Speaking of the stove, an idea of a wooden house, a bathhouse or a boiler room appears. But today there are many designs of this type. Some fit in well with modern private homes and apartments. Not so long ago, a stove-potbelly stove was the main heating facility. She did not spoil the interior and even gave it a touch of personality and color. But, time does not stand still - today a lot has changed. Most often, such a heating system is found in cottages and in garages.
Characteristic
A potbelly stove is known to many from past years, it was in demand back in the 50s.
It was used not only in cottages, but also in private houses, when heat was supplied intermittently. This device has not lost popularity and is actively used to this day.
Pros and cons
The plus is that it quickly heats up any room when it is required to maintain heat for a short period of time (for example, in a garage). If you give preference to a standard stove, then it will take longer to expect warmth from it. It is clear that there are advantages, but are there any negative aspects to such a heating system? The stove-potbelly stove has an increased fire hazard. Therefore, where it is located, it is worth preparing the necessary components:
- Primary extinguishing media. Water, sand, fire extinguisher.
- Do not place flammable elements near. These are rags, paper, etc.
- If necessary, protect the space. Install iron barriers near the walls.
How to make a potbelly stove? Such a question was rarely asked, because the artisanal method would not be useful for any room. Although, few people stop it. In addition, in special stores there are such installations on sale. At the same time, the modern design has its advantages:
- Nice appearance. The device is covered with high-quality enamels with thermal protection functions.
- On the door there is a protective glass that is resistant to fire.
- There is a cast iron stove for cooking.
We can say for sure that the stove-potbelly stove is the simplest and most unpretentious heating element. In addition to standard models, on sale you can find unique retro designs for connoisseurs of antiques. But at the same time, modern material is used in the creation.
What do you need to know about?
The most common option for creating a potbelly stove is from a barrel. It should be 200 liters. Then there is enough space to fix all the furnace structures. Masters note that this design has its drawbacks (low coefficient of efficiency). If you try to increase it, then it will burn out in a short period of operation. Why it happens?
It all depends not only on the thin metal, but also on the height of the structure itself. It turns out that it is worthwhile to raise the grid-irons of such a stove of a potbelly stove, but in this situation it is necessary to strengthen the lower part with a brick. Or remake the upper half and create a refractory oven through which the chimney passes.
After such work, the whole system will become more complex, which means it will last longer (about five years). Although the efficiency will not increase much. There are other options for creating a heating system with your own hands. Cylinders are often used, but industrial products are definitely not suitable. But the gas cylinder used in everyday life is a completely normal option.
But before working with such material, it is carefully weathered to eliminate gas residues. Here it is necessary to create conditions in which a working structure will bring the necessary heat. Much depends on the chimney. If it is located in a regular neck, then the percentage of heat transfer will be small. After all, it should be in the back of the whole structure. When the structure is made from a cylinder on its side, this is not an optimal solution for slow burning.
Interesting ideas
It is believed that a gas stove in the garage is most often used. The fact is that not everyone creates a full-fledged heating device. Some masters come up with a variety of species that sometimes surprise. One option is a gas stove. The most elementary option is the installation of a propane burner in the furnace. There is one significant minus - the gas cylinder runs out quickly. Why is this happening? The answer is simple - the design is not designed for the consumption of such fuel.
The fact is that gas is a unique fuel and is capable of producing maximum heat with the right design: this is the presence of a heat-exchange surface and registers with water for heat transfer. It just burns quickly and does not leave much heat. A stove-stove has nothing that could hold this heat. Its design does not provide for the preservation of the heating temperature. It is believed that Soviet stoves also have this disadvantage.
Aesthetics
Is it possible to fit such a heater into the interior? In stores you can find an elementary design of a wood-burning stove. To create it, high-quality iron is used so that it lasts as long as possible. Such designs have been used for a long time, but they will successfully look against the background of a classic interior. How to make a stove for a summer house an element of the interior and even the dominant component?
The design is in the form of a fireplace. It is made antique or with modern notes. What is the basis? This is a firebox capable of heating with biofuel. Such a mobile potbelly stove is capable of not only decorating a room, but also warming it.
This design can be entered into a city apartment. But do not forget that for normal operation a chimney will be required. In some old buildings, where wood titans were present, this exit is available. Although some modern layouts imply such an addition.
Do you need any permissions?
In order for a cast-iron stove-potbelly stove to start heating any room, permits from various organizations are not required. Why? The answer is simple: it is a non-stationary design with a heating function. Firefighters do not require documents for storing the barbecue, so everyone can afford such a heating unit.
Another significant plus is the low cost. In specialized stores, it will cost up to twenty thousand rubles. If you make a comparison with fireplaces, the latter requires coordination, and the devices themselves are quite expensive. But, in the event of a fire, it will not work to evade responsibility, although it is impossible to impose a fine on such a structure during operation.
But the army stove-potbelly stove does not fall under such privileges. After all, this is a serious design with mounts. For a full installation, it is attached to the foundation. The result is a stationary heater. You will have to get all the relevant operating permits before starting the launch.
How to use?
From the name that the stove received at the beginning of the 20th century, it is clear that it was not the bourgeois who came up with this design, but it is so named because of its structure and the large consumption of firewood. Today, for her work to be at the highest level, it is necessary to calculate the amount of fuel for each structure. Everyone has their own returns and efficiency - you should not allow useless work. Heat comes from air circulation. When excess fuel is used, an unnecessary amount of gas is generated. Useful energy simply goes into the chimney.
But this does not mean that you have to sit and calculate the level of return. After all, a heating stove is considered an unpretentious device. The mass of fuel is different to get maximum efficiency. This is how this boiler starts up:
- Preparing fuel in the amount of one bucket.
- One scoop is laid inside.
- Fuel is being ignited.
- Further it is enclosed until the beginning of the chimney (hog) begins to heat up and change color.
- The selected quantity is evaluated and the tab continues. Hog remains half dark. This will be the maximum load.
Before starting work, a test is carried out during which it is estimated how much material is required to heat such a furnace. You will not be able to see the heat on a sunny day, so this is done in cloudy weather or in the evening. Firewood is not always taken for fuel; there are also better pellets. After arson, the glow occurs unevenly.
What is worth understanding about the design features?
According to experts, when creating a potbelly stove using the artisanal method, it will not produce maximum heat. Fuel is not used rationally. But modern designs allow you to create conditions to become a full-fledged heating device.
A similar unit is made high. This makes it possible to burn gas residues during combustion. As a result, the useful heat increases, and the outgoing smoke becomes less hot. There is thermal glass in the door, which makes the structure a fireplace where there is a special locking device (for fire safety).
The old bourgeoisie opened the door to regulate combustion. On modern now there is a valve. It turns out that risking and opening the door is not necessary for the flow of air. In addition, this addition allows you to adjust the degree of combustion. To quickly heat the room, the valve is completely removed. If you need to maintain a certain temperature, it is fixed. Thus, the operation of the entire device is regulated and fuel is saved.
Particular attention is paid to the chimney, because it is made from a conventional metal pipe. Over time, it burns out from high temperatures. This leads to the ignition of structures. This is not safe, therefore, in modern stoves created a special smoke chamber. Its main task is to reduce the temperature of the gas coming from combustion. How does this happen?
After fuel combustion, smoke enters the chamber, where heat from it enters the furnace. And chilled fumes are already passing into the hog and into the street. But the design of the chamber is not always carried out precisely in the heating device. Some mount cranked or spiral systems. Gas flows through them, gradually losing its temperature. This heat is used to warm the room.
The main plus of the furnace is its multifunctionality. After all, food is prepared on it, and also any room quickly heats up. From practical application it is clear that a small size design is able to quickly heat a room of 50 square meters. Although such a boiler is rarely used for cooking.
A cast-iron stove with a burner is suitable for a summer cottage to cook food. The dimensions of the model will allow you to place a different number of burners. Reviews about the stove-potbelly stove note one feature - in the design two functions are combined. This is heating and cooking. Some use them not only in the country.
Reviews
In general, there are different opinions about potbelly stoves. The positive aspects are that it is reliable and undemanding in service. In order for it to last longer, a design of cast iron is selected. This is the opinion of users. Reviews also note ergonomics, namely, the ability to move the structure in any direction without installation work. Although this requires the presence of a chimney. The pipe can be brought to any place, provided the camera is mounted.
Cons are present. The biggest one is that metal is not able to retain heat. After warming up even a small room, turning off the potbelly stove quickly cools down. According to the owners of the furnace, it does not matter what metal the system is made of. According to reviews, it is clear that special attention is paid to fire safety, since the system quickly and strongly heats up. This means that there should be no flammable things near the structure. Although in modern designs there is a reservation that the metal is coated with additional compounds. But they eventually lose their abilities.
To purchase an elementary potbelly stove, it is enough to have an amount of five to ten thousand rubles. Basically, these are hiking models, without additional functionality. For a full-format design, you will have to pay more than 15 thousand rubles. But this is a multi-functional unit. Although manufacturers did not stop there. A beautiful, author-designed potbelly stove can reach up to 50 thousand rubles in the price segment. But the basis is only modern developments, high-quality metal and the principles of long burning.
Finally
A stove-potbelly stove is a unique unit that can be used both in a house and in an apartment. But with self-assembly and the selection of the finished option, it is worth thinking about where it will be operated and understand the process of work. If you only need to heat the room, then the size and availability of additional heat chambers will bring increased efficiency. For hiking, mobility and low weight are important. In this case, the presence of a cooking stove (this is a collapsible stove-potbelly stove) will be a positive moment. When buying, you should pay attention to additional components that allow you to conduct full-fledged maintenance of the structure. Do not forget about such a nuance as cleaning the ash pan and the furnace itself. Taking care, you can buy a good helper for a summer residence or change the interior design in the house.