Bricks from storage heaters

[Hitch]

Pulling out a few storage heaters, and got a load of the heat holding blocks...
Seems shame to throw them out, i suppose they'd be idea for a putting round the back of a forge, or built in pizza oven or something?

 

[armalites]

Unfortunately I think they are only designed to retain heat, they aren't fire proof as such.

 

[Paul.]

I had the same thoughts when I took some out, they looked too good to scrap but didn't really have a use for them, ended up using them round the garden with plant pots on etc, they barely lasted a winter before crumbling away to dust, glad I never built a wall with them.

 

[Hitch]

I'll skip them then

 

[Kayos]

They are good for being heavy and a pain to dispose of

 

[julianf]

We have them in our log burner.

They are very thermally stable. If you want something to get very hot and not crack, they're good for that. Also if you want to partially protect, ie remove hot spots, dissipate heat, etc.

Pizza oven builder would love them.

They are insulating, but not anywhere near as much as vermiculite bricks etc. Much more insulating than metal though!

 

[jchand]

a mate uses them around edges of his coke forge, they crack eventialy but last a very long time and keep heat in very well.

 

[brightspark]

a mate uses them around edges of his coke forge, they crack eventialy but last a very long time and keep heat in very well.

ideal for application

 

[gaz1]

Hard firebricks are made for absorbing and insulating that's why they're used in storage heaters. Soft firebricks heat up quickly and start to glow red and reflect heat back into the forge making it even more efficient.

an earlier posts

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/storage-heater-bricks.64565/#post-897139

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/...-ceramics-insulation-hotface-questions.65019/

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/storage-heater-bricks.64565/#post-829396

 

[Gareth0123]

I use them in blocks of 4 as stepping stone paths in the garden and on our holding. They are very easy to obtain around here: The city council refurbishment contractors even deliver them free of charge to me rather than pay to tip them.

 

[fizzy]

I have a load stashed - never throw anything away!

 

[Olderisbetter]

Ok this is an odd use but i know a guy that uses them behind the glass in the green houses he has and during the day they get warm from the sun and at night they keep the green house warmer.

 

[optima21]

dense refractory bricks are made for retaining heat, lightweight refractory bricks are used for insulating heat. storage heater bricks come under the first category. when I used to work at a company manufacturing lightweight refractories bricks, one of the items measured as part of quality control was measuring the porosity of the bricks, the more porous they are the better their insulating properties. and if you're wondering how they measures that, the bricks were weighed dry, and then put into a vacuum chamber with water in it. the vacuum was turned on, the air in the bricks expanded, and was replaced by water, the bricks were then taken out and reweighed.

 

[julianf]

They would, of course, be good in a rocket thermal mass heater.

Probably not a bad thing to line your fallout shelter with too!

 

[rtcosic]

Ok this is an odd use but i know a guy that uses them behind the glass in the green houses he has and during the day they get warm from the sun and at night they keep the green house warmer.

Retaining heat in a greenhouse is one of the few uses for them I came across too:

• path down the middle
• edging all around the base and 'raised bed' inside
  
• edging and 'path' around the outside
• standing plant pots on

As the bricks are intended to retain heat and release it slowly they are perfect for.......
.
.
.
.
Absorbing heat in sun and releasing it when it's cold!


Also very useful in windy Pembrokeshire for adding to the base of the bins to stop them blowing away.

Beyond that fairly useless.

 

[julianf]

I left some in a friends yard. When I went back for them, they were nowhere to be seen.

...however his new shed was nicely elevated from the ground.

 

[brightspark]

They would, of course, be good in a rocket thermal mass heater.

Probably not a bad thing to line your fallout shelter with too!

radiation heat