Will a masonry heater heat a whole house, even the upper floor?
Yes, we have successfully used masonry heaters to heat 3,000 s/ft. homes.

Can I put a masonry heater in my unfinished basement to heat my house?
Well you could, but the warmest location will be the room that the heater is in, so it makes more sense to locate the heater in the parts of your home that are occupied most often during the heating season. For lower floors or floor plans that involve extended footprints, consider another stove or installing hydronic heat exchangers in one heater that can be integrated into a radiant in-floor heating system.

Can a heater be located on an exterior wall?
Yes, but the best location is a central location, allowing the heater to radiate heat into the home
from all four sides of the heater.

How many cord of wood does it take to heat a house?
In a well-insulated and air-sealed home, 3 to 4 cords of hardwood per year can heat a
2,500 to 3,000 s/ft. home.

Can the masonry heater heat water to supply domestic hot water or radiant heat flooring?
Yes it can. A stainless steel hydronic heat exchanger can be installed in the firebox or multiple loops can be installed in the secondary combustion chamber to heat water for hydronic space heating.

Can I install a heater myself?
Yes, kits and site built designs are available from several sources. Check the Masonry Heater Association website.

How long does it take for Gimme to install a masonry heater?
It generally takes our two-man crew two days to install the heater core on a previously prepared foundation.  From there, a local mason can finish the chimney and veneer.

What�s the footprint of a heater?
The smallest footprint of a standard Heat-Kit is 32�x46� plus a 12� chimney at the back or side.  We can design and install a smaller heater if necessary. Click here to see layout guide.

What about outdoor boilers?
Outdoor boilers, if they are firebrick lined and achieve a high combustion temperature (1800 degrees), can be an effective way to use biomass fuels.  However, most outdoor boilers currently on the market do not achieve high temperature combustion, resulting in very poor efficiency (around 45%) and create high levels of air pollution (over 60 grams /hour). See the Canadian website www.woodheat.org for details.