Masonry heater: Advantages and disadvantages

Does optimizing the comfort of your home, lowering your energy consumption and reducing your footprint mean something to you? If so, the masonry heater should interest you on many levels.

Often cited as an ecological alternative in terms of heating, it has many advantages… and also some disadvantages!

But what’s better than making up your own mind? By consulting its advantages and therefore its disadvantages, you will be able to decide if the masonry heater is the best solution for you!

Principle and operation of a mass center

The masonry heater, or thermal mass stove, is a heating system consisting of a combustion chamber made of brick or concrete covered with a “heating body” made of brick, stone or ceramic. It is capable of burning a large quantity of wood, storing the heat thus produced without overheating, and slowly redistributing it to all the rooms in the house.

Particularly used in Northern European countries, the thermal mass stove is recognized for its thermal efficiency, energy security and its ability to make harsh winters a little more comfortable.

Many advantages, therefore, which should be detailed so that you have a better idea.

Mass outbreak: advantages and disadvantages

Let’s start with the ultimate benefit of the masonry stove: it is definitely less polluting than a classic, non-certified stove EPA. Since combustion occurs quickly and at very high temperature, toxic emissions and the quantity of ashes are reduced. This is what we call “clean combustion”.

The second big advantage is the comfort it is able to generate. As such, we speak of its thermal inertia, that is to say the characteristics of its structure. The latter is heavy, which makes it capable of storing combustion energy and redistributing it evenly.

Among the other benefits of this system, we can also cite:

• Its efficient combustion. The combustion allowed is rapid and intense, and therefore provides excellent performance. Additionally, as it uses wood as fuel, it is carbon neutral, like wood stoves by the way.
• Its adaptability. It can, for example, be fitted with a bread oven, a stove or a water preheater.
• Its reduced consumption. One or two fires per day are enough to warm your interior, even in very cold weather. And that’s a 50% reduction in wood consumption compared to a non-EPA certified fireplace.
• Its safety. Its surface is never too hot to the touch.
• Its ease of maintenance.

Unfortunately, the masonry heater is not totally perfect! Its main disadvantages concern:

• Its installation conditions. Yes, a thermal mass stove can be installed in an existing house, but this will require reorganization of the rooms to guarantee easier circulation of heat.
• Its price. It is a quality structure which is solid, beautiful, which can really give character to your living room and value to your home, for a certain price! For a turnkey masonry stove, you will have to pay between $20,000 and $40,000 depending on the materials chosen.
• Its size. It is also a bulky structure that cannot be moved once installed, and which also requires space to store firewood.

An alternative to mass housing

EPA-certified wood-burning fireplaces and stoves are a very attractive alternative to masonry stove. These appliances are designed with strict quality and safety standards, ensuring efficient and clean combustion of wood. In addition to providing comforting warmth, they are also more compact and easier to install than masonry heaters. In addition, certified wood stoves and fireplaces often feature modern combustion technologies, making them more environmentally friendly by reducing fine particle emissions and maximizing energy efficiency. And when it comes to creating the unique ambiance of a masonry heater, you might be surprised by discovering the selection of stoves and fireplaces and suggestions from the Foyer Gaz team to integrate them into your decor!

 

Sources :
Écohabitation. Chauffage au bois : avantages et inconvénients d’un foyer de masse. [Wood heating: advantages and disadvantages of a masonry stove]. 2012.
Écohabitation. Le foyer de masse, un chauffage au bois très performant et moins polluant. [The masonry heater, very efficient and less polluting wood heating]. 2012.