Using the Roquetinho

 

Running-in

Once you have your own brandnew Roquetinho, it may be a disappointment that you can't use it on full speed right away. The point is that it needs to be "run in". There's a large quantity of damp in the construction that only gets out at high temperatures. This running-in process should be executed gradually to prevent cracks. The process takes about two weeks.


On day 1 you burn 0.7 kg every two hours. 0.1 kg is added each day, at intervals from 2 up to 3 hours. On day 14 you heat 2 kg / 3 hours, the nominal heating quantity for this stove.


A bypass is not necessary for the Roquetinho. Instead, the steel top can be temporarily replaced with a vermiculite plate (or other insulating material). It can also help to heat the bottom bend of the flue with an electric heater.

There may be quite a bit of condensation from the flue in the first few days. A few times a week, open the hatch at the bottom of the stove and empty the collection tray. Place the tray back and hermetically tape the edges of the hatch.


During the combustion period, the stove does not yet burn cleanly and efficiently. Only after all the moisture has gone out you will be able to start burning the normal way: 2 kg wood in one go, every 3 to 4 hours. Do not refill in between! The extra heat would go straight into the chimney because the bell is already saturated with heat. It would also result in poor combustion.



Burning the Roquetinho

Place some small kindling in the back of the firebox, just in front of the port. Light it with one or two firelighters. If necessary, leave the door ajar until there is sufficient draft. As soon as it burns well and the flames are drawn into the riser (you will hear a roar) you can fully load the firebox. Just place it straight, there's no need for crosswise stacking. First the thinner wood and then the thicker wood on top. Be careful: no wood in the port! Maximum thickness of the blocks is 5 x 5 cm.


If the stove has cooled down completely overnight, you can start it up with a "double batch": 4 kg instead of 2 kg. The bell can then absorb that extra heat well. As soon as the glowing phase starts, the next portion can be added.


Make sure that the fire flames well and the vortex “roars” well. The air inlet valve has only two positions: open and closed. You open it during the firing, and when the batch has burned out and is only glowing, you close it. This way you stop the draft after firing and prevent heat loss.


A firing (from lighting to the glowing phase) in the Roquetinho should take about half an hour. If it is much shorter, the firewood is too thin. If it takes longer, it is too thick. The vortex will then turn off sooner.

Always leave a layer of ash in the firebox: this extends the lifespan of the floor channel, and because it insulates it is also beneficial for starting a new fire.




Links

 


batchrocket.eu                       Peter van den Berg's website, in 9 languages, with extensive

                                            information about operation, construction, designs and

                                            applications

donkey32.proboards.com        international forum with contributions from renowned

                                            developers of the rocketstove

                                           

permies.com                          “Where we talk about rocket mass heaters all the time”