# Scandinavian Ceramic Woodburning Stoves



## Bkpkchck (Jul 21, 2010)

Does anyone use the Scandinavian Ceramic Woodburning Stoves? I love the look of them and supposedly they are more efficient than regular wood stoves and open fireplaces. Haven't really researched where they are available or prices yet. Wanted to see if anyone would rave about them or over them first.

I remember all too well growing up with just woodstove heat in the winter and the almost constant need to "feed the beast". I will do wood heat if I can find a way that allows more downtime. The big ceramic stoves are supposed to hold and distribute heat longer and more evenly.


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## used2bcool13 (Sep 24, 2007)

No idea but that is very pretty. I would love to know more about them.


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## Bkpkchck (Jul 21, 2010)

Sometimes called masonry heaters in the US from what I can tell. I'm googling it now.


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

That has a look of expensive . . . .

For those that can, and are starting from scratch, a Russian masonry stove is an excellent way to go . . . .they rely on massive "mass" to retain heat.

If the above "stove" has a ton of ceramic panels, it too would retain heat in the ceramic.
But by going with a 'Russian' you can collect a ton or so of local rock for cheap.


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## Bkpkchck (Jul 21, 2010)

Jim-mi said:


> That has a look of expensive . . . .
> 
> For those that can, and are starting from scratch, a Russian masonry stove is an excellent way to go . . . .they rely on massive "mass" to retain heat.
> 
> ...


I just used the first picture that came up, though the glazed ceramic ones do all look like they would be pricey. I will have to look into the Russian stoves. I am researching now so I can find out what kind of money I need to save to make it happen when I get my homestead. 

We want to go with wood but I want the most efficient wood heat possible (don't want an outside furnace).


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

Mass heaters regardless of the name all work the same.

Hot fast fire,mass absorbs bulk of heat, then slowly releases to Immediate area.

More mass more storage but slower to dissipate.

I got a partial slab in our pole barn as well as a small GreenHouse/Potting shed and I've been looking at a mass heater to take care of both.

My thought was something like a rocket stove(bigger) but rather then the heat riser being allowed to radiate heat to have it insulated, there by the heat would be pushed through the vent (placed below the slab,similar to the RMH) that way it can be out side of the structure.

As far as the shed, its not real big and I thought of extending it and doing something along the line of the HAHSA as the back wall, Insulate it with straw bails. then I can put a few of my 200 gallon fish tanks in the addition and keep everything warm with a evening fire and save on the propane.

My point with all that is there a variation on variations but principles always the same.

As far as most efficient your on the right track but your house should be equally as efficient.

We just have a small wood burner in the house but the walls are 6" thick and insulated well, its designed so the south side (with lots of windows) has more surface then the north side. Think of half a Barn.
That little wood burner with a couple logs and a good burn will cook us out, and as long as I through a log or two on the fire it stays warm with out a need to run the furnace up until the coldest of days.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

Although I have not found a way to avoid hourly trips to the stove when I start it up, eventually it does get to a point where the reburn can be used and keeping it up takes less wood feeding.
Maybe the newer wood stoves are a bit better than the ones you remember?


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## Pigeon Lady (Apr 4, 2004)

Just came across this step by step account of building a Russian stove:

http://www.pyromasse.ca/articles/75kmwest_e.html


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## artificer (Feb 26, 2007)

A good source of information about masonry heaters is the Masonry Heater Association. http://www.mha-net.org/ They have a plan portfolio that has course by course block layout for several of the heaters in the portfolio.

Unless the rules have changed in recent years, in the US you need two layers of masonry between the flame and living space. You only need one layer in Europe.

With the masonry heaters you fire it 1-3 times a day. Build a pile of wood of the appropriate size for the current temperature, and light it. Close the door, and wait untill it's done burning. In NC you would probably need to fire it once a day, unless you did two smaller burns each day.

Michael


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## MichaelZ (May 21, 2013)

Very nice looking! Efficiency is a function of how little heat goes up out your chimney and also how good of combustion you have. It is an energy balance - the wood has a given amount of energy when burned (fast or slow) and that energy goes in your home and up the chimney. Interesting that it burns wood fast and hot and then retains the heat to release slowly, thus causing less pollution (since perfect combustion results in CO2 and H2O) and sends less fuel (what makes creosote) up the chimney. They say exit gasses are under 200C, which would be 392F. My free standing fireplace sends out flu gas cooler than that cause I can usually put my hand on the stove pipe coming out the top. So they burn fuel more completely, but also send more heat up the chimney - perhaps a wash, but cleaner burning. See http://www.ceramicstove.com/wp/


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

Masonry stoves are very nice.

The idea of having a big thermal-mass to store heat and radiate it for many hours can make it into a very efficient method of home heating.

Since it is not a secondary combustion type of system it is not entirely efficient in terms of the combustion though.

Our woodstove sits in the center of our home and directly radiates heat into our home. It also heat water, which is then stored in a thermal-bank, and is circulated through our radiant floors. Heated floors is also a very efficient method of home heating.


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