To start an update without bumping a dead thread (see ) I'll use this space to ask questions and post updates on my own RMH build.
Background:
We have an 864 sq ft basement that we are currently living in while we are building the house (debt free). My wife and have identified the area that we plan to build our heater, it is a space on the east wall that is approximately 9 feet wide and clear on either side for another 5-7 feet so I don't have to worry about accidental combustion. Our plan is to build sort of a Tabletop/bar instead of a bench since that current space houses a dining room table and this would allow us to put a flat top of some kind and bar stools and still use it as such. Based on calculations from Rocket Mass Heaters by Ianto Evans and Leslie Jackson that should give us roughly 5-6 ft of "bar space and 3-4 feet where the feed tube, burn tunnel and heat riser will be contained.
Some questions:
1) Would an 8" system be overkill?
2) I'm not sure if 6 feet doubled back on itself is enough to suck out all the heat from my 8" system?
3) I know the temperature should be a lot lower in the bench duct, which type of stove pipe do folks typically use? I figured I'd need black stove pipe for my "thimble" between the manifold (if thats the correct term) and the rest of the duct, but after that could I use HVAC duct or would I need to keep black stove pipe?
4) Have any of you ever attempted to cast the riser in 2 pieces (or 4 pieces) and then join it after drying on top of the cast core? Sort of like casting the riser in 30" X 4" "Bricks" and then wrapping them with rock wool, chicken wire, and perlite? Does that make sense?
Thanks guys, I'll try to keep this updated, We are probably a month and a half away from temps in the 30s F, maybe longer, but I'd like to have this thing up and going by November anyway.
PS I'm working on a drawing in sketchup, I'll post it when I'm done.
Thanks Matt, your recent foray into a PBerg batch heater is really "firing me up!"