Look Who it Was Random video

Rocket Mass Heater Myths: they are too ugly; they don't go with my couch/drapes/spouse

4,760 views · Published 26 November 2017 · 8:49 · Indexed 30 October 2026

Channel: paul wheaton · 2017 · Science & Technology

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http://richsoil.com/heat A typical concern about rocket mass heaters is the general look of them.  Barrels and mud are percieved by many to not go well with the drapes or the couch, or the spouse.  Ernie Wisner starts off suggesting that folks change the drapes, the couch and the spouse!  Peter van den Berg emphasizes that the barrel is optional.   

The barrel can be replaced with fabricated stuff that is barrel shaped.   And it doesn't even have to be round.  We can even eliminate barrel-like things entirely.  

While this video takes place in a shop with a rocket mass heater that was made for a shop, that doesn't mean that all rocket mass heaters have to look like this.

Adiel, of israel, is creating some exceptionally beautiful rocket mass heaters.

The pebble style rocket mass heaters tend to have no mud.  Some people start off drawn to the aesthetic of the pebble style and then warm up to the cob style.  

Ernie refers to some designs as "mud and rocks" which Erica corrects to "stone and earthen plasters."  Erica further points out that when you charge $100 per bucket for mud, it becomes "premium, natural, zero VOC earthen plaster."

Chris McClellan emphasizes that if you use a low cost barrel, you can afford a lot of other goodies to improve aesthetics.  Somehow, in Chris's world, a warmer house leads to fewer clothes which leads to prolonged marriage.

Kirk Mobert talks about how the barrel is a legacy to be able to cobble together a rocket mass heater for less than a hundred bucks.   Which is helped by the barrel coming from the waste stream.  Kirk mentions how the cost for a masonry stove starts at $10,000 and Peter is nodding in agreement.  Kirk's strategy seems to be that he can busk for three days to get the funds for the materials for a rocket mass heater. 

Erica Wisner talks about barrel alternatives vs a small amount of decoration on the barrel.

Kirk talks about a lot of aesthetics come at the expense of serving people less.  Good for pictures in magazines but nothing more.


More about rocket mass heaters in our DVD set at 

https://richsoil.com/wood-heat.jsp


http://permies.com

Thanks to Dan Ohmann of The Grass-fed Homestead channel for helping me with the editing:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc2ka-aGChwIiX0mEXzfmoA


Relevant stuff at permies:

https://permies.com/t/72557/rocket-mass-heater-myths
https://permies.com/f/260/rocket-mass-heaters
https://permies.com/wiki/63312/Rocket-Mass-Heater-Workshop-Jamboree

Permaculture Playing Cards
https://richsoil.com/cards.jsp

177 hours of Permaculture Design Course and Appropriate Technology Course
https://permies.com/pdc

Better Wood Heat: DIY Rocket Mass Heaters 4-DVD set
https://richsoil.com/wood-heat.jsp

Wood Burning Stove 2.0 4-DVD set
http://www.woodburningstoves2.com/

World Domination Gardening 3-DVD set
https://richsoil.com/wd-gardening.jsp

Permaculture Homestead Podcasts
https://permies.com/f/88/permaculture-podcast

Permaculture Design Course and Appropriate Technology Course
https://richsoil.com/pdc.jsp

Rocket Mass Heater Workshop Jamboree
https://richsoil.com/rmh-workshop.jsp

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music by Jimmy Pardo
http://permies.com/t/30796/Jimmy-Pardo


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