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Consumer Energy Information: Masonry Heaters

U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Copenhagen aims to become the world’s ‘Eco-Metropole’
– the lowest-emitting city on the planet

The Toronto Star, March 29/08

MHA Website stats for the last 12 months

MHA Website stats for March/08

Local Control Saves Forests in Guatemala

Results from Austrian Field Testing in the early 1990's

MHA Historical Documents Page

Who links to the MHA site?

Wikipedia listing on masonry heaters

Here's a graphical listing of websites that link to mha-net.org:
http://www.alexa.com/data/ds/linksin/mha-net.org?q=link:mha-net.org/

To see a list of web pages that contain links to the MHA site, use the following search term in Google:
link :www.mha-net.org
- - - (note the space after "link )

December 8, 2007
Report on Wildacres 2007
by John Rousseau

Wildacres Group Photo 2006
Wildacres 2006 - Report on MHA Annual Meeting

Auction
MHA 2007 Auction Results

We raised almost $9,000.00, with a top donation of $2,671.00 by Mid-Atlantic Masonry Heat

Worm and Dave
Wildacres 2007 Photo Report

December 7, 2007
MHA Fall 2007 Newsletter

test heater
Heater Research and Testing Workshop - Wildacres 2007

Virginia Radiant Heat Fall Tulikivi Newsletter
doug hargrave
MHA Treasurer Doug Hargrave breaks ground for his new showroom in Virginia

http://heatkit.com/graphics/bake/il-focolaio.JPG
The Best Pizza in Montreal

Can a Masonry Heater be 90% Efficient?

Short answer: No. Here's why

Boiling Point
Front cover of Boiling Point issue 54
Issue 54 (2007)
Climate change and household energy

Emission Factors and Real-Time Optical Properties of Particles Emitted from Traditional Wood Burning Cookstoves

by Christoph A. Roden, Tami Bond, et al.

Alaska Wood Energy Conference

Fairbanks, Nov 14 - 15, 2007

Content from the Conference is now online, including:

cchrc


"Biomass Energy R&D at CCHRC" by Dave Misiuk

cchrc

article
"Masonry" magazine article

Blast From The Past 1

Contraflow heater by Tom Trout, 1981
Tom Trout and Robin Dreyer in front of a contraflow heater that they built in 1981.
Original UPO doors with tempered glass.

Blast From The Past 2

Contraflow heater by Norbert Senf, 1981
Contraflow heater built by Norbert Senf in 1981.
Reclaimed brick with thin lime mortar joints.
Original UPO solid doors with small air inlets - the unlined 4x16 chimney on this heater is still clean after 27 years of use (Don't try this at home, kids).

Rocket Tea Kettle

YouTube

Field Testing of Double Bell Heaters

by Alex Chernov

A Design Tool for Wood Fired Storage Appliances

Zweifel et al
Building Simulation 2005 Conference, Montreal

Online University Courses Big Hit

The free online courses offered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are getting
more than a million hits a month.

CBC News, Dec 31/07

Content from Sustainable Northern Shelter Forum

Cold Climate Housing Research Center, Fairbanks, Alaska, October 28 - 30, 2007

36 Hours in Asheville, North Carolina

New York Times, Oct 2/07

New York Times article on Outdoor Wood Boilers
Dec 19/06

Traditional Rammed Earth Construction in France

(2Mb PDF File)

The Oil Depletion Resource Page

"For the past several years I've spent a lot of time studying the problem of petroleum supply, the question of when oil production will reach its peak and begin an inevitable decline.  It's a kind of morbid hobby.

................The awareness of petroleum depletion has caused me to change my behavior.  While planning for their financial future is a preoccupation of most middle-aged people, at our household we are devoting more effort to planning our energy future by reducing our demands and using renewable energy resources."

John Gulland

Emission Testing For Real People

Dr.Tami Bond
Bond Research Group: Aerosols in the Global Environment
Dep't of Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

rocket stove testing - tami bond
Testing of Rocket Stoves

Dr.Tami Bond
Bond Research Group: Aerosols in the Global Environment
Dep't of Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Contraflow heater by Marcus Flynn
Contraflow heater by Marcus Flynn

Russian Stove

Creating Greener Future for Urban Youth

ABC News, Feb 14/08

HPBA Announces up to $5,000.00 Matching Funds for MHA Heater Testing

September 7/07: Tim Seaton reports that he just has just returned from a strategy meeting at HPBA, and that HPBA has agreed to match MHA funds for our current testing effort to gain recognition with EPA. As of today, the total amount for our fundraising drive stands at $3,495.00.

Please visit the Fundraising Page If you have not made a donation yet, please consider doing so. If you make your living from building masonry heaters, you will benefit directly from this effort.

mortarboard06MHA Newsletter, 2006 (Click)

 

masonry heater in slovakia with tom trout
Heater Building Trip to Slovakia

with Tom Trout

marcus flynn
Marcus Flynn on Quebec TV

MHA Financial Records, Board and Committee Reports are Now Online

Available to Voting Members in the Members' Lounge
Find out what your association has been doing

geodesic pizza oven
Geodesic Pizza Oven

A Cool Tool

Dale Demary sent this one in.

Scientist Brings Odd Bedfellows Together to Save The Earth

San Francisco Chronicle, Dec. 24/07

New System of Fuel Combustion and Prospects for its Application

by Igor Kuznetsov

Outspoken Environmentalist Puts his Money Where His Mouth Is

The Portland Press Herald, Dec. 27/07

Sweden: Going Green

Sydney Morning Herald/Australia

At 71, Physics Professor is a Web Star

New York Times, Dec 19/07

Professor Lewin’s videotaped physics lectures, free online on the OpenCourseWare
of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, have won him devotees across the
country and beyond who stuff his e-mail in-box with praise.

 

davenport wedding
MHA Vice President William Davenport
married Alexis Kamitses on August 18
at Dreaming Mountain, Vermont.
Congratulations, Alexis and William

(photo credit: Norbert Senf)

CCHRC (Alaska) receives $500,000 for Hybrid Micro Energy Project

jet
Heikki Hyytiainen's Air Injection Research

Heater Workshop 1
Heater Workshop 2

jack arch by marcus flynn
Jack Arch Construction Sequence

by Marcus Flynn

jack arch by Marcus Flynn

small contraflow from MHA plans
Small Contraflow Heater built from plans in MHA Plans Portfolio

John Fisher pizza oven design
pizza oven design by John Fisher

Celtic knot by William Davenport
Celtic Knot

by William Davenport
To create the over/under knot pattern, William flamed the brick to darken the color.

heater by ferenc buja
Ferenc Bujna from Hungary sent this photo of a heater that he built
based on information from the MHA website and the MHA bookstore.

Letter from Cold Climate Housing Research Center (CCHRC) to MHA

Coal Mines

Thanks to longtime MHA member Bill Derrick for forwarding this story from a friend.

John, Alex & Norbert
Swedish bake oven builder John Fisher, checking out an Alex Chernov
double bell heater project
north of Toronto,

MHA's EPA Heater Testing Fundraising Campaign

Vermont Wood Fuel Supply Study

BERC - Biomass Energy Resource Center

ottawa

36 Hours in Ottawa

New York Times, Sun Aug 26/07

Arctic Thaw May be at "Tipping Point"

Reuters, Sept 28/07

More Industries are Seeking Regulation by the Feds

New York Times, Sep 16/07

MHA Member Donations to Heater Testing Campaign reach $3500.00

lime in yemen
Making lime in Yemen

"Green Mortgages" Taking Root

The Boston Globe, Nov 16/07

Sustainable Energy Fair
2007 North Country Sustainable Energy Fair, April 27-29, SUNY Canton NY

MHA President Norbert Senf gives a presentation on MHA and masonry heaters at the State University.
Feedback from organizer Patricia Greene was:
"What a crowd you had!! lots of interest, feedback was they wanted to know more about how the stoves work.
"
Afterwards, local MHA member Tom Hagelund bought lunch at a great little Jamaican place.

 

concrete panel heater by William Davenport
Concrete panel heater

by William Davenport

Building a Heater Core in France

by Marcus Flynn

marcus

Compressed Earth Block Press

No Impact Man

A Guilty Liberal Finally Snaps, Swears Off Plastic, Goes Organic, Becomes a Bicycle Nut, Turns Off His Power, While Living In New York City.

China Passes US as World's Biggest CO2 Emitter

The Guardian/UK

CO Growth
Global Warming "Is Three Times Faster Than Worst Predictions"

The Independent/UK

 

heater
Photo from Catherine the Great's palace in Pushkin,  Russia.
Traditionally they were made with delft tile exteriors.
Stan Sackett and Doug Hren toured Russia recently and saw many
of these types of fireplaces in palaces.
Click image for larger version.

Hikari Fukazawa bake oven
Hikary Fukazawa, a participant at the 2003 French bake oven workshop, returned to Japan and built his own oven.

Hikari writes:

Here is the picture of my bake oven.
Our bakery is going so well.
Last Saturday we sold out 30 pizza at the Saturday evening market.
Of course I baked by wood fire.
Every day my wife Shuko is baking 10kg wheat flour and selling out in a short time.
We will increase products little by little.
But we will keep making hand made bread.

Diesel already wins race as the energy alternative

CO2 per capita

NorthStone Offers New Line of Hardware

The Canon

A must-read tour of the basics of science

Boiling Point 53: Technologies the really work - May 2007

HEDON Household Energy Network

Inflatable Bake Oven ?

To Remake the World

by Paul Hawken

Have you driven a Fjord lately?

CNNMoney.Com

MHA's Newest Member is 14 Years Old

2 ASTM Fuel Crib Tests at Lopez Labs

The Argument
(In Favour of Wood Heating)

by John Gulland

South Europe hit by extreme heat

BBC News, July 24/07

Eco-Junk: Why Buying Less is More Than Buying Green

by George Monbiot

New Articles by Marcus Flynn:

Loire Atlantique #2 : Field Notes 2006
Loire Atlantique #3 : Field Notes 2006
Saine et Marne : Field Notes 2006
Chimney Connection #3

HEARTH Online Training

Another reason to join HPBA

Sustainable Northern Shelter
in a world of diminishing resources

Cold Climate Housing Research Center (CCHRC) Conference
Fairbanks, Alaska Oct 28 - 30

From the Blogosphere

An internet chat with heater builder and bakeoven builder John Fisher,
who now makes his home in Sweden

Deforestation - The Hidden Cause of Global Warming

The Independent/UK

EPA Proposes new smog standard

San Francisco Chronicle

Vermont files final Adopted Outdoor Wood-Fired Boiler Rule

Bill Clinton Creates $5 Billion Green Building Program

Architectural Record

ibc
Map of IBC Code Adoption by State

Masonry Heater Codes and Standards from Around the World are now Online

Climate Change at Spiegel Online

Heater masons hold an important piece of this puzzle.
Here is a great resource to educate yourself on the issue.

Ashton Hayes aims to be England's First Carbon Neutral Village

Out of the Blue: Why Green Became So Cool

by Gwyn Dyer

CO concentration
CO (carbon monoxide) concentrations. This is an indicator of air pollution.
(source: Spiegel magazine (Germany), Jan/07)

CO and CO2 are often confused in media reporting on climate change.
CO2 is a greenhouse gas, and not toxic. CO is a poison.

You get CO2 from combustion. You get CO from bad combustion.

wild 06

To MHA Members & Friends,

It is with sadness that I inform you that I have just been advised by Kathleen Sotero (Ben Sotero's wife)
that his brother Frank Sotero died of a stroke at 2:30am today, January 15th.
 
MHA will send condolences and flowers.  If you would like to send a card, his wife is:
Debbie Sotero
3185 Plateau Road
Reno, NV 89509
 
Sincerely,
Bev
Beverly J. Marois

 

Fingal County, Ireland, adopts Mandatory Sustainable Building Requirements

Report from Guatemala

by Pat Manley

1

Japan's "Mileage Maniacs" Hack Hybrids, Beat Toyota Engineers

Bloomberg

heater by steve bushway
Custom see-through heater with white bake oven and heated benches by Steve Bushway
and apprentice Antoine Gurlain.

Earth Floor article in the New York Times

Feb 8/07


trip to japan
MHA regulars Jerry Frisch, Rod Zander, John Fisher and Gary Hart and Japanese hosts during 2005 heater building trip to Japan

Climate Change: Scientists Warn it May Be Too Late to Save the Ice Caps

Guardian/UK

Greenhouse Gases Hit New High, Rise Accelerates

ASTM E-6.54 Task Group on Masonry Heaters Meeting, March 17, 2007, Reno NV

The Rational Design of Furnaces

A Trip To Europe

by Igor Kuznetsov

Phillips Develops Smokeless Woodstove

Carbon comparison - source: Independent / UK

The average British citizen produces 26kg of CO2 in a day. This breaks down as follows:

* 7.4 electricity
* 1.6 fuel production
* 3.8 manufacturing and construction
* 7.4 transport, of which: (5.2 road transport, 1.7 air travel, 0.1 railways and 0.4 shipping)
* 1.0 office buildings
* 3.8 residential heating
* 1.0 Other industrial processes, agriculture, military travel, other

The average Kenyan citizen produces 0.7kg of CO2 in a day. This breaks down as follows:

* 0.08 electricity
* 0.08 fuel production
* 0.16 manufacturing and construction
* 0.31 transport
* 0.07 other

(The average American or Canadian produces about twice what the average Brit does - ed.)

Global Warming-era Parenthood

How do you tell your kids about climate change when they've heard so much about it elsewhere?
Los Angeles Times, Dec 23/06

New German Community Models Car-free Living

Each cube on the map above shows how many million tons of CO2 each country puts into the atmosphere per year.
The bottom graph shows the atmosphere's CO2 concentration (part per million) over time.
It is currently at its highest point in 600,000 years.
Half of all emissions in history have happened since 1980, and are accelerating.

Source: "Der Spiegel" magazine (Germany), Nov 6/06

Boulder Becomes First North American City
to Pass a Carbon Tax

 

An Inconvenient Truth

Al Gore

Le Panyol Oven Workshop with Albie Barden

Providence, RI. Nov 17-18-19, 2006

Transforming Power in Rural Communities:
Case Study of Wood Energy - Heating Rural Homes

by Wendy Milne

2006 Heater Testing at Shawville

 


John Fisher sends this photo from the Welser Messe 06 in Austria

John Gulland Builds a Boiler

Sweden Plans to Be World's First Oil-Free Economy

by John Vidal

Report from India

MHA member John Rousseau and his wife Darla Thompson are travelling in India this winter. Read their blog.

MHA members John Fisher and Rod Zander are currently in Austria, visiting the Austrian Kachelofen Guild. Check back soon for a report.

MHA member Pat Manley is in Guatemala this winter building a bake oven at a school for dump children in Guatemala City. Later, he will continue to build cookstoves (estufas) for Mayan families around Lake Atitlan. Read Pat's report (below).

Building a Modern Russian Heater

White Upper Chamber Bake Oven

by Marcus Flynn

John C. Zamkotowicz becomes 23rd Certified Heater Mason

Johnny Z as we know him has been an MHA Member since 1998 and has been a regular attendee at our annual meeting at Wildacres contributing to the shared knowledge of the heater masons and to the humor as well.

John has presented a most impressive portfolio of his work, but wants credit to be given for the very detailed sketches to Brian Klipfel (MHA member who works with him). He also credits his wife for the presentation - but as he points out - "I did the design & work!"

CONGRATULATIONS Johnny Z!
amazinmsns(at)aol.com

Fuel Combustion and Optimum Use of Heat Energy

by Igor Kuznetsov

The Healthy Indoor Air Guide
-The Chemistry of Housing

Published by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Environment, in co-operation with IBO - Austrian Institute for Healthy and Ecological Building
(3.2 Mb PDF file)

Biomass Cooking Stoves

Easy Chamfered Corner on a Heated Bench

Alex Chernov becomes 22nd Certified Heater Mason

Alex Chernov of Stovemaster in Alton, Ontario, Canada has recently qualified to become the twenty second heater mason to be certified in North America through the Masonry Heater Association.
Alex has been an MHA Member since 2004 and attended the annual meeting at Wildacres 2005 contributing to the shared knowledge of the heater masons.

CONGRATULATIONS ALEX!
alex_stovemaster(at)yahoo.ca


Tom Trout and Heikki Hyytiaiinen led a heater workshop at
"Permaculture Week for Eco-Heating", in Slovakia
Aug 11 -17 /05.


Mold for casting a combustion air system developed by Heikki.


The finished pieces.

Jeff Kuczmarski becomes 21st Certified Heater Mason

Jeff Kuczmanski of Log Building Co., Inc. in Rhinelander, WI has recently qualified to become the twenty first heater mason to be certified in North America through the Masonry Heater Association.

Jeff has been an MHA Member since 2003 and has attended the annual meeting at Wildacres the last two years. Jeff built his first masonry heater in 1986.

CONGRATULATIONS JEFF!

Proper Operation of Masonry Stoves and Furnaces

by Igor Kuznetsov


Corner Brick Contraflow Heater Workshop

with Jerry Frisch

Joe Prinzivalli becomes 20th Certified Heater Mason

Joe Prinzivalli of Prinzivalli Masonry in Lamy, NM has recently qualified to become the twentieth heater mason to be certified in North America through the Masonry Heater Association. Joe has worked with John Fisher, Albie Barden, Rod Zander and Temp-Cast. Attendees at Wildacres 05 had the pleasure of meeting Joe.

CONGRATULATIONS Joe!
micasl(at)yahoo.com

David Thomen becomes 19th Certified Heater Mason

David Thomen of Thomen's Masonry in Livingston, TN has recently qualified to become the nineteenth heater mason to be certified in North America through the Masonry Heater Association.

Most of us know David as "Worm". Worm has been an MHA active member since 1999 and has been a regular attendee of our annual meetings/workshops at Wildacres.

CONGRATULATIONS "Worm"!

(he's the guy on the left in the photo below. Joe Prinzivalli is on the right)


Commercial Pizza Oven Workshop with Pat Manley

New Version of EnergyPlus Building Energy Simulation Program Now Available

Download free of charge from the U.S. Dep't of Energy

Tom Stroud becomes Senior Manager of Codes and Standards for HPBA


Custom Heater Workshop

with Rod Zander and Jerry Frisch

A Tricky Chimney Connection

by Marcus Flynn

How to Fix an Outdoor Boiler

by Bob

"I managed to get through the Winter of 2000-2001 with my wood boiler, but was not at all happy with the smoke and the 22% net delivered efficiency."

Masons on a Mission 2004 Report

by Pat Manley

Edith Kiesling becomes 18th Certified Heater Mason

Edith Kiesling has just recently completed all certification requirements to become a Certified Heater Mason by the Masonry Heater Association of North America. 
 
Congratulations Edith!

Wildacres 2005 a Big Success

by Bev Marois

Masons on a Mission - 2005 Report

by Pat Manley

MHA Heater Masons Leave Japan

Yesterday, July 31th, Certified M.H.A. Heater Masons almost
completed artistic 3 heaters and had drunk off almost of all Beer
in the village. .... continued

MHA Member Stan Homola
Offers New Line of Heater Hardware

Advanced House

This 1989 low energy demonstration project near Toronto, has a contraflow fireplace. (60 Kb pdf file)

Charcoal Production with the Free Gas Movement System

by Igor Kuznetsov


"Double Bell" stove built recently in Vermont by Alex Chernov.
Details on this system of heater design and construction can be found at stove.ru

Early Mennonite Russian Stoves on the Canadian Prairies

MHA member Carl Oehme recently rebuilt one of these, and also discusses the history of what may be the first masonry stoves in Canada
(1.2 Mb PDF file)

Gas Plant Boilers

by Igor Kuznetsov

Low Exergy Systems for Heating and Cooling of Buildings

"The transition from high valued energy sources to low valued energy sources requires appropriate heating and cooling systems in buildings. Heating and cooling systems that provide heating or cooling energy at a temperature close to room temperature (i.e., low exergy systems) are a prerequisite for the efficient utilisation of low valued energy sources."

Downloadable Guidebook

Britain Faces Big Chill as Ocean Current Slows

"The Gulf Stream transports 27,000 times more heat to British shores than all the nation’s power supplies could provide"

Brick Oven Map on Google

August Vanderdonckt writes:
The map allows brick oven fans to find out if they are close to somebody who already has one.
It enables people to upload pictures, communicate with each other directly and locate ovens geographically.

John Fisher's Heater Art


Custom Soapstone carving by John Hanna, Barre, Vermont
Tulikivi heater by Wood Masonry, VT..

Whole Earth "Fire" Issue (Winter 99)
complete text of the articles
.
"a must read" - ed.

Gene Hedin 1925 -2004

Eugene (Gene) Hedin, 79 of Duluth, MN, passed away on May
18th after a long illness due to kidney failure.

Gene was a long time member of the Masonry Heater Association
and friend to all. He apprenticed to the Duluth Brickayers Union 3.
A member of the First Luthern Church of Duluth, he was the onsite
construction manager and (with Rev. A.E. Hanson), laid the first
brick of the new sanctuary. He worked for Older Construction
Company in Duluth before starting his own construction company
(Eugene Hedin Masonry Construction) in Two Harbors.

On our MHA Website homepage is featured the masonry heater
that Gene built in their Duluth home. Gene loved to travel. He
and Letty traveled throughout the U.S. to visit family and build
fireplaces and masonry heaters for friends.

He is survived by his wife, Letitia (Letty) Older, their four
children, Ann (Mrs. A. James Lee) in Lowell, Mass.,
Susan (Mrs. Jay Gilleland), in Anchorage, Alaska,
David (married to Kathy Gorz) in Woodbury, Minn., and
Elizabeth (Mrs. Randy Gleason) in Park Rapids, Minn.
Gene also leaves 10 grandchildren.

As a memorial to Gene, MHA has made a donation
to the First Lutheran Church of Duluth in his name.
I have attached my favorite photo of Gene taken
at the annual meeting at Wildacres in 1999.
(Bev Marois)

Fuel Crib Testing at Lopez Labs

Design of Economizers in Boiler Construction

by Igor Kuznetsov
(50 Kb Word file)

An Environmentalist's Guide to Responsible Wood Heating

by John Gulland

"The Party's Over" by Richard Heinberg

Successful Fireplaces in Tight Houses

by John Gulland

Flying Concrete

Structural and Sculptural Forms in Lightweight Concrete

Check this one out!

Dutch Masonry Heater Worshops

Interesting photo series, including a prefabricated tile facing
(descriptions in French)

Another workshop - using a Dutch Fin-Oven kit, with a clay plaster finish

Rocket stove

Connecting an 8" ICC Chimney to an 8x12 masonry Chimney

600 Kb Word File

The story behind the heater at MHA headquarters in Vermont

by Jay Hensley

Report on Quebec Soapstone Workshop

by Albie Barden

Refractories Applications and News

Technical journal on refractories - download the current issue for free

Downloadable technical article

 


Pat Manley recently built a kitchen bake oven for Billy Joel
at his house on Long Island.

MHA in the News

Grundofen Workshop at MHA Headquarters

It's Finished..
It's Beautiful..
...and it was completed from teardown of the Tess Fireplace to Masonry Heater in 8 days with the energy, craftsmanship and tenacity of 16 MHA Members(see below). 

It was very satisfying to see the MHA artistic craftsmanship unfold as the craftsmen and novices worked together to create the heater. 

We feel very fortunate to have experienced this build and be the recipients of the warmth & beauty of "our own" masonry heater at Fox Brush Farm.  A very warm thanks to all!

Dick & Bev Marois


 
Contributors/Donators
 
Designer/Builder of the Heater:
Rod Zander, New England Hearth & Soapstone, Goshen, CT

Certified Heater Mason    Rod has donated $7,000 of his fee to MHA.

Co-Coordinator of Workshop/Builder
Jerry Frisch, Lopez Quarries, Everett, WA, Certified Heater Mason

Chimney Rebuild & Relining
Gary & Korey Hart, Aaron's Ltd. Alternative Energy,
High Ridge, MO,  Gary is a Certified Heater Mason

 

Hydronic Circulation without external power

Generating electricity directly from hot water

Pyrolysis of Biofuels

by Igor Kuznetsov
( 130 Kb Word file)

 

Russian Bake Oven Drawings

30 pages, 2Mb Word .doc file

The Russian Bania

History of the Great Russian Bath

Design of Masonry Heaters for Russian Banias

by Igor V. Kuznetsov

Basics for the Design of Wood Burning Masonry Boilers

by Igor Kuznetsov


Pat Manley built this oven for Matchbox Vintage Brick Oven Pizza
in DC


MHA 2004 Meeting at Wildacres

Photo report by Norbert Senf

Tadji Bakery Project

Can you help these American servicemen with rebuilding a bakery in Iraq

Two Projects in France, Summer 2003

by Marcus Flynn

masonry heater by Marcus Flynn

MHA Projects Page

Check out 12 different oven and heater workshops

The Building You're in Fuels Global Warming

by Edward Mazria

Tom Hagelund and Don Juan - Masons on a Mission, 2004

Guatemala: above is MHA member Tom Hagelund with Mayan mason Don Juan.

Pat Manley reports a successful 2004
Masons on a Mission stovebuilding trip to Guatemala. (March 7/04)

Infrared Imaging of the Heat Distribution Pattern in "Double Bell" Stoves

By I. V. Kuznetsov
(179 Kb Word document)

Workshop on "The Principle of Free Gas Movement" with Igor Kuznetsov

Ekaterinburg, Russia, January 2004

Trip notes by Alex Chernov
(1.3 Mb Word document)

Construction of a French Bongard Oven

by Norbert Senf

MHA Winter 2003 Newsletter

Details on the upcoming annual meeting in North Carolina, plus much more.
(300 Kb PDF file.

Masonry Heaters and the Law

2003 Masonry Heater Association Annual Meeting - - April 14 - 20

Photo Reports:

2003 MHA Annual Meeting
Grpup photo
Swedish Heater Workshop with Jerry Frisch
Swedish masonry heatear workshop
Field Trip to Tom Trout's Showroom
Inside view of Dutch heater

French Bake Oven Workshop with Norbert Senf
French bake oven
Hikari Fukazawa's Presentation on Forestry in Japan
Japanese forestry presentation

Wildacres 2002 Photo Report

wildacres 2002 report

Stove Testing Proposal

by Igor Kuznetsov
(30 Kb Word file)

Insulative Ceramics for Improved Cooking Stoves

by Dean Still, Dr. Margaret Pinnell, Damon Ogle, Brad van Appel -- Aprovecho Research Center

Heating Churches with Masonry Heaters

by Igor V. Kuznetsov
(170 Kb PDF file)

MHA Members Help Build the 1000th Cookstove in Guatemala

Reflections on Thanksgiving

by David Eisenberg,
Development Center for Appropriate Technology

Design of Multistory Stoves

by Igor V. Kuznetsov


San Francisco Baking Institute #180 teaching oven


Oct 29/03: Timber Framers' Guild Eastern Conference
at Chateau Montebello, the largest log structure in Quebec.
400 participants.


Your editor presented a 90 minute session on masonry heaters that had good attendance
and was well received.
MHA Member Bill Derrick is also a TFG member and was very instrumental in
setting up the cross linkage between these two complementary disciplines.


Oct 20, 2003 -- Fall ASTM meeting in Tampa, Florida
Masonry heater task group E-6.54-05 chairman Rod Zander and consultant Tina Subasic
discuss details. The meeting was very successful, and substantial progress was made
towards establishing new masonry heater testing standards that may receive EPA blessing.

Wildacres
Wildacres 2001 Photo Report

36 x 24 Contraflow heater workshop
Le Panyol oven workshop
Superior Clay oven workshop
Small custom heater workshop
Safety testing workshop

How to Take a Professional  Heater Photo

by Norbert Senf
Note: this was a seminar at the 2002 MHA meeting at Wildacres
(20 Kb PDF file)

Masons on a Mission update

by Pat Manley (Dec 03)

Report From Guatemala

by Pat Manley (Feb 17/03)

A Brief History of MHA


Jerry Frisch and Frisch wannabe's Norbert Senf and Gary Hart
photo credit: John Rousseau

Doug Fry - Masons on a Mission
Doug Fry setting an estufa plancha (cooking plate)
El Rincon, Guatemala. Masons on a Mission, 2001

Masons on a Mission - Guatemala Video Available
Marty
Marty Pearson in El Rincon, Guatemala
Masons on a Mission, February 2000
(those cool MHA T-shirts are available at the Bookstore)

Masons on a Mission 2001 update

Report by Pat Manley, April 4/01
Cookstove building instruction

The Master of Bread
Lionel Poilâne - an appreciation

page 1
, page2

from Bon Appetit

New York State Adopts International Residential Code

As of July 2002, masonry heaters will be recognized by the Building Code in New York state.  (160 Kb PDF file)

MHA Fall Newsletter (Part 1)

Jerry Frisch gives you the lowdown on latest events
(450 Kb PDF file)

MHA Fall Newsletter (Part 2)

ASTM update, membership info, and more.
(1.2 Mb PDF file)

Evangelist is Spreading the Word on Fuel Efficiency

Power Outage Traced to Dim Bulb in White House

ASTM Meeting, Oct 13/02, Norfolk VA

Draft Thermal Performance Standard for Masonry Heaters and Fireplaces
by Paul Tiegs, OMNITEST Labs
(900 Kb PDF file)

Contact E-6.54.07(Masonry Heaters) Committee Chair Rod Zander

Outdoor Heater Complexes

by I.V. Kuznetsov
(630 Kb PDF file)
See also: Russian masonry heater website

 


John Zamkotowicz and John Fisher demonstrate the latest in heater mason's fashions. In the background are Tom Trout (mixing mud), Jerry Frish and Scott Helms.
2003 MHA Meeting at Wildacres

The Principle of "Free Gas Movement"

by Igor V. Kuznetsov
(100 Kb Word file)

Masonry Heaters for Greenhouses

by Igor V. Kuznetsov
(455 Kb PDF file)

Rock Solid Warmth

Masonry heater article from Nov/Dec 2002 issue of Natural Home Magazine

Kachelofen Workshop with Ernst Kiesling

Report by John Rousseau
(330 Kb PDF file)

Canadian Emissions Regulations

Stakeholder Consultation Workshop - Record of Stakeholder Comments
37 pages, 180Kb Word document

 

Stan Homola announces new Soapstone Company

The Winiarski Rocket Stove

A successful cookstove design for third world use

Olivine Oven Refractory from Washington State

John Gulland's Weird Woodstove

Check it out

Stove Heating of Multistorey Temples in Yekaterinburg, Russia

by I.V. Kuznetsov
(400 Kb PDF file)

Building an Improved Russian Bath

by I. Kuznetsov

San Joachim Valley to Ban Masonry Heaters and Fireplaces

Masonry Heater Clearances to Combustibles
- Recent Research at Lopez Labs (Aug 20/01)

download in Word 97 format (100 Kb, better graphics)
download in PDF format (120 Kb)

CSIA's new Technology Center has a Masonry Heater

Informal Summary of Oct 21 ASTM Meeting

Efficient Cook Stove Designs From China

62 page document shows various efficient cookstove designs that have been developed in China. About 130 million of these stoves have been built since 1982.
(1 Mb PDF file)

MHA-NET Traffic Report, October 2001

European Analysis Shows Huge Value from Renewables

The cost of generating electricity from coal is up to 120 times more expensive than wind, according to a major analysis conducted for the European Commission.

MHA Is In Good Hands

Article by Jay Hensley reports on the 2000 meeting, plus a bit of North American heater history

Field Safety Test Reports Online

On-site field test safety reports for a Tempcast and a Heat-Kit heater are available in the Members Lounge

MHA-Net Traffic Continues to Grow

New Items Available in the Members' Lounge:

Sauna Stove Plans

Swedish Heater Building Instructions

36" x 24" Contraflow heater plan from Wildacres workshop

Draft MHA Grundofen Plan

Bill of Materials & Costs for Hensley Custom Heater

Swedish Chimney Building Book

Draft European Masonry Heater Standard

Austrian Stove Regulations

May 18/01 Draft of ASTM Masonry Heater Standard

Energy Use Patterns in Off Grid Houses

24 page study by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). (1 Mb PDF file)

Cookstove.net

Website for environmentally sound biomass stove

Draft Agenda, ASTM Masonry Heater Workshop,
Dallas, October 21

Hydrogen Based Rotary Engine

this one is worth a look

ASTM Masonry Heater Workshop,
Dallas, October 21  -  Details

Messages to MHA from around the world

Junk Mail into Briquettes:

Southern Oregon University and the National Forensics Laboratories have tested sample briquettes made from junk mail (under standardized laboratory conditions and x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy) and found them to be no more polluting than US Government certified wood pellets. Encouraged by these results  Legacy Foundation technical staff are working on the design and construction of a machine for the US household market which will turn junk mail into burnable briquettes.

How to Control Dust During Construction

Ken Matesz of Fountainhead Natural Homes Becomes Newest MHA Certified Heater Mason

ASTM Workshop on Masonry Heater and Masonry Fireplace Research and Development

New Ways of Stove Heating

by I.V. Kuznetsov
New Russian paper examines the context for wood heating and where masonry heaters fit in.
176 Kb PDF file

Polish Piec Restoration

Traditional Polish heating system

Review of Wood Heater and Fireplace Emission Factors (100 Kb PDF File)

by James Houck, John Crouch and Roy H. Huntley

The Green Stove Mason: Run Your Truck on Biodiesel

Viridian Note: Used cooking oil from fast food chains is clogging the nation's sewers.

August Workshops:

Custom Soapstone Heater and Fayol Bake Oven
Plans: page 1, page 2, page 3

The Problem with Outdoor Air Supplies

It seemed like a good idea until it was tested

See also:
Seminar on Outside Combustion Air -
Science, Myths, and Current Codes

with John Gulland

MHA Homeowners Manuals

Home Owner's Safety Manual and Burning Guide for Masonry Heaters - 3 pages
and
Home Owner's Safety Manual and Burning Guide for Cook Stoves and Bake Ovens - 6 pages

Available free of charge to MHA members in The Members' Lounge

Available to the general public at The MHA Bookstore

Lime Kiln Report updated May 30/01

Students in the first year Heritage Masonry progam at Algonquin College in Perth, Ontario recently built a lime kiln as a class project.

Raised Hearth:

Photo Credit: Jim Buckley

How to Light a Barbeque

Don't try this at home, kids.

Clearance to Combustibles Test Results -  Wildacres 2001

Russian Paper on Stove Design

Fundamentals of Stove Construction
by I.V. Kuznetsov

(10 pages, 96 Kb PFD file)

Recent Safety Testing of Masonry Heaters and Fireplaces

by Norbert Senf

The Improved Biomass Cookstove

Technical paper on the fundamentals of cookstove design

Bakeoven Repair

Repairing a dropping vault in a 6' x 9' commercial oven

Running Notes on 2000 MHA Meeting at Wildacres Retreat, North Carolina

Report by Jay Hensley

SafeClimate.Net

How big is your own carbon footprint? Find out with SafeClimate.Net's calculator

Masonry Heater Workshop with Albie Barden

Conway, NH, Oct 1 - 7, 2000
report by Gary Hart

Backyard Pizza Oven Workshop with Pat Manley

Berkeley to Consider Fireplace ban

San Francisco Examiner Article

(Request for Comments): The Effects of Wood Smoke on our Health:Review of the Problem and Exploration of Remediations

by Dr. Elmer Grossman, member of the city's environment commission.

Comments by Norbert Senf

Indian Tandoor

Building and using this traditional Indian oven

Build a Backyard Bake Oven

ASTM E 1602-94 Revisions

Available in the Members' Lounge

Clearances to Combustibles Testing at Wildacres

A test heater was built with 3 firebox wall sections: 8" soapstone, 8" brick, and 4.5" brick. The heater was fired with 4 back to back loads of 50 lbs hardwood and surface temperatures were recorded.

Pat Manley's Stovebuilding trip to Guatemala
updated July 30/00

Photo Report on 2000 MHA Meeting at Wildacres

Fireplace Clearance to Combustibles Testing at OMNITEST - Preliminary Results

Clearance to Combustibles Testing at Lopez Labs

Masonry Heaters Banned in San Jose, CA

A report from the front lines
Instant Karma for San Jose?

See also:
letter from MHA to San Jose city attorney (unanswered)
MHA Position Paper

OMNITEST Fireplace Emissions Test Results

Compares EPA and Northern Sonoma fueling protocols
Northern Sonoma Fueling Protocol (1 Mb PDF file)
Comments by Jim Buckley

Updated April 6/00

Download the SNEWS "Back Page Freebie" on Masonry Heaters

corrected version, Mar 11/00
(90 KB Acrobat PDF file) Freely reuseable with copyright credit to SNEWS.

Subscribe to SNEWS

Jerry Frisch on the back cover of Jan/00 SNEWS magazine

ICC Code Meeting in Birmingham

Report by Jim Buckley

An Alternative Future for Building Regulation

Jan/Feb 2000 issue of ICBO magazine is dedicated to alternative construction. Links to articles on cob, bamboo, cast earth, etc.

Strawbale Construction: A Building Official's Perspective

Sept/Oct 98 issue of ICBO magazine is dedicated to alternative construction. Links to articles on strawbale, adobe, rammed earth, etc

Casas que Cantan

Report by Bill Steen (co author of The Straw Bale House Book)

Montreal Matzoh Oven Rebuild

by MHA member Gabriel Callender

MHA's New Board of Advisors updated March 26/00

Jay Hensley's Full Report on the 1999 MHA Meeting

A shorter version of Jay's Report originally appeared in SNEWS magazine

Guatemalan Stove Project

MHA President Pat Manley to go to Guatemala to build 20 stoves

The Dynamics of Domestic Open Fires

by Prof. P.O. Rosin, 1939
Classic paper that's been an underground classic among fireplace masons for years. 28 pages, well illustrated. (Large file, 3Mb PDF)

Current Fireplace Tests at OMNI

Jim Buckley describes the current test series involving a standard Western fireplace, a standard Eastern fireplace, a Rumford and a Frisch Rosin

Jerry Frisch Builds a Swedish Heater

New Wood Heat Organization Announced

Ottawa, October 27, 1999 - The formation of The Wood Heat Organization Inc., a unique nonprofit agency, was announced here today. The organization was formed to provide reliable information about home heating with wood, to promote environmentally appropriate woodburning practices and to represent the public interest in woodburning issues.

http://www.woodheat.org

ICBO Recognizes Alternative Construction

Rammed earth, strawbale, and others are covered at ICBO's website

Download the SNEWS "Back Page Freebie" on Masonry Heaters

(80 KB Acrobat PDF file) Freely reuseable with copyright credit to SNEWS.

Building Departments Are Preparing to Adopt the International Building Code (IBC)

MHA Position Paper

MHA's pro-active response to the current regulatory initiative in the San Francisco Bay Area.
600KB Acrobat PDF file

Frank Sotero is the Newest Certified Heater Mason

Frank Sotero is the latest MHA member to have passed all of the
requirements
for Heater Mason Certification. He now holds certificate #11. Congratulations, Frank!

List of MHA Certified Heater Masons

New Content in the Members' Lounge

New content in the Member's Lounge includes:

  • A full length report on the 1999 MHA Annual Meeting, by Jay Hensley.

  • Photo Report by Norbert Senf

  • "Ceramic Stoves - Guidelines for the Practitioner", translated from the German.

  • A seismic analysis for masonry heaters, commissioned by MHA, with the support of Western States Clay Products Association.

If you are a voting member whose dues are current, get your new password to the Lounge from Bev.

The Bread Builders

by Daniel Wing and Alan Scott

Definitive work on hearth breads, including the most complete description of building a bread oven available in print. Mandatory reading for bread fans and oven builders. Extensively reasearched. Your editor rates it a 10.

San Jose, CA to Ban non-EPA Wood Heat

(31 Kb. Acrobat pdf file)

The New Turbo Wood Gas Stove

by Tom Reed

A clean machine.

"Dream Stove" for Asia

Thought provoking new paper from Prof. Grover on cooking stove design

German Contraflow Heater

Manufactured by Biologo. Benches are heated by convected hot air from the core.
Assembly drawings for these heaters are available in the Members' Lounge

Masonry Heaters to be Included in Building Code!

Text of proposed wording, with some comments from Jim Buckley

Residential Wood Combustion Technology Review

by James Houck and Paul Tiegs
"I would commend this report to anyone who is interested in the state of the art of North American stove technology and test methodology." ....John Gulland
800 Kb Acrobat file

Chimney Component Suppliers and Manufacturers

Good resource on the National Chimney Sweeps Guild website

John Gulland's Trip to Honduras

Interesting photo report on the effects of hurricance Mitch, Honduran efficient cookstove program, and a chimney seminar that John presented

House Depressurization Workshop

with Norbert Senf and Bob Lapo

Clean Combustion of Wood

by A.M. Hasan and R. Khan
An excellent paper, well worthy of study by anyone planning to design a testing program for stoves
3 Mb. Requires free Adobe Acrobat viewer

Stoves Mailing List

Mainly aimed at improved third world cookstoves, but deals with a lot of interesting combustion issues as well. This is where most of the world's stove junkies hang out!

Life Cycle Analysis of a Residential Home in Michigan

by Steve Blanchard and Peter Reppe

  • Recommended download!
  • Important reading for any heater builder who wants to make informed environmental arguments to his/her clients.
  • Although a few parts are technical, this paper will give you a good basic education in current energy efficient housing (EEH) principles.
  • The environmental considerations are put into a very useful context - this is the best argument for installing a masonry heater. Find out why!

The CMU Air-Core Passive Hybrid Heat Storage System

Draft paper by Bion Howard, to be presented