Hearth/Radiant heat ideas?

[Eden]

hello again guys! I'm sure this may be covered somewhere, but I 5am having a hard time dredging through search and must be using the wrong terms. can anyone help me with either terms to try or ideas for materials to back my cubic mini cub fireplace with so that it will produce a safe passive heat and get the most heat per firewood?

I'd ideally like to use something pretty and minimal/ elegant, or anything reminiscent of like a traditional Japanese teahouse genkan (entry area) but I don't know how to find out what words of stones and materials have what qualities regarding absorbing and later releasing heat?

as a side note we do have kids, so staying warm is super important.. we were considering putting out up at counter height for easier cooking and to keep it out of the way, but we currently do have a GIGANTIC Ben Franklin replica stove and even the little one has a healthy respect for it and doesn't want to mess with it, can anyone tell me if it's much better to mount it closer to the ground to get more heat (heat rising and whatnot)? If it's not a substantial difference id rather mount it higher for safety and convenience.

also I read some threads here advising how to get it so hot that skin sticks to it, we would definitely NOT like that, so if anyone has tips on how to avoid or babyproof they can point us to, we'd be much obliged !

[BlackJohn]

I would keep it as low as possible so it won't tip if for some reason the bus got jarred or human error.
For the other issue, simple ceramic tile like that used for kitchen floors etc would work very easily and give you many design choices. I place a pizza stone on my top just to keep my birds off it and heat doesn't bother it plus you can warm food or cook on it too.
Maybe a total enclosure if your kids are young till they learn but do protect them in the event they get to close.

John

[Defjr333]

Not sure bout stone and what not, but this is the Cub version of what cubic mini included for free with my grizzly:
Heat Shield:
https://cubicminiwoodstoves.com/coll...ier-inoxydable

Thinking about this(pricey tho):
http://dickinsonmarine.com/product/h...obbing-system/

And bought this for the penetration of roof:
http://dickinsonmarine.com/product/s...et-dress-ring/
Doug

[Elma]

You are talking about a heat sink. Soapstone and water are traditionally used materials.
I would keep the stove low for a couple reasons
1. Airflow inside the bus
2. Chimney length
3. You could use a heat sink under the stove such as stone countertop remnants, or the aforementioned tile.

I would also suggest using a fan for air movement. I ended up running a 4inch pipe from floor level in the back bedroom to ceiling height near the stove with a 12volt computer fan inline to pull the cold air from the bedroom.

A fireplace screen would be good for keeping the little ones far enough away.

[ThunderstruckStudios]

Originally Posted by Eden

hello again guys! I'm sure this may be covered somewhere, but I 5am having a hard time dredging through search and must be using the wrong terms. can anyone help me with either terms to try or ideas for materials to back my cubic mini cub fireplace with so that it will produce a safe passive heat and get the most heat per firewood?

I'd ideally like to use something pretty and minimal/ elegant, or anything reminiscent of like a traditional Japanese teahouse genkan (entry area) but I don't know how to find out what words of stones and materials have what qualities regarding absorbing and later releasing heat?

as a side note we do have kids, so staying warm is super important.. we were considering putting out up at counter height for easier cooking and to keep it out of the way, but we currently do have a GIGANTIC Ben Franklin replica stove and even the little one has a healthy respect for it and doesn't want to mess with it, can anyone tell me if it's much better to mount it closer to the ground to get more heat (heat rising and whatnot)? If it's not a substantial difference id rather mount it higher for safety and convenience.

also I read some threads here advising how to get it so hot that skin sticks to it, we would definitely NOT like that, so if anyone has tips on how to avoid or babyproof they can point us to, we'd be much obliged !

Definitely +1 on the fan. Wood stoves get super hot, but the challenge is getting all of that heat off the stove and into the living space instead of up the chimney! I have a little one on my wood stove and even that makes a big difference.

You also want some thermal mass. The most common are bricks or water (i.e. hydronic thermal mass). These help "hold" the heat because they take a long time to heat up but then also don't cool down easily. For example, with no thermal mass, just the air inside is warm; when you open a window, all that hot air moves out quickly, and your heat is lost. With thermal mass, it takes much longer for temperature swings to occur.

Is your bus already built? Or could you pull the flooring up? If so, one of the most effective things you could do is install some hydronic heating like this. It essentially takes the heat from your wood stove and spreads throughout your bus, under the floor. Warm toes = happy campers.

[Eden]

Thanks so much everyone! Sorry I took so long to come back, we got hit with summer so sudden that it pushed cubic installation back until this year again lol.

Does anyone know if there is a place that shows the thermal absorption and redistribution rates of various materials? Or reflection for the metal things?

I guess I'm just curious if there is a major difference in efficiency so that I can narrow down the materials vs just picking what I think is the most pretty.

Am I understanding right that steel would reflect back to the heater and protect the walls moreso than carry the heat longer? Or is it kindof similar on comparison?

Main goal for us now is using materials that can most effectively extend the amount of time we can go between messing with the fire on a cold night.

Thank you SO much for your help and the links!

[ThunderstruckStudios]

Originally Posted by Eden

Thanks so much everyone! Sorry I took so long to come back, we got hit with summer so sudden that it pushed cubic installation back until this year again lol.

Does anyone know if there is a place that shows the thermal absorption and redistribution rates of various materials? Or reflection for the metal things?

I guess I'm just curious if there is a major difference in efficiency so that I can narrow down the materials vs just picking what I think is the most pretty.

Am I understanding right that steel would reflect back to the heater and protect the walls moreso than carry the heat longer? Or is it kindof similar on comparison?

Main goal for us now is using materials that can most effectively extend the amount of time we can go between messing with the fire on a cold night.

Thank you SO much for your help and the links!

Good job doing your research on materials! This can definitely go a long way in safety and efficiency.


There are two different concepts here: thermal mass (stores heat) and thermal insulation (reduces heat flow).


You want a lot of thermal mass around your heater. The most common material for this is brick. It takes a while to get hot, but then it will hold the heat for a long time, cooling off slowly. It will help to keep your bus warm as the fire dies down and also help to reduce temperature spikes when the fire gets really hot when you stoke it.


Thermal mass is characterized by the physical mass (e.g. how many bricks do you have) and specific heat (how much energy does it take for the material to change temperature). Here's a link to specific heats of some common materials:
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/s...ids-d_154.html

The idea of putting steel or another metal around a wood stove is that there's an insulating layer of air behind the steel. Air is a pretty good thermal insulator - it provides a large resistance to heat flow. To clarify, the order of materials would go:
outer wall surface
air gap (about 1 inch typically)
thin metal
air gap
wood stove


This extra air gap between the metal and your walls is enormously effective at keeping your walls cool.


Here's a reference for the insulating properties of some different materials. A higher R-value means a better insulator, and R-value is often expressed per unit thickness of material.


ColoradoENERGY.org - R-Value Table


TL;DR: Surrounding your wood stove with brick or stone will help the heat last longer before re-stoking. Some sheet metal surrounding your wood stove with an air gap between the metal and the wall will help a lot to keep your walls at a low, safe temperature.



Hope that helps!