Why buy a space heater from the store when you can build your own? At the very least, knowing how to build your own DIY space heater will help you to become more self-sufficient without having to be connected to the electrical grid.
Believe it or not, it’s possible to build your own DIY space heater in less than half an hour and then produce heat for many more hours on end. In this video, DesertSun02 explains how to do it…
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First, you need to build a short brick pyramid. You will need thirteen bricks in total. Place four bricks on the ground in a square shape to serve as the foundation, with the corners of the bricks in contact with one another.
Take four more bricks, and create another square shape, only set them over the foundation to create an octagon shape. The inside of the bricks should be hollowed. Place three more bricks in a square shape in the same position as the foundation, but with the absence of a fourth brick in the square, this will create an opening to view into the pyramid. Place two more bricks over the top of the structure to serve as the ceiling.
Now place your fuel into the pyramid. Take small tin cans filled up with 70% isopropyl alcohol and place them inside the pyramid shape. Light up the alcohol in the cans with a match, and they will light up instantly.
A good rule is to fill the cans about a third of the way, and they should burn for around twenty to thirty minutes. Within those twenty to thirty minutes, the bricks should become very hot then radiate heat throughout the entire room. Take note that you can also use this heater as a stove by placing a pan over the roof of the pyramid.
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If these instructions were confusing, be sure to watch the video by DesertSun02 below to see how it’s done.
As with most any DIY heater type you will only get a localized heating. One cannot multiply the amount of available BTU heat units from a small fire or candles. The heating of the bricks simply transfers the heat to hold a bit longer. In a very small room or tent this might be able to show some heating benefit but it cannot heat a large room, garage or house. All in all it would be better to try and cook food over the heater and then eat the hot food to warm you up while you huddle close to the fire source itself.
Very disappointed!! Spent the whole day trying to find the solid grey concrete bricks! Bought 10 bottles of alcohol, and set it up in my garage. Very little heat! Bricks got somewhat hot after two alcohol fills. It didn’t make a dent in my garage temp! Just more junk to have lying around. Maybe I can use them to throw at looters!? Anybody else suffer this same letdown?
It takes quite a while to heat up bricks.
They act like a thermal heat sink.
I put bricks on a wood stove to capture heat they would normally go up the chimney.
They add surface area for heat dissipation as well as give off heat when the fire goes low or out.
The longer it takes for the bricks to get hot, the longer they will give off heat when the fire goes out.
The theory in the article is OK, but alcohol doesn’t have enough BTU’s to do the job efficiently.
Placing a Trangia or two inside would give more heat, but use more fuel.
Maybe use a triangia with lamp oil in it (assuming it is safe to do)?
It states that the bricks should be hollow in the paragraph! Anybody know what bricks to use and where to get them?
The bricks are full, the “hollow” is the space between the arranged bricks(the space made by the arrangement of the four bricks!)
Thanks much for the reply and info! I really appreciate it. Now I know what to buy. 🙂
Stay safe and healthy!
Jrread 🙂
That was really cool. How much smoke if any did it put out? Thank you!
What do you place the bricks on in the house? Thanks
Get a piece of concrete board from lowes