[Stoves] Grates and chimneys
Xavier Brandao
xvr.brandao at gmail.com
Mon Feb 13 09:53:12 CST 2012
Christa said:
"I have measured more than once moisture contents exceeding 50% (own
experiences in Malawi and Madagascar)"
That is impressive. Do we have any studies about the wood moisture in
different regions of Africa? I guess it varies with the latitude and the
seasons. I am not sure this point has always been given enough attention, or
has it? How to burn well 50% moisture wood (if it is possible)?
Kevin said:
"# If you had a choice between
1: Acceptable Indoor Air Quality.
OR
2: An open cooking space with no chimney,
which would you choose?"
I'd follow Christa on this point. I thoroughly teach the users on how to
properly use and look after the stoves and how important it is to use dry
wood, of course. I even give them a manual. BUT I assume they won't listen
to my advises. And from my experience, maybe 50% of the users don't follow
the advises, or not all advises. So I do checkups from time to time by
calling them, or better, by doing a quick visit. Because in Benin, there are
things that are not said on the phone. I guess it is the same in other
countries.
This "non-maintenance" assumption should be in fact integrated right from
the beginning, in the stove design. Because every user, whatever the
country, whatever the hemisphere, likes simplicity and ease of use. They
consider the product has to do the job.
For example, I won't take the risk of making chimney stoves, if I can't
provide the regular service of a chimney sweeping. Perhaps I would ask
myself the question, if the user is to cook in a very close environment, but
I didn't see that so far in the institutions I served.
I saw from Solar Home System projects that integrating maintenance is a
weighty thing for a company which wants to sell goods to a wide number of
customers, rather than sell services. Every company, and all the more NGO
which are meant to stay a few years only on the field, should tend to
produce and sell maintenance free goods when possible, in my opinion.
A.D. Karve said:
"most of the households had stopped using the improved cookstoves and had
reverted back to the traditional stoves"
And then the next time the government sends a mission to promote improved
cookstoves, they'll receive a rather chilly welcome from the villagers!
Cheers,
Xavier
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