About cheap country stoves that can be fired with coal

The design of the army cast-iron "potbelly stove"

Since the time when the POV-57 furnace was used only by the military spacecraft (red army), its characteristics and structure have not changed in the wagons and warehouses of the Ministry of Railways of the USSR. It is still made from gray cast iron - an alloy of iron, carbon, graphite. For stoves, cast iron of the following grades is taken: SCh 10, 15, 25, 30, 35. The higher the number in the name of the material grade, the more durable, heat-resistant, and resistant to carosion the device will be.
Collapse Contents:

• Characteristics and dimensions
• Advantages and disadvantages
• Installation Requirements
• How to use?
• Rates
• Where can one buy?
• How to distinguish a fake from an original?
• Output

The main elements are made of cast iron in the POV-57 furnace, here is the furnace device:

1. Furnace body.
2. Potbelly stove cover (removable).
3. The grate (removed).
4. Furnace bottom (removable).
5. Furnace door.
6. Blower door.

The potbelly stove body has the shape of a barrel, less often the base is made rectangular. The stove is placed on 4 legs. If there are no legs in the package, then before installing the POV-57, you will have to take care of the device of a fire-safe base.

On the front part of the body near the military stove-stove there are two doors. One is needed for laying fuel material. Combustion products (ash, soot) are removed through the second door. In the upper part of the potbelly stove there is a lad. A chimney is mounted to it, which removes carbon monoxide.

When buying a potbelly stove, it is important to ensure that there is a metal plate with slots between the steam room and the firebox. It guarantees air circulation inside the furnace body, increases the efficiency of the device.

If there is a desire to speed up the heating of the room and reduce fuel consumption, it is recommended to install side screens (there is none in the design of a standard stove): metal sheets are attached with long self-tapping screws to the stove so that there are 5-6 cm gaps between them and the walls of the stove.

Real army potbelly stove

Potbelly stove in various painting options

Design, dimensions of the military furnace POV-57

The POV-57 military cast iron stove is made of cast iron. The wall of the oven is of considerable thickness. By design, the furnace is a hollow cylinder, barred by a round grate. The grate is removable for cleaning the inner surface of the cylindrical body. There are two doors on the side surface. The upper door of the POV-57 military stove is designed for loading fuel, the lower door is for cleaning ash residue and soot.

The upper cover of the product has an opening and a branch pipe for connecting a chimney. The top cover is removable to allow the grate to be removed and cleaned. The surface of the upper structural member of an army cast iron stove can function as a hob. The furnace has a bottom cast disc with holes as a support device. The holes are made to reduce the total weight of the heater and to partially cool the lower end element of the furnace (bottom). The upper part of the furnace has partitions of an incomplete profile. They optimize the flue gas path and reduce heat entrainment. With their help, the speed of movement of flue gases is reduced, and the overall heat transfer of the army furnace is improved.

The oven diameter is 330 mm, the product height is 525 mm. The total weight of the structure is 46 kg, the diameter of the flue pipe is 115 mm. Thermal performance reaches 2 kW, the efficiency is close to 80%.The furnace is equipped with a device for regulating the volume of air supplied for combustion. The duration of the cycle of operation on one full load of fuel is a period of about 6 hours. The oven is serviced manually.

It is difficult to independently manufacture a furnace of the required quality - it is impossible to manually cast it. Quite often, army stove stoves are constructed of steel using electric arc welding. They are somewhat inferior in their qualities to a cast iron product, but they are quite viable. Their manufacture requires the use of special equipment and the availability of welding skills.

The stove runs on wood, wood waste can be used as fuel. Peat, coal and other substances are also used as fuel. The device is designed for heating rooms with a volume of up to 40 cubic meters.

Characteristics and dimensions

The stove is designed to heat the air in a room with a perimeter of 42-45 meters. The duration of normal heat transfer is 7-9 hours. Firewood, coal, garbage (suitable for thermal utilization) are used as fuel material.

The parameters of a standard collapsible military stove-stove will be as follows:

• Width - 37 centimeters.
• The depth of the oven is 37 centimeters.
• Height - 57 centimeters.
• The weight of the stove is 60 kilograms.
• The efficiency of the stove is 80-85%.

POV-57 can be heated in rooms that allow for a chimney, create conditions that meet fire safety. More often they put an army stove in garages, country houses, sheds, multi-seat camping tents, building change houses, dugouts, and carriages. If necessary, remove the top cover of the cylinder, attach the hob and cauldron. This will allow you to cook on the stove, the structure can be installed in the summer kitchen.

Small but efficient stove

The advantages of an army stove

The POV-57 cast iron stove is very economical in terms of fuel consumption. One load of the unit is capable of heating it for 6-10 hours. Historically, this type of oven was used about fifty years ago to heat barracks and army tents. This is where the name comes from.

Ease of operation and maintenance of a cast iron stove, as well as safety and low fuel consumption, significantly increased its popularity, made it possible to use the stove in our time, in conditions of impossibility of heating with central heating.

Today, an almost pristine version of the stove structure is used, which has not undergone modernization. The reliability of the unit provides long service life... Another advantage of a cast-iron stove is that not only firewood, but also construction and wood waste and even household waste can be used as fuel.

Advantages and disadvantages

The POV-57 stoves have the following advantages:

• Compact dimensions that allow you to equip a small room.
• Strong, durable stove material. The army pig-iron potbelly stove POV-57 has been working for over half a century (subject to the rules of operation).
• It is used for 2 purposes: heating rooms, cooking food in a cooking way.
• Cools down slowly, retains heat longer after turning off the oven (4-5 hours).
• When installing gates, screens, the efficiency of the furnace increases (+ 5-10%).

POV-57 has disadvantages that should be taken into account:

• Warming up the room over 40 sq. meters of potbelly stove POV will not work.
• The inability to install automation on the oven.
• Fire safety is small in comparison with other types of stoves, constant monitoring of the work of the stove is required.
• The body of the stove gets very hot, you need to be careful not to burn yourself.

Important: the POV cast-iron potbelly stove does not tolerate sudden changes in temperature.Do not put out the fire by pouring cold water - this will lead to cracks on the stove body.

On the shortcomings of the army stove

Like any other device or unit, a cast iron stove has its drawbacks. One of them is the inability to adjust the operating and heating modes. Another disadvantage is, oddly enough, cast iron itself - a material that is difficult to withstand temperature extremes.

Therefore, it is necessary to warm up the liquid with care and not extinguish the firebox with water... And, finally, the last negative point: when servicing the furnace, there may be cases of burns from a heated surface, the same factor can serve as a fire hazard when the surface of the body comes into contact with easily flammable objects.

Of course, all this can be foreseen and modernize the structureby eliminating these shortcomings. After all, it's not for nothing that cast iron stoves are still used, bringing a warm and cozy atmosphere to houses and summer cottages.

Installation Requirements

The POV-57 stove is placed indoors on a refractory surface (it is especially important if the potbelly stove does not have long legs). Experts recommend putting the cast iron system on a tile, iron sheet.

It is convenient to place the stove in the corner of a house, garage, shed. It is better not to put it in the center of the room, so as not to accidentally touch the walls, not to get burns. There must be at least 1 meter from the wall to the body (if there are wooden walls around). It is strictly forbidden to keep flammable materials within 1.5m from the device.

Installation example

SO the oven is not installed correctly! Flammable materials around and the oven is not on a stand

Ash pan making

The ash pan is a grate at the stove, on which fuel will subsequently be placed to heat the room.

A good ash pan provides the combustion chamber with a sufficient amount of air (that is, oxygen), it also gives good draft, thereby ensuring better combustion. In most cases, the ash pan in the stove leaves “much to be desired”, therefore, the modernization of the ash pan will help to improve the performance of the stove.

An effective ash pan must be made of heat-resistant material and have a door, thanks to which you can avoid smoke in the room. Improving the ash pan will help make a semblance of a fireplace out of an ordinary potbelly stove.

Materials and tools

• a metal sheet,
• fittings,
• welding machine,
• tool for working on metal,
• blower door.

Instructions

Making an ash pan on your own will require certain skills from you, and the production should be according to the instructions:

How to use?

Potbelly stove POV 57 is easy to use. The algorithm for firing up the furnace is as follows:

• Place a crumpled newspaper on the bottom of the stove reserve.
• Lay brushwood, chips, a small amount of the main fuel material on top.
• Make sure that the blower of the SOV oven is half open.
• Set fire to paper. If it ignites too intensely, gradually cover the blower until the flame is of optimal size.
• Add fuel, close the oven door.

Try to use dry wood

If you are going to use a new stove for the first time, first check the draft: a lighted match is supplied to the chimney, the flame and smoke should be directed strictly towards the chimney. If the draft is disturbed, it is strictly forbidden to use the POV-57 stove-stove.

Does the stove stand idle for a long time (for example, when the owners leave the dacha, the warehouse is closed, the summer kitchen is not used in winter)? Experts advise to subject the product to conservation: cover the outer walls of the stove with a thick layer of chalk. This will protect the cast iron from corrosion.

Rules for installing a potbelly stove indoors

When choosing a place for mounting a stove, it must be borne in mind that there must be a safe distance between the structure and wall surfaces, furniture, flammable objects. It must be installed in an open place that can be seen from anywhere in the room, because the work of a potbelly stove requires constant supervision.

The furnace supports are made of metal, they get quite hot, so there must be a non-combustible surface under them. In addition, sparks can escape from the firebox, which requires a protective floor covering in front of the firebox door. Usually a sheet of metal or tin is used, you can also lay out the floor with tiles. It is strictly forbidden to put a potbelly stove on linoleum, carpet, parquet, plank floor.

When installing the chimney, it is necessary to ensure that there are no joints between the pipe parts in the room where people can be. If this is not possible, then you should take care of the tightness of the joints. The fuel storage should be set up separately, as far from the stove as possible, in order to prevent accidental ignition. In the place where the pipe passes through the wall, you need to equip a brick thermal barrier.

The model with a glass door is installed on a platform made of natural stone. During installation, all fire safety rules were observed. It turned out beautifully and reliably

When choosing a stove-stove for a summer residence, it is better to dwell on a model of long burning or with double afterburning. These are the most economical stoves in which fuel is used as efficiently as possible. If your budget allows, purchase a thermal glass design. This will make it easier to observe the operation of the stove and create an ideal atmosphere in the country for a good rest.

Rates

An army cast iron stove-stove POV-57 from a domestic manufacturer (for example, TEMZ, Balezimsky LMZ, Rubtsovo LLC) costs 3800-4900 rubles. The indicated price is typical for a product of standard sizes and made of cast iron grade СЧ 10-25. If an alloy of increased strength (SCh 30-35) was used when creating, the price rises to 9000-10000 rubles.

For the built-in burner, which allows you to use the stove as a stove, you will have to pay 1200-1500 rubles on top of the basic price. If a chimney pipe is included in the package, then the cost of a stove will increase by 2000-3000 rubles.

Which stove is better cast iron or metal

A cast iron stove has many advantages over an iron stove. Thin-walled steel heats up quickly and easily carries internal heat to the outside. As soon as the fuel burns out, it cools down very quickly.

Cast iron stove stove is durable

Unlike steel, thick cast iron has a fairly high heat capacity, but a lower thermal conductivity. In other words, it slowly heats up, accumulates heat in itself and, due to its heat capacity, gives off heat for some time after the combustion of all the fuel.

In addition, the cast iron walls reflect some of the heat back into the combustion chamber. This creates ideal conditions for long burning and complete combustion of any type of fuel.

To obtain the same conditions in a steel stove, additional heat-reflecting screens have to be installed. And cast iron does not need screens by definition.

Where can one buy?

Today, hundreds of specialized stores offer army stoves POV-57. On the Internet, you can order a stove from another city - the goods will be delivered in a few days (depending on the remoteness of the client's settlement).

If you want to save money, you should buy an army oven not new, but used. On ad sites like Avito, stove stoves with different service life are sold. If the stove has been used for less than 5 years, the price is reduced by 20-30%. When the oven is more than 10 years old, they are sold at a discount of 60-70% of the cost of a new product.

Attention: the service life of the stove is half a century; it is not recommended to buy a stove over 50 years old.

Varieties

Today, there are several varieties of bourgeois, each of which has its own distinctive features.

Classic cast iron stove

This type includes a traditional cast iron stove, which is a bunker with a door for the furnace and a special pipe for the chimney. The main advantage of such a furnace lies in the material from which it is made. Cast iron is characterized by high strength, good thermal conductivity and long service life.

More information about cast iron stoves can be found in this post.

Cast iron stoves heat up very quickly, they are compact enough and can be installed anywhere. Such heating devices operate on any fuel.

The only negative is that the classic stove-stove cools down quickly.

To prevent the oven from cooling down too quickly, many owners brick it with bricks. However, before resorting to this method, remember that in this case you will not be able to move the potbelly stove to another place.

Cast iron stove stoves with hob

Potbelly stoves of this type are especially popular with summer residents. This is due to the fact that such a stove can be used not only as a source of heating, but also as a stove on which you can cook food. Such a device can be used both in winter and in summer.

Stove stove with hob

If in the warm season you melt a potbelly stove, then the hot air masses will go into the chimney. Thus, the room will have a comfortable temperature.

Another advantage of such a furnace is its mobility. In summer, you can even place the unit outdoors under a canopy.

On the market you can find potbelly stoves with a hob, distinguished by an interesting design: stove stoves with glass doors, with a painted surface, with carved legs and various decorative details.

Heater stove

This is a stove-stove for giving long burning. This model does not require brickwork to preserve heat, since it can function for 8 hours on one tab of firewood. Such long-term heating is the merit of the potbelly stove design.

Heating stove Divo PK 50 Zenit

A casing is located around the body of such a stove. Consequently, the cold air entering the space formed by the oven and the casing rises upward and heats up. Such a device can effectively supply heat to a room up to 250 m².

Gas generator potbelly stove

This type of bourgeoisie is considered one of the most efficient and productive. This stove is made of high-strength steel and coated with heat-resistant paint.

The gas-generating stove-stove is equipped with two combustion chambers: the lower one (flue gases are formed in it), the upper one (here the fuel is burned out).

Such a design can operate in an economical mode, when the fuel only releases gas, but does not burn. On one tab, such a device can work for 10-12 hours.

Army potbelly stove

The army potbelly stove is usually a type of potbelly stove. The greatest efficiency of such a furnace is observed in closed rooms, small in size (up to 40 m³).

Cast iron army stove-stove

Such a heater is especially popular in homes where there is no connection to a central heating system. In addition to living quarters, an army stove can be installed in a garage, greenhouse, warehouses and workshops.

You can not leave the room until the stove burns out to the end and the metal cools down.

The main requirements for such stoves:

• high indicators of strength and efficiency;
• the device is capable of operating on various types of fuel: wood, peat, coal, etc .;
• army potbelly stove is characterized by a very high heat transfer;
• heat losses - insignificant;
• the body is made of durable heat-absorbing material that is able to withstand corrosive processes;
• the oven is compact in size;
• potbelly stove is easy to install and easy to use;
• with such a stove, the air in the room heats up in 15-20 minutes, and one fuel fill is enough for 9-10 hours.

How to distinguish a fake from an original?

Sometimes sellers, out of ignorance or in order to deceive the buyer, give out other stoves for a potbelly stove. It is worth knowing that this is not a POV-57 potbelly stove, if the description states:

• The stove is not made of gray cast iron.
• There are not two doors on the body, but one.
• The stove is too massive - it significantly differs from the standard dimensions 53x39x39.
• The stove is too small, weighs less than 30 kg (a product made of high-quality gray cast iron is never lightweight).
• The instructions indicate that it is heated with 1 type of fuel.

In order not to fall for the bait of scammers, it is better to buy stoves for houses or garages in trusted stores. Pre-read the reviews on the seller, check the certificates for the products (a bona fide seller will always show the product documents at the request of the client).

Technical characteristics of a cast iron army stove:

Stove dimensions	height 53 cm, diameter 30 cm.
Outside diameter of the chimney	11 cm
Wall thickness	10 mm
Weight	45 kg.
Years of issue:	1954-1957
Material	cast iron SCH10-SCH15
Type of fuel	any solid fuel (firewood, coal, pressed briquettes, etc.)
Furnace volume	20 liters
Heated room area:	up to 40 sq.m.

Output

An army potbelly stove is an easy way to warm up a small room that is not connected to a central heating system. Uncomplicated design, light instructions simplify the installation of the product (no complicated manipulations are required). You can master the instructions on how to use the stove in a couple of minutes.

But it is important to remember: the product is not automated, it heats up strongly, has a low degree of fire safety - during the operation of the POV-37 stove, watch the work, do not leave unattended, keep children and pets away from the stove. If you follow the rules, the stove will last more than half a century without failures and the need for repairs.

Modern "beautiful" potbelly stoves - advantages and disadvantages

It is clear that all these years the heat engineering science has not been marking time in one place, and the modern models of the potbelly stove bear little resemblance to their prototype. Further improvement of the simplest furnaces followed the path of more efficient combustion of fuel, increased efficiency, increased safety and automation of all combustion processes. In addition, new designs often include a hot water heating circuit, which is more typical of water heating boilers than stoves.

Modern model of a cast iron stove

Many modern cast iron heaters are indeed masterpieces of design thought, and very often feature exquisite finishes. Glass doors, multilayer walls, special afterburner chambers - allow you to squeeze out the maximum heat from the fuel, and at the same time provide a special charm and comfort in the interior of the room.

But this wonderful product costs much more than an old stove, it is demanding on the type of materials to be burned, and is also not portable. The simplicity and unpretentiousness of the design of classic bourgeois from the USSR still plays into their hands. A certain simplicity and "oakiness" of the design makes it practically eternal, or, as the people say, "unkillable".