DIY - Discover a Powerful Way to Heat Your Home For Cheap with Wood Pellets and Without Electricity!

I live in a region where it can do -30 C in winter and +30 C in summer. About ten years ago , I demolished my two conventional wood fireplaces that I hardly use anymore. After some research, I opted for a masonry heater and more, further more using wood pellets. 

The reasons 

• My conventional wood fireplaces let through a lot of energy. 
• I no longer had enough wood on the property to provide sufficient wood needed to heat my home. And firewood purchase cost became prohibitive and not competitive. 
• I wanted to free myself from the task of logging, storage and handling. 

Why a masonry heater? 

After several searches on the Internet, I discovered that this heating technology exists since ancient times. It was used by the Romans and it is still widely used in Europe, the Nordic countries and the Asian countries. Devices using this technique are also known under the names kachelofen (Germany), kakelugn (Swedish), and petchka (Russia).  I was looking for a solution that would allow me to heat the whole house with the least intervention possible. 

What is a masonry heater? 

It is a heating apparatus consisting of heavy materials such as stone, concrete, refractory bricks which have the ability to accumulate a large amount of energy (heat). The charge of fuel required for one day is burned in a single high intensity fire and the accumulated heat is restored slowly over a period of 24 hours by radiation and convection.   

Choices. 

Getting a contractor to build it ? The cost varies between 20 000 and 30 000 CAD. 

Prefabricated modules? At that time, there were few manufacturers that offered this solution and size did not fit the available space. 

Then, having already built my house, I decided to get into the adventure. I looked at everything that was available on the Internet, prepared the plans, then gathered the materials to work. 

The structure and building. 

I chose a model with "contraflow" heart and structure of refractory bricks, concrete block cladding covered with stucco.  

 Images of http://www.pyromasse.ca/infof.html   

The results 

The fireplace has been is in operation for 8 years. 

I use it from the end of October to March. 

I need 20 pounds (9 kg) of pellets per day if temperature is less than 10 C, 40 pounds (18 kg) if temperature is over 10 C. 

• Considering the configuration of the house, the masonry heater answer 70% of my energy needs. 
• No sweeping is required, it is low maintenance, need no handling and ignition takes less than 5 minutes.   

The advantage of the granules. 

• Moisture content of 5%, with complete combustion, not creosote, less than 20 kg of ash per season. 
• The pellets are available in bags 40 pounds (18 kg) in building materials stores 
• and it is not necessary to store large quantities at once.