

I do think your design is smart.I think your draw problem will be gone once they burn out...ty for sharing ...You went through all the trouble to build and barry the thing that you should have used copper tubing instead of plugs or if your goal is to be greener then you could have used a simple drill and wood bit to open them up some before you set it in place..

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Agreed. Pipe forms would have worked well also. The plugs came out pretty easily (this week’s video). I only had to knock out a couple, but they gave out without much trouble. I did also modify the firebox to make it a little bigger and rebuilt the body of the furnace with insulated concrete. Check it out. Thanks for watching.

[@HoopMarvel]

bury

[@ambercypcar1471]

That sure is a lot of materials for free

[@GreenShortzDIY]

OK Amber...you're right. I did pay for materials, but the fuel is free...for now. :-) Thanks for watching and...yes...thank you for calling me out.

[@stevesmith8854]

A little taller chimney may help it draw harder...

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Thanks for the suggestion, Steve. I may give extending the chimney a try. Also may try a custom roof for the fire box to allow for more wood volume. It was a lot smaller than I imagined. I definitely think I’ll be tweaking this one. Thanks for watching.

[@seek2find]

I agree, you need more chimney to help burn the plugs etc

[@sparklita1]

Absolutely, just taller than the fence next to it and that should do it

[@DylanC78]

the chimney has to be twice the height of the length of the horizontal bits.

[@roberthatfield8966]

Also, if you paint the chimney black, it should draw from being warmed by the sunlight. It works well with outhouse tank exhausts which are designed to remove smell.

[@Dream42000]

If you set up a fan then you should set up a windmill fan for the fire box so you don't need electricity but the wind force will be multiplied. So

[@GreenShortzDIY]

That is an interesting idea. Thanks for sharing.

[@keithwebb4976]

how about just building a Woodstove

[@vincenthamilton2828]

The best: Your dad's comment

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Thanks Vincent. Can you tell he loved doing that clip? :-) I loved being able to include his wisdom in my video.

[@Blurko17]

If you wrap, the little wooden sticks, in plastic then you wouldn´t have any problems taking then out of the cement !!!

[@agn855]

Any idea why he isn't using a (Jean Pain) compost heating system instead??

[@GreenShortzDIY]

He likes to burn stuff. :-) Actually, I'd love to hear more about the method you are talking about. Thanks for watching.

[@richr7604]

Is your firebox located outside the greenhouse??

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Yes. I didn’t want any combustion air inside. Especially given that this a pretty primitive furnace. Thanks for watching.

[@zates2272]

nice

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Thanks for watching, Zates.

[@fredfrond6148]

Be careful. Dryer hose is a little too flimsy for burying. Plus it is not water tight. Also it will tend to float in the dirt.

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Thanks for the feedback Fred. This application will only channel air, but I’ll keep an eye on it. Thanks for watching.

[@cathrynmartin4395]

Why not just make a mass rocket heater for the greenhouse? Seems it would have been easier. Lots of videos on how to create one and the mass area could be used as a heated seed sprouting area for early spring, but any plants that need warmth during winter would benefit from the warmth radiated from the mass of the rocket heater.

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Yeah. That would have been a better option. This was fun to make, but ultimately an ill-fated project. Thank you for the feedback.

[@yassinouchnan9838]

I thought now in this video I could follow your mind project and understand much better what I see but nop. I'm not at all good for this building things but now I know that I'm not good to understand too BUT I love watching you doing it. It's like watching a very good crime movie, when you think every 10 minutes you find the killer and you're wrong until the end. It's magic. Thank you. Bon courage.

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Thank you for watching and for the encouragement. Merci mon ami!

[@yassinouchnan9838]

Thank you. Today it's raining in Paris so, time for watching more videos of my crazy genius friend from America 😀👍🏻

[@garcianet1]

freind, always cover your tubes with paper to prevent material to fall in normally little wet paper

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Thank you, Edgardo.

[@joannenardoni17]

That was incredible, you are brilliant !

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Thank you Joanne. Actually, I can’t take full credit for this design. I saw something similar on the Primitive Technology KZbin channel. Thanks for watching and for the compliment.

[@canucanoe2861]

You could avoid the time spent burning out the wood dowels by drilling them before setting up for the first fire. That way, the fire will pass through burning the scant remaining wood out much faster.

[@brasilnut9586]

You could have also used some reclaimed metal pipe and left it there:)

[@joejoebus8814]

A rocket stove would work well for your gh. Plenty of diys to make one if you don't know. Nice Work.

[@GreenShortzDIY]

Hi Joe. I think my second go at this performed a little better (check out today’s video). It actually has a little “rocket” sound to it, though it lacks all the true features of a rocket stove. I will build a true rocket stove sometime this year. I’ll complete research so I can be sure to do it 100% justice. Thanks for the feedback.

[@ichoosehope]

Where does the smoke from the fire go?