Furnaces, potbelly stoves

Furnace potbelly stove for the house. Varieties and principle of operation.

The potbelly stove has gained wide popularity due to its simple design and trouble-free operation. Most often, it is installed in baths, in summer cottages, or even in apartments, subject to all conditions for safe operation.

Principle of operation
The metal potbelly stove is a compact device that allows you to quickly heat up the room and maintain the optimum temperature in it for a long period. Such a furnace does not require additional equipment, it can be easily moved from one place to another.

A standard potbelly stove consists of the following components:

• long burning chamber;
• ash pan;
• pipe outlet for a standard chimney;
• legs and frame;
• door with a latch.

In equipment of this type, as in other furnaces, a chimney with a door must be present to maintain combustion at the desired level and comply with safety standards.

Varieties of bourgeois
By purpose, such devices are divided into heating options designed for space heating, and stoves with hobs. Cast iron or metal is used as a material for their manufacture. Cast iron devices have a low level of thermal conductivity, but at the same time they are able to retain heat indoors for as long as possible.

Due to the large weight of cast iron, it is problematic to transport such furnaces, so they are installed in one place for a long time. Metal options with special screens quickly heat up rooms, but give off heat faster due to its accelerated release. Optimum metal potbelly stoves, complemented by external sheets of metal, which allows them to stay hot for a long time.

Classic potbelly stove
Depending on the duration of burning, furnaces are also divided into two types. Classic - these are stoves with the simplest possible design, which includes a body with compartments for the furnace and ash, as well as a chimney. The device allows you to quickly heat a small room by burning firewood, but it does not help to save on fuel.

Potbelly stove of long burning
These are stoves in which the fuel does not burn, but slowly smolders, due to which one load of firewood or briquettes burns out completely within 1–2 days. Structurally, a long-burning potbelly stove consists of several compartments. One of them is loaded with fuel. Approximately 20 minutes after the start of burning, when the firewood is already completely engulfed in fire, the hole through which the air is supplied is almost completely blocked.

As a result, the flame almost dies out and the process of smoldering and gas evolution begins, which then enters the second chamber. The gas released during the pyrolysis process is also combusted, which releases a large amount of heat. Obvious advantages: good efficiency, high level of efficiency and low fuel consumption.

What kind of chimney is needed for a potbelly stove
Without a chimney, it will be impossible to use a potbelly stove, so you should take care of it in advance. During the assembly process, a smoke channel is assembled from pipes and a corner element, which is then welded to the finished potbelly stove.
Also, brick, pipes made of steel or other metal, ceramics, vermiculite or asbestos cement are used as a material for the chimney. Choosing the right option should be based on the budget and complexity of installation.
Ready-made stainless steel pipes will be the best budget choice, their main advantages are low weight, reasonable price and no difficulties at all stages of assembly.

How to choose a potbelly stove?
Before buying a heater, it is important to pay attention to the following parameters:

1. Purpose of operation. When choosing a device, it is important to determine in advance for what purposes it will be used, since modern potbelly stoves are suitable not only for heating. They can also be used for cooking or as a decorative element of the interior.
2. Power. This parameter directly depends on the area of ​​the heated room. In addition, when calculating, it is worth taking into account the material from which the room is built. For houses made of concrete, stone or brick, more powerful models should be chosen. On average, 1 kW of thermal energy is required per 10 m².
3. Working hours. If users are planning a long heating period, it is worth purchasing a long-burning potbelly stove.
4. Dimensions. The stove must be installed away from furniture and interior items. The distance from the walls should be at least 40–50 cm. In this case, the dimensions of the heater must be correlated with the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room.
5. The weight. Massive cast iron models may require additional strengthening of the floor or even the foundation before installing the podium under the stove. It is especially important to take into account the weight of the heater if it is planned to be installed in a wooden house.
6. Chimney type. On the market there are models with a horizontal and vertical type of chimney. This must be taken into account when choosing the location of the furnace.