Just a couple of decades ago, the entire choice of metal stoves came down to handicrafts of dubious performance. The modern market offers a variety of metal stoves for the home, among which you can find stylish multifunctional models that do an excellent job of heating rooms and look presentable. They are easy to install, easy to operate and maintain.

Manufacturers of heating equipment are constantly working to create new competitive models, improve design, and equip stoves with additional useful elements. Choosing a suitable stove is not easy, but if you take into account all the nuances and correctly calculate the required performance, you can get an economical and easy-to-use home heating system. So how to choose?

Beautiful arched stoves with glass doors fit perfectly into the design of country-style rooms

Why should you choose a metal stove?

There are five criteria that home owners follow when choosing metal models:

• efficiency;
• ease of installation and operation;
• durability;
• compactness, light weight;
• reliability.

Metal heating stoves for the home quickly warm up the air in the room. This is facilitated by design features: manufacturers set themselves the task of developing models that, when heated, create powerful convection currents. Due to this, the house quickly warms up. If previously you could get seriously burned on the stove body, modern models have protective screens that protect against injury and at the same time ensure even faster and more uniform distribution of heat.

Manufacturers try to equip their products so that buyers of furnaces invest as little effort as possible in the installation of equipment, and operation does not require any effort at all. Metal models are relatively lightweight and easy to transport and install. Thanks to their modest size, they take up little space and look good. If necessary, the structure can be dismantled without unnecessary labor costs and with a minimum amount of construction waste.

The main complaint about metal stoves is the rapid burning of wood and cooling of the premises. With the invention of long-burning stoves, the problem was solved. In one chamber, the fuel burns with limited access to oxygen, and the gas released during the smoldering process is burned in the other. This allows you to heat for 8-10 hours without adding firewood.

For the manufacture of modern furnaces, high-strength heat-resistant steel and cast iron are used. When choosing, you must pay attention to the manufacturer, the quality of the material, and the thickness of the metal. Heating equipment can last for decades. When purchasing, it is better to overpay a little, but buy a high-quality model, than to save money and face the need to replace it in a couple of years.

Compact Finnish model in a modern minimalist interior

Types of metal stoves for home

Depending on the needs of the home owner, you can choose a model with the necessary functions. There are these:

• Heating. They are intended exclusively for heating the home; they do not perform any additional functions. Some models are designed as fireplaces; they are often classified as a separate category.
• Heating and cooking. Can be used for cooking. Such models have a kitchen stove, and some designs even have an oven.
• Household. Such stoves are installed not only in residential premises, but also in bathhouses, garages, and utility rooms.

Models differ in heat capacity, efficiency, shape, design, and materials used. You need to choose taking into account all the features of the room in which the stove will be installed and its functionality. When calculating productivity, one should take into account not only the cubic capacity of the room, but also the degree of its thermal insulation, as well as climatic conditions.

Schematic representation of heating a house with a stove with a water circuit

Review of the most popular models

Having figured out the functionality and required performance, the home owner is faced with the problem of choosing a manufacturer and a specific model. You can only trust home heating to reliable companies that have been successfully competing in the heating equipment market for a long time. Imported models are usually more expensive, but better quality than their domestic counterparts. Russian stoves are attractive due to their price.

Heating stoves and fireplace stoves

These structures are easy to install, they quickly and efficiently warm up the house. The difference between a metal fireplace and a stove is the transparent door, which allows you to admire the view of the fire. Models with heat-resistant glass are more expensive than stoves with opaque doors, but look better in the interior. Most Popular:

• Vesuvius 150 kz. Economical domestic model with coil lining. The oven is made of high-quality steel with a thickness of 5 mm. The convenient ash drawer is designed so that it can be cleaned while the stove is heating. The door is cast iron, with glass, with self-cleaning and self-cooling systems. The top part of the model gets very hot, so if desired, it can be used as a hob.
• Termofor-Butakov-Engineer. The model is equipped with a cast iron door with glass and a stainless steel protective screen. Screens are less durable than the entire structure as a whole, and periodically need to be replaced, because burn out, but they protect the convection pipes of the boiler well. The stove runs on coal. Manufacturer – Russia.
• THORMA Borgholm Keramik 950. Manufacturer – Slovakia. Furnace efficiency is 79%. The model is lined with tiles, very beautiful, practical and durable. The firebox is lined with fireclay and equipped with a firewood rack.

When choosing a stove, also pay attention to brand products La Nordica And Jotul. Each model of these brands is a real work of art. Cast iron elements are often stylized as forged, heat-resistant glass looks thin and weightless. The external cladding is invariably beautiful: designers pay special attention to the decorative elements.

Metal wood-burning fireplace Jotul F100BP – exquisite design, sophisticated decor, high efficiency

Heating and cooking stoves

Food cooked on a live fire always seems much tastier than on gas. If you are using a wood stove for heating, it makes sense to choose a model with a hob. We can recommend the following:

• Nordika Izotta. A unique model that combines the functions of a fireplace stove and a hob. The increased volume of the firebox allows you to heat a room up to 280 m3. The body and cooking part are made of cast iron. The stove is aesthetically pleasing, reliable, and multifunctional.
• Fire-battery 7. Manufacturer: Russian company Termofor. The compact model is equipped with a spacious firebox, a burner with two rings, and looks stylish. A thoughtful design allows you to achieve maximum efficiency of the furnace with a fairly modest size. You can adjust the burning intensity. The chimney is connected both from above and to the rear wall.

Heating and cooking stove with oven and firewood. The transparent door allows you to observe the fire and control the combustion process

Metal solid fuel stoves are the choice of people seeking to equip autonomous heating systems. The structures can be installed in any room. They are safe, reliable and will last a long time. If you choose a model with a hob, fuel will be used with maximum benefit - both for heating and for cooking. Take a closer look, decide, buy. Let your home always be warm and cozy!

Video: metal stoves for baths and saunas

Metal stoves are very popular due to their low cost, and are widely used for heating country houses, bathhouses, utility rooms, and garages.

For example, on the website of the Teplodar company https://www.teplodar.ru/catalog/otopitelnie-pechi-kaminy/ there are 6 stoves for heating houses and cottages at a price of 6,760 rubles.

But you can do it yourself, it’s not that difficult. Of course, they have advantages compared to brick kilns, but they also have disadvantages.

Design Features

The simplest design of a metal stove is the so-called potbelly stove. Its design is quite simple: a metal box with legs, a door, and a pipe for removing combustion products. The main disadvantage of this stove is its high fuel consumption and low heat output. Another big disadvantage is the risk of fire.

The Russian name for this type of stove is based on the association with the caricature of the bourgeois, depicted as a man with a fat belly.

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B6%D1%83%D0%B9%D0%BA%D0%B0

Simple stove "potbelly stove"

Modern metal stoves are much safer than stoves. Their production is carried out from sheet steel, up to 4–5 mm thick. The design includes a special chamber for laying stones. A water tank with a capacity of up to 70 liters is provided as a heat storage tank. To heat the stove evenly, as well as to reduce its fire hazard, it is recommended to line the stove with heat-resistant bricks.

Some examples of modern stoves

Advantages

• Metal is quite durable, but it is also a more malleable material that allows you to give it any shape. Able to withstand large temperature changes and severe loads during product operation.
• It is worth noting the high efficiency of the metal stove, reaching 95%.
• The thermal conductivity of the metal is high; accordingly, the furnace warms up quite quickly and the room heats up.
• The strength of metal only increases with decreasing thickness, unlike ceramics.
• The weight of a stove is an order of magnitude, and sometimes more, lower than a stone or brick one, which in turn makes it possible to avoid constructing a bulky monolithic foundation.
• The low cost of heat produced (for metal stoves is 10–20 times lower than for brick stoves) is another plus in the treasury of advantages of this type of stove.
• An important factor is the transportability of such a stove and ease of installation on site; you only need to install a chimney.
• When no longer needed, it can be easily stored until the next heating season.

Flaws

• Probably the most basic drawback is that the stove does not “breathe.” Whereas a brick stove absorbs moisture when cooling, thereby maintaining optimal humidity. A slight “breathing” of the stove will appear after brick lining, but mobility will disappear and the dimensions will increase.
• Due to the low heat capacity of the metal, heat transfer after fuel combustion usually does not exceed 2–3 hours.
• The big disadvantage of a metal stove is its lifespan. At operating temperatures, the metal actively reacts with moisture contained in the air, and as a result, accelerates corrosion. The service life of a metal furnace usually does not exceed twenty years. But this is fully compensated by the easy and inexpensive replacement of the stove and cheap fuel.

Kinds

At the moment, the market offers two types of metal stoves for the home, made from cast iron and steel. In terms of heat transfer, a cast iron stove is between brick and steel. The option of making a cast iron stove with your own hands disappears immediately, since you need to organize the process of casting cast iron, which is basically impossible on a suburban site. This requires special equipment. But you can build a stove made of sheet metal with your own hands, and in some cases, practically without spending money.

Stove made by cast iron

Sample of a factory-made steel furnace.

Oven made of sheet steel

Operating principle and design

Let's look at the general operating diagrams of furnaces. The main diagrams used in the figures:

Schemes of the operating principle of furnaces

Chamber system

In the furnace of the chamber system, combustion products are transferred into the gas chamber and there they burn out. The air flow is formed naturally. In chamber furnaces intended for domestic use, the firebox and afterburning chamber are located in one module - the crucible. For complete afterburning of gases, the chamber must have vaulted walls. A good example of a chamber system is the Russian stove. With some improvements, chamber ovens are quite effective.

Channel system

The duct system organizes the forced movement of gases from the fire source, through channels inside the stove, to the chimney. Combustion products, burning down and passing through the channels, cool down, giving off heat to the stove. The efficiency of such a furnace is about 60%, and in order for the gases to begin to burn out, it is necessary to first bring the furnace to an operating temperature of 400 degrees.

Bell system

In this system, the gases are under the dome of the bell and, when burned, go down the walls of the furnace, giving off the remaining heat. In this system, to start combustion of gases, it is necessary to warm up a small area of ​​the hood dome. The efficiency in furnaces of this type can reach 70% or higher.

Schemes of metal furnaces and improvements

It is well known that metal heats up quickly, but also cools down quickly, its low heat capacity makes it an unimportant heat storage device, but if you take into account some of the properties of the material, classical schemes can be applied to metal furnaces and get the most out of them, since heat losses during heating minimized. Let's consider two schemes.

Schemes of metal furnaces

Chamber (A)

A typical representative is the “potbelly stove”. Its prototypes, indoor stoves, were used in the 19th century and were extremely voracious in terms of fuel. During the times of devastation and upheaval after the revolution, the “potbelly stove” was improved and christened by its current name.

The following improvements have been made:

1. To adjust the heat transfer power, a grate and a blower with a door were inserted into the furnace.
2. The chimney diameter is 9–10 millimeters per 0.23 kilocalories of thermal energy.
3. Low chimney height, up to 3 meters from the plane of the grate.
4. The beginning of the chimney up to 1–1.5 m is made vertically and covered with heat-insulating non-combustible material.
5. Next, the chimney continued with a horizontal section - a hog - no less than 2.5 m long; it was inserted into the window and another vertical segment of 1–1.5 meters was added to provide draft.

Duct (B)

The potbelly stove can be easily adapted to a duct scheme. Of course, only the appearance will be common with a brick stove. The channels will be of little use due to the high thermal conductivity of the metal; all that remains of the original system is a horizontal section separating the afterburning chamber and the firebox. Additional air for afterburning gases comes from holes on the hob or through a separate adjustable air duct. The chimney outlet is horizontal.

Results of improvements:

1. Thanks to the afterburning of gases in a localized place, the efficiency increased to 70–80%
2. The released thermal energy increased by 2–3 times.
3. The stove is undemanding in terms of draft force and chimney characteristics; it behaves like a simple potbelly stove: the draft has increased, the combustion and the rarefaction of the environment in the gas afterburner have increased. More secondary air enters and the gases burn completely.
4. Since the main power is produced in the afterburner, the furnace can operate in two modes: flame and long burning.
5. Good heat transfer from the firebox through a fairly thin partition gives the afterburner the required temperature for ignition of unburned gases, so the stove enters operating mode almost instantly.
6. A separate air supply to the firebox and afterburner allows the stove to be configured for almost any solid fuel.
7. The heat transfer power of the furnace can be easily adjusted by the level of the blower air supply. In a classic potbelly stove, air power control is severely limited.
8. Thanks to the afterburner, the temperature under the hob is kept within 250–300 degrees, which is quite comfortable for cooking.
9. The high release of thermal energy from the stove allows you to heat the room evenly and quickly.
10. You can also install a heat exchange circuit for hot water supply at the entrance to the chimney.
11. When using high-quality firewood or coal, you will have to clean the chimney every 5 years.

Drawing and calculation of parameters

What size the stove will have and what it will look like should be decided by everyone for themselves. People with engineering thinking and practical skills can make their own adjustments to the simplest design to improve and simplify the system.

Sketch and drawing of a potbelly stove:

Drawing of a potbelly stove

Materials and tools

• Drawing and sketch of the future structure with dimensions.
• Sheet metal, 4–5 mm thick.
• Steel corners.
• Steel tubes with a diameter of 15–20 mm or fittings with a diameter of 10–12 mm for the grate.
• Metal pipe with a diameter of 180 mm.
• Arc welding, electrodes 3.
• An angle grinder (grinder) with a cutting wheel, a hammer, a tape measure, a pencil or a marker.

How to make a metal stove with your own hands: step-by-step steps

1. The furnace body will be assembled from rectangular steel sheets, butt welding them. Take a grinder and cut five rectangles according to the dimensions given in the drawing. We'll deal with the front part later, since there will be a door for the firebox and a vent.

   

   Steel sheets cut to size

2. First you need to weld the sides to the bottom. First, we place one side panel to the bottom, using a square to control the right angle between the planes, and tack the joint at several points by welding. We make the second sidewall by analogy with the first. We check the right angles, the width of the bottom corresponds to the distance between the side walls at the top where the hob will be. After making sure that everything is correct, we weld the joints completely.
3. We weld the back wall to the side panels and the bottom. We mark the side walls from the inside for smoke circulation of the firebox and ash pan according to the drawing into three zones. Between the firebox and the ash pan there will be a grate on which the fuel is directly placed. To attach it to the inner surface of the sidewalls at a height of 10–15 cm from the bottom, corners are welded along the entire length of the panels. The corners should be welded with the shelf down.

   

   Welding walls and corners to them

4. We proceed to the manufacture of the grate. The materials you will need are: cuttings of water pipes with a diameter of 15–20 mm and a length equal to or greater (the excess is cut off) to the internal width of the oven. Instead of pipes, fittings with a diameter of 10–12 mm are perfect. Reinforcement or two steel rods with a diameter of 15–20 mm or strips of thick (4–5 mm) steel along the length of the stove.
5. We place the fittings (tubes) on the rods in increments of 3–5 cm and weld them securely.

   

   Manufacturing of grate

6. The grate must be removable, so it is not welded to the corners. The need to remove the grate arises when cleaning and repairing a potbelly stove or replacing the grate itself.

   

   Removable elements - grille and reflector

7. Next, we weld two rods (pieces of reinforcement) at the top of the stove to install the reflector. It shares the firebox with the afterburner and the chimney and is removable. More details in the picture:

   

   Location of the main elements in the furnace

8. The length of the reflector should be 10/11 the length of the potbelly stove to create a gap for the smoke to escape. It is advisable to make it from thicker metal, since it will heat up much more than other structural elements.
9. Let's start finishing work. We weld a hole in the lid of the required size and cross-section for the chimney; it can also be made on the assembled structure. We weld the lid to the stove body. Then you need to cut two jumpers. One is narrow and the other is wide (the exact dimensions depend on the specific dimensions of the oven). The narrow one is welded at the level of the grate to separate the firebox doors and ash pan, and the wide one is welded at the top to the sides and lid.

   

   Welding of dividing bridges

10. It is best to make the door for the firebox almost the entire width of the stove, both for the convenience of loading firewood and for easy removal of the mirror and grate. For the ash pan you can make it narrower. We make curtains from tubes and rods.

    

    Doors on a finished stove

11. Door handles can be made from either metal plates or pipe scraps. Alternatively, you can use the same universal fittings. We fasten the finished handles by welding. I think there shouldn’t be any difficulties with making door latches.

    

    The oven is almost ready

12. After finishing the assembly, you should think about the stove supports. The legs can be made from pipe sections of the desired height. The supports can also be made adjustable in height; for these purposes, a nut is welded to the end of the tube (the inner diameter of the nut and tube must match each other) and a bolt is screwed in.
13. Let's start making the chimney. A pipe with a diameter of 15–20 cm is suitable for its manufacture. We take the end of the pipe outside the room through a hole in the wall or roof. The angles in the pipe should be 45 degrees, that is, there should be a complete absence of horizontal segments along the entire path. We make a rotary damper at the bottom of the chimney. It can be made from a piece of sheet steel; the diameter of the cut valve should be slightly smaller than the diameter of the pipe. We drill a hole in the pipe for the damper adjustment handle; a steel rod is suitable for this purpose. We weld a sleeve from a pipe section of 15–20 cm to the hole in the lid; its diameter should be slightly smaller than the diameter of the chimney pipe in order to make the process of installing or dismantling the chimney as easy as possible. All that remains is to install the stove and test it.

Photo gallery: stove manufacturing process

Assembled chimney Chimney installed on the stove

Lining

Metal stoves are often lined with bricks on the outside and inside. But there are two reasons why you shouldn’t do this:

1. Brick has rather low thermal conductivity and high heat capacity. The heat generated by burning fuel in the firebox simply flies out into the chimney along with the smoke. without having time to warm up the metal walls of the potbelly stove.
2. The stove surface is deprived of air access, thereby significantly accelerating the burnout of the walls and the risk of carbon monoxide entering the room, which is dangerous to human health and life.

Selection and preparation of installation site

For this type of stoves, there is no need to build a monolithic foundation due to their low weight. To select an installation location, you should be guided by such parameters as distance from doors and windows (for less heat loss) and the convenience of removing the chimney from the room. Garages and utility rooms usually have a concrete floor, so no underlayment is required. In rooms with wooden floors, a sheet of asbestos or tin should be laid over the installation site and secured around the perimeter with self-tapping screws. To avoid heat loss, foil thermal insulation can be glued to the walls near the installation site.

Decoration

To decorate a potbelly stove, you can use chamotte plates or decorative metal plates, or you can simply paint the stove with special heat-resistant paints to your taste, after cleaning the surfaces with sandpaper.

Exploitation

Some requirements for safe operation, following which you will protect yourself and your loved ones:

• The stove must be placed on a fireproof base.
• All flammable objects and liquids must be kept at a safe distance of 80–100 cm from the stove.
• You should not completely fill the firebox with wood at one time.
• Always make sure that the firebox door is closed when using the stove.
• Regularly inspect the chimney for leaky places to avoid smoke entering the room.
• Do not leave the oven running unattended for long periods of time.
• Do not try to touch the oven body while it is operating to avoid burns.

Cleaning and Maintenance

With intensive use of the stove, soot and dirt are deposited in the chimney channel, and gradually accumulating, narrowing the lumen of the channel, which entails a decrease in draft and overall efficiency of the structure. It is enough to check the chimney once a year for contamination and, if necessary, clean it of soot. There are several ways to clean a chimney:

• Mechanical, with a brush or brush.
• Chemical, by burning potato peelings in a firebox, while the released starch softens the soot and it comes out.

For better efficiency, you can combine these two methods. The best way to remove carbon deposits from the walls of the firebox is with a metal brush. The mirror and grate are easily removed for replacement or minor repairs.

Video: how to make a potbelly stove yourself

Making a metal stove yourself is not as difficult as it might initially seem. Of course, this design is not the only option of its kind, but it is already proven and reliable.

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In country buildings or cottages, metal wood-burning stoves are often installed for heating rooms and cooking. This is economical, practical and functional, since by heating such a structure, you can simultaneously cook food, heat water and supply warm air to the rooms. Traditional brick stoves do not have such high productivity, so owners of country houses choose steel/metal stoves for heating.

Before installing such a structure in your own home, there are several factors to consider. First, the expected frequency of use of the oven. Secondly, will people live indoors permanently, or only periodically, and over what period of time this will happen. Thirdly, the area of ​​the house and the location of the rooms are taken into account. If you are not in a hurry, you can choose the best option for a country stove that runs on wood.

Modern stoves, which run on wood and are made of metal, bear little resemblance to a “potbelly stove”. Metal stoves for the home are usually divided into two groups:

• Classic ones that operate using a direct combustion system.
• Heating units designed for long-term combustion.

This or that system may be present in steel ovens that are intended for cooking or heating. There are a large number of such stoves on the market, among them the following are worth noting:

Home stove models

Buleryan

This is a Canadian designed and built oven. It is quite easy to use and has a simple design. The main part of the stove (firebox) is made in the shape of a steel cylinder, the thickness of which is 5-6 mm. The hole for supplying coal (door) is made at the end of the furnace. Adjacent to the main part are round (or rectangular) pipes that are hollow inside. After heating, these pipes create the necessary transfer of warm air in the desired direction.

A grate for maintaining coal (grid) is made at the bottom of the firebox. At the top of the firebox there is a fence that divides the main part of the stove into two halves. This was done so that it could be heated with both coal and gas. The smoke exit hole is located on the back side of the door and is combined with the firebox, allowing smoke to escape safely to the street.

Butakov stove

It was tested in extreme conditions of a cold climate, not meeting the expectations of the owners of the patent for this invention. This brand has several varieties. The models, which are planned to be used around the clock, are improved with glass barriers. The stove consumes 12 times less fuel than a potbelly stove, and two times less than conventional brickwork.

Model "Student"

This happens due to the fact that in such a furnace the fuel does not burn, but smolders (pyrolysis process). The only negative is that the chimney pipe is not sealed enough and water may drip from there during the transition of steam into liquid. There are 6 types of such stoves. “Gymnasium student” is the most convenient in size.

Breneran

Russian model of the Buleryan stove. The oven is not heavy and compact. It is suitable for both living space and garage. Testing of such a stove was carried out in the mountainous areas of Tajikistan, where border office premises are equipped with stoves of this type. Breneran stoves come in 5 sizes, with a power of up to 35 kilowatts.

Teplodar-Matrix

This is a successful combination of design and functionality. In stoves of this type, it is possible to burn continuously for 8 hours (with one fuel supply). The convection compartment housing creates uniform heating and protects against negative radiation. The depth of the smoke exhaust compartment and the compact design of the stove saves space and creates additional advantages during installation - the chimney can be made in the direction in which it is necessary or convenient. This manufacturer has a fairly large selection of models, so you can choose the best option based on your needs and preferences.

Teplodar-Matrix 100

Teplodar-Matrix 200

Suitable if you need to heat a room up to 200 square meters. For garage premises, the best option is the Teplodar T series. For kitchen areas, a Vertical fireplace stove is ideal. If uniform heating of the living space is of paramount importance, it is better to choose the Vesuvius model.

Termofor

High-quality domestic stoves for heating areas with an air volume of 50 to 250 cubic meters. The power of such furnaces reaches 13 kilowatts. Suitable for heating both residential and non-residential premises. Some models have added fans for better dispersal of warm air. A large number of different models are presented - Ermak, Normal, Indigirka, Cinderella, etc. These stoves are compact and have an efficiency of up to 90%. Some models have glass shutters.

Advantages of wood stoves

The main advantages are:

• The presence of a casing that has holes for air or a combustion chamber with a system of pipes that exhaust air.
• The casing absorbs all the radiation, and when it heats up, it releases heat into the room.
• You can regulate the flow of fresh air into the firebox.
• The presence of several partitions located above the combustion chamber. As a result, the gases do not exit directly into the pipe, but first give off heat and only then go into the pipe.
• A long period of operation, which is associated with the use of refractory bricks in furnaces, the use of hobs made of cast iron, steel or other metal.
• The presence of heat exchangers that heat water, but such systems are only available in a few models.
• The so-called afterburning process of pyrolysis gases that are released during combustion occurs.
• Wood in the stove produces electricity.
• Wood-burning metal stoves release smoke to the right place, which allows you to regulate the heat balance in the living room. As a result, the rooms can maintain a stable temperature for 24 hours.

Other advantages of metal stoves, the operating principle of which is based on wood, include environmental friendliness, safety, and affordability. In particular, this applies to firewood, which is considered an environmentally friendly type of fuel. And its price is lower than for coal or peat. It is worth considering that firewood supplies must be replenished and placed in a specially designated place.

Disadvantages of metal stoves

No matter what high-quality stove model that is suitable in size and functionality is chosen, it must be remembered that any stove, no matter how ideally it fits, always has disadvantages.

Metal stoves are inferior to brick stoves in terms of heat retention. When heating a room with such models, warm air is retained in it for only a couple of hours, and in the morning there will be no more heat. But we can solve this drawback if we buy a metal stove that operates continuously. After purchasing and installing it, you can forget about adding fuel for 8 hours.

The operation of metal furnaces can last up to 20 years. According to statistics, much earlier than this, the metal in the firebox burns out and requires replacement.

When buying a metal stove, you need to think about who will service it and how. If you plan to install it for residential premises, then it is worth considering the presence of people with chronic diseases of the respiratory tract or cardiovascular system. In addition to the fact that such stoves create powerful radiation, they create the effect of “dry air”. This problem can be solved if you cover the metal base of the stove with bricks (calculate whether the floor can withstand the additional weight). This will greatly reduce the operating time of the stove and void the product warranty. The heating rate will become slower, but the heat capacity will increase.

Features of metal furnaces

Wood-burning metal stoves for summer cottages are considered super economical because they consume a small amount of oxygen during combustion. While they smolder, heat is released and the room is heated.

You can try to find models that have an additional combustion chamber designed to burn carbon monoxide. To reduce the amount of firewood and oxygen consumed, it is necessary to properly stack the firewood in the firebox. The fewer gaps remain between them, the longer the tree will smolder. Considering that oxygen in heating furnaces is supplied to places of smoldering and not combustion, the process is prolonged several times.

Particular attention should be paid to the design of the chimney, which is needed to create draft and remove combustion products. In metal home stoves that burn wood, it is necessary to install round chimneys so that air turbulence, characteristic of rectangular models, does not form in them, and such a structure is difficult to clean. Round chimneys are excellent for cleaning from soot and soot. There should be no bends in the pipe, or their number should be kept to a minimum. The chimney is installed before the stove itself is installed.

How to install the stove correctly

• The first priority is choosing the installation location and measuring the area. Everything must comply with safety regulations. The stove should be installed at a distance of at least 60 cm from the plaster and 80 cm from the wallpaper.
• The stove must stand on a concrete slab (at least 0.7 cm), asbestos or basalt cardboard.
• The furnace elements are assembled according to the instructions, after which it is necessary to check the tightness of the assembled structure.
• A protective element must be attached above the stove, on the ceiling.
• Installation of a chimney (it is better to choose a round option - rectangular ones have worse draft).
• If you want to paint the stove, then any paint will not work for this. You need to choose special enamels (silicate or organic).
• Call a fire inspector who will check the correct installation.
• Test check of the entire system.

• The more densely the wood is stacked in the stove (this increases the smoldering time), the greater the fuel savings.
• Regular cleaning of the chimney is an essential safety measure.
• To ensure that no one touches the stove or gets burned on the structure, you can install screens or cover the metal body with bricks.
• If the oven door is glass, then it will constantly turn black from soot. It is better to clean before the glass has cooled, otherwise you will have to deal with resin. Cleaning can be done with regular glass cleaner and a sponge or newspaper. You should not use metal scrapers as they will cause scratches.
• Make sure that the metal parts (especially the grate) do not burn through. They need to be changed in a timely manner.
• The ash pan needs to be inspected and cleaned regularly.

A metal stove for a wood-burning home is an effective solution to the heating problem, which is popular due to its intuitive operating principle and easy maintenance. When choosing from the presented options, you should take into account not only the cost, but also the technical characteristics and reviews of owners who already own one or another model.

Metal stoves have several differences from more familiar brick structures. Of course, metal products also have disadvantages, but there are many more advantages - in particular, low cost, high strength and efficiency. All of these factors are important enough that these stoves are often the best choice for your home. Metal stoves will be discussed in this article.

Advantages of metal stoves

Metal household heating stoves have an extensive list of advantages:

1. Metal differs from ceramics in being much more flexible and soft, but the strength of these materials is quite comparable. The material in question is easy to melt, cut and bend, it can be drilled and forged, and the finished products do not require firing. In general, metal can be processed in a large number of ways, and this quality is clearly an advantage.
2. The versatility of processing allows the creation of metal furnaces to use a lot of innovations aimed at improving the technical characteristics of the furnace. Thanks to structural changes, the efficiency of metal stoves can reach 90%, while conventional brick stoves produce about 70%.
3. In the case of brick kilns, reducing the wall thickness reduces the strength of the entire structure. With metal, everything is exactly the opposite - even a very thin sheet is distinguished by its solid strength. This makes it possible to reduce the weight and cost of metal stoves several times compared to brick ones.
4. Light weight and solid construction, in turn, greatly simplify the transportation of metal structures. It is also worth considering the strength, which gives the product excellent resistance to mechanical damage. One cannot fail to note the ease of installation - firstly, a lightweight metal stove for a home does not require a separate foundation, and secondly, its low weight allows the structure to be installed with relatively little effort.
5. Another important advantage that deserves attention is the good thermal conductivity of the metal. This factor suggests that the stove’s own heat capacity is small, so the heat it generates is used only to warm up the house, which ensures high efficiency. For comparison: in brick kilns, about 20% of thermal energy is spent on heating the structure itself.
6. The composition of the metal is quite homogeneous and, unlike brick, does not have a porous structure. It is also worth noting the high resistance to dampness and interruptions in heating operation. Metal wood-burning stoves do not require regular or boost kindling at all. Another advantage is the ease of installation of the hob and water heating circuit, which is facilitated by the high thermal conductivity of the material and the high rate of afterburning of gases.
7. Industrially produced stoves are certified as fireproof devices, so after purchasing, all that remains is to install them. True, there are some models that require special permits for operation, but this factor does not always manifest itself.

Furnace materials

An iron stove for a home should be selected taking into account a number of factors and parameters of the design itself. The technical characteristics and design features of the stove directly affect its efficiency and reliability. One of the most important parameters is the material used to make the stove.

Different materials can be used for the production of metal furnaces:

• Steel;
• Heat-resistant steel;
• Cast iron.

As a result, structures assembled from these materials have a number of differences, so it is worth considering each type in more detail.

Steel furnaces

The most popular material for the manufacture of metal furnaces is ordinary steel. This material can easily withstand stable temperatures of up to 400 degrees, and during short-term kindling this value can reach 600 degrees. The thickness of steel usually starts from 4 mm, but one must take into account the high rate of metal burning at high temperatures - i.e. For cold regions this option is not practical.

However, there are long-burning stoves, the body of which is simply not subjected to prolonged high-temperature heating. At the same time, heat transfer is maintained at the proper level due to heat accumulators made of more durable materials. Such an iron wood-burning stove is quite suitable for heating large houses located in regions with a harsh climate.

Heat-resistant steel stoves for home

The next material from which metal furnaces can be made is heat-resistant steel. The minimum metal thickness in this case is 3 mm, which makes it possible to further reduce the weight of the structure. The efficiency of such devices often exceeds 80%, and the service life is 20 years. Metal stoves made of heat-resistant steel are safe, efficient and very easy to install - just install such a structure on the floor and connect it to the chimney.

Cast iron stoves

Another material that is suitable for creating metal stoves is cast iron. In terms of strength characteristics, cast iron is not inferior to steel, but at the same time its heat capacity and fragility are comparable to ceramics. An iron stove for a home takes longer than half an hour to warm up, but after one kindling it provides heating for the house for three hours.

The width of cast iron used for the production of stoves varies from 6 to 25 mm. If the layer of material is thicker, but the thermal expansion is too great, the oven may be damaged. Cast iron that is too thin is also not suitable - the stove will be too fragile.

The efficiency of cast iron stoves is quite high, but it can only be realized if the area of ​​the heated house does not exceed 60 m2. In houses with a larger area, a cast iron stove simply will not be able to operate, and the temperature in the rooms will not be comfortable enough.

However, cast iron itself can easily withstand fire breaks and dampness, so such structures can be successfully used in various outbuildings that require periodic heating. Self-assembly of a cast iron stove is not possible - cast iron is very difficult to process, and such work cannot be done at home.

Types of metal furnaces

Metal stoves are classified according to design features, depending on which the following types of devices are distinguished:

• Chamber;
• Duct;
• Kolpakovaya.

Each type requires detailed consideration.

Chamber furnaces

A metal chamber stove is a “potbelly stove” familiar to many people, only modified to meet modern requirements for heating equipment.

The technical characteristics of such devices are as follows:

• Heat transfer is carried out mostly due to convection, and only a quarter of the generated heat comes from the body itself;
• There is no likelihood of condensation occurring, and the outlet gas temperature exceeds 100 degrees;
• The chimney must be cleaned no more than once a year;
• Efficiency reaches 60% when using coal and firewood.

You can create a metal heating stove with your own hands without much difficulty, but the process of its construction should be given a separate article.

Channel furnaces

In channel-type furnaces, the following principle works: gases burn, cool and pass through channels between the partitions, where the process of heat transfer to the body of the device occurs. To operate such a furnace, it requires heating to 400 degrees so that the afterburning process can be activated. You can create such a metal stove for a summer residence with your own hands without any problems on the basis of a regular potbelly stove - for modification you need to leave only a horizontal section of the gas pipeline so that it separates the firebox and combustion chamber.

The oxygen necessary for combustion enters the oven through cracks in the hob or an air choke. The efficiency of channel devices can reach 80%, and their thermal power is several times higher than that of chamber devices. Channel-type stoves can operate both in normal mode and in long-burning mode, regardless of the fuel used.

The heating power varies due to the air supply, and the possibility of adjustment is an order of magnitude higher than with chamber devices. The temperature in the afterburning chamber reaches 250-300 degrees, which is quite enough for comfortable use of the hob.

Most household stoves with a power of no more than 15 kW are created using a channel design. For the manufacture of the body, 4 mm steel is most often used, and the hob is made of cast iron or steel with a thickness of 8 mm.

Bell furnaces

The last type of metal furnaces is bell furnaces. With this scheme, the gases remain under the roof of the bell until they completely burn out. Then the temperature of the burnt gas decreases, it goes down and transfers the remaining heat to the stove. This design allows you to achieve an efficiency of 70%.

This operating scheme also works well in metal heating boilers - only in this case there is no open flame, since the cap is not designed to absorb excessive amounts of heat. That is why bell furnaces operate in smoldering mode. When using firewood, the burning time reaches 60 hours, and when using coal, such structures can work for almost a month.

You can create such a metal stove for your dacha with your own hands without much effort, and the assembled structure can easily operate on both wood and coal. The only limitation is the moisture content of the fuel - it must be minimal, since it is impossible to ensure smoldering of wet fuel. Stoves originally designed only for the use of coal cannot burn wood - this point needs to be thought out in advance.

Furnaces of this type are often connected to water heating circuits, which not only provide hot water, but also enhance convection. Such stoves are actively used for heating large houses, regardless of their geographical location.

Conclusion

This article discussed metal stoves for the home. There are several options for such designs, and each of them is suitable for implementing specific tasks, so choosing the most suitable option must be approached with all responsibility.

Building a summer house on your own country plot is not a problem today. They paid money, and specialists will build it from brick, stone, blocks, logs or other building materials. If there are restrictions on money, then you can build the building with your own hands. Same small problem. But no matter how beautiful and functional a dacha is, it is worthless without a good stove. Because the cold weather will come, and then it will turn out that no one needs all this beauty and functionality. Therefore, you need to take care of heating in advance, choosing from two options: metal stoves for your dacha or brick ones.

Metal stove

Which stove to choose in 2020

It should be noted that there is no point in comparing both options purely constructively; they work on the same principle. But all other characteristics are very different from each other. Let's make a comparison.

Attention! Large metal stoves for summer cottages do not justify themselves. They burn too much fuel, which increases the cost of their operation. In this regard, brick ones are much better and more economical.

Homemade potbelly stove

Factory or Samtrest

So, if the issue of choosing between brick and metal has been resolved, you can move on to choosing metal stoves in terms of which is better: factory-made or home-made. Probably, this approach to choosing a stove for a summer house is wrong. It is clear that factory samples will be higher in quality, although homemade ones are several times lower in price.

But if the stove is made by a highly qualified specialist with his own hands, then its high quality can be guaranteed. As for appearance, beautiful modern models come out of the factory. A homemade design cannot be called such, but the problem can be solved quite quickly and simply. It is necessary to install protective decorative screens near the stove, which will perform two functions at once: a protective element and a design approach to design.

Factory original model

This category includes selection criteria based on the raw metal used. That is, the stove can be made of cast iron or steel. You cannot make cast iron units with your own hands. This requires casting, which cannot be organized at home. Such stoves look very beautiful; some models are distinguished by the exquisite taste of the manufacturer. Although there are also very modest samples on sale. As for steel structures, there is a huge selection of factory products, and assembling such a stove with your own hands is not a problem.

For advertising purposes:
You can purchase rolled metal wholesale and retail from one of the largest and most reliable suppliers in Russia and the CIS countries - Steel Industry Company. Link to the company website - rostov.spk.ru/catalog/metalloprokat/listovoy-prokat/

Cast iron stove

Economical options

Savings have not yet been canceled, so a competent approach to heating rooms using iron stoves for dachas is to reduce the consumption of fuel used. Unfortunately, this cannot be said about all metal stoves. But there are certain designs that can boast such savings.

These are metal stoves for summer cottages (wood-burning) that use the pyrolysis process. In such a design, the firebox is divided into two parts. In one, the wood does not burn, but smolders with a minimal amount of oxygen supplied. In the second, carbon monoxide is burned, which is pre-enriched with oxygen. Fresh air is supplied to each of the fireboxes separately through its own channels. In this case, the maximum effect is achieved, which brings the efficiency of the stove to 90%.

Metal stove for dacha pyrolysis type

Currently, pyrolysis stoves for summer cottages are produced by almost all manufacturers. But you can make such a unit with your own hands. Homemade structures are more often called long-burning stoves, and instead of firewood, you can use waste lumber in them: sawdust, shavings, pieces of wood. Today, pellets have appeared on the market, which are made from plant biomass. These are pressed granules that smolder for a very long time. For example, two bookmarks are usually enough for a whole day. Very economical, considering that pellets are cheaper than firewood.

It should be noted that pyrolysis stoves, compared to conventional ones, are many times more expensive, and this is their big disadvantage. The same will apply to homemade pyrolysis-type units. The design is too complex, which requires the use of a large amount of different types of metal. Yes, and it will take a long time to work on it.

Homemade long-burning stove

Type of fuel

There's not much to choose from here.

• Gas. If a gas pipe is installed in a holiday village, then all doubts disappear by themselves. A metal stove must be connected to it. Today it is the cheapest fuel. There is ease of use and huge savings. You can use liquefied gas, which is sold in cylinders, to operate iron stoves. A good option that requires an initial investment - you will have to buy several gas cylinders to keep a certain amount of fuel in reserve. There is one disadvantage of bottled gas - it must be refilled at gas stations. But there is no point in bringing 2-3 cylinders there, so you will have to rent a larger car.
• Electricity. The most accessible type of fuel, but also the most expensive. Electric metal stoves are still becoming increasingly popular among summer cottage owners. They are not fussy in their work, they do not need to be constantly maintained, supplied with fuel, and so on. They are the easiest to install; there is no need to install a chimney. That is, they have the least problems. The main requirement for them is the installation of a separate circuit breaker and RCD into the supply network. Wiring from the switchboard is carried out with a separate cable, with a cross-section suitable for the power of the device.
• Wood stoves. A traditional specimen with a centuries-old history, however, it is losing its former popularity due to the complexity of maintenance. When choosing wood-burning structures, you will need to understand that they need to install a good chimney. It is good traction that gives good results, both in terms of thermal processes and in terms of fuel economy. The safety of using the stove also depends on the chimney.

Requirements for metal furnaces

As mentioned above, the metal itself is a source of great trouble when it is very hot. Therefore, metal furnaces have special requirements regarding the safety of their operation.

• Installation is carried out with a gap between the stove and the supporting structures of the building. The size of the gap is determined by the manufacturer himself, indicating it in the product passport.
• The walls and floor adjacent to the unit are lined with non-combustible material. For example, brick, ceramic tiles and so on.
• If the stove is large in size and, accordingly, has a decent weight (more than 100 kg), then a solid foundation is installed under it; it is better to pour a separate foundation. If the device is installed on a plank floor, it is recommended to place additional supports under the joists.
• The diameter of the chimney must correspond to the diameter of the outlet pipe.
• The pipe itself must be routed through supporting structures, in which a hole is made with insulation made of heat-resistant materials.

Scheme of correct installation of a metal stove

Conclusion

In conclusion, I would like to give one piece of advice on metal stoves for summer cottages. It is better to perform the first firing of the unit outdoors. This mainly applies to factory samples. They are usually painted with a special paint that will emit an unpleasant odor when heated. During the second fire it will not be felt as much.

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