Would you opt for a Wood Pellet Boiler?

Builderwoman ,
How much are ye getting the W/P boiler for ?

We have also considered but more or less decided to put the bolier in the garage and leave enough space around it to replace with wood pellet if prices reduced\ more users in the market buts its oil for now.

Goll Mac Morna wrote:

We are in the same position as yourself and we have FINALLY decided on using a pellet boiler or stove with boiler a number of times!!!
The thing that keeps putting us off is the high cost of the boilers.
Our house will be very well insulated and will have a low heat demand so we are considering LPG.
We might be swayed back to the pellets if there is a favourable grant aid proposal for them in the forthcoming budget (there have been rumours that some type of assistance might be on the cards).
The long and the short of it is that they are too bloody expensive without some type of subsidy
An LPG boiler could be the best option for a low heat demand.

You will have a kerosene boiler in place for approx €2000.00. If your insulation is as good as you say, you will get by easily with 1 fill per year.
LPG ? :eek: :eek: :eek:
Jim

Hi Builderwoman,

The web site has to be updated, in fact it's going to be a major update that will have loads of information on it

As I have a policy of not discussing prices on line feel free to make contact should you wish, our boilers go up to 50 kw.


Hi tinofapples,

The storage tank is filled in much the same way that your oil tank is filled it is important to have a dry storage area or you can pay extra and get a tank suitable for external use.

Honestly if I had the space and the ability I would have no problem with building my own storage tank, the delivery truck has a connecter that fits on to your tank, it is necessary to have a vent to allow any dust or pressure from the fill to escape safely.

If the tank was built with a proper dividing wall between the storage and the boiler it would be very easy to fill the hopper of the boiler every week.

Please no more advertising I must repect the Boards.ie community policy and at the moment I reckon I'm in a darkening grey area.

.

rooferPete , your a Topman !!

Builderwoman,

Boiler seems a lot cheaper but our plumber says he would not be recommending them on past experience

What would he not recommend exactly ? I'm lost.

Hi Builderwoman,

You may be familiar with the old saying :

"Doctors differ and Patients Die" ?

I think it would be very difficult to knock a product that has only been launched, the company has a long standing manufacturing boilers for oil and solid fuel central heating systems in Ireland.

They are also the only boiler manufacturer who insisted we attend a training course on the boilers and they hold highest efficiency rate exceeding the SEI rules (which are out of date) so Gerkros comply with prEN14785 and EN13290 written for pellet fuel appliances.

Like ExtraFlame who also insist their approved installers visit the factory in Italy, become familiar with the manufacturing process, installation rules (not guidelines) and then you are accessed by written examination before receiving approval.

Gerkros can be every plumbers nightmare because they will sell to everyone who wants to buy, you can even install it yourself if you wish But

The Gerkros system Must be commissioned by their trained installer to their standards, they even make that part easy by including the commissioning in the price.

The reason for the rules is they have a very good system built to a very high standard and the only feedback they want is positive, unlike so many others they are continuing there quality standards through to the home of their customer.

I have spent a long time choosing the products I will add my name to, I have frustrated companies in so many ways to see if they would break there own rules, out of all the manufacturers / suppliers Gerkros and ExtraFlame are the only ones who stood there ground.

I know Viessman manufacture good products, they were also part of my research.

Maybe I'm a fool or a perfectionist only time will tell but I am representing the two manufacturers where I receive the smallest profit margin but the fastest back up service I have ever seen .

Sorry I had to answer your post because I expect there will be many who visit calling into the improved web site.

.

Hi tcoen,

Yes I have looked into them and Rudiger does have a good plan but we must remember where he started, the most expensive part of any job he was selling after the solar panels were the thermal stores.

I admire the man because he was selling Solar Systems that actually worked long before even a tiny minority could see the future and they were very expensive back then.

A buffer tank, heat store, thermal store is an add on that can fitted with the Solar package at a better rate than it can be done with the pellet systems as the start up.

The reason being most of the Solar suppliers realise their system needs them to work properly so they have been the ground breakers and have the best prices when used as part of the package.

Solar energy Ireland had Solar systems performing way ahead of most peoples expectations because they knew there was more to a successful installation than another coil in the copper cylinder.

At the moment some people are doing there best to make the first move for general heat requirements using pellet fuel and appliances, I do offer the option and if the customer can't reach to it today provision is made for it in the future.

.

Hi,

I heard one of Brian Cowen's "Planted Questions" on Pat Kenny the morning after the budget, he told the person who called that he had allocated some 65 Million Euro to Noel Dempsey's Dept for renewable energy.

Naturaly I was delighted to hear the news, from the questions I have asked to date it appears that the funds were already allocated to developers and builders of "Eco Houses".

I certainly will not be holding my breath for any grants or incentives that can be collected by the ordinary people of this country.

What is really annoying is the fact that the VAT element alone would cover most of the grants that the average person would find to be an incentive.

I suggest that anyone interested should keep a close eye on the SEI web site as they will want to be the first to announce the benefits if they ever arrive.

Another interesting piece of artistic manouvering was the announcement about the Bio Diesel not being subject to Excise Duty as an incentive to convert your diesel engine.

It turns out that you must buy your Bio Fuel from a very limited number of outlets and they have a limit as to the amount the can sell in any one year.

The amount is so small that one supplier can only sell what would be enough fuel to run (I think) less than twenty Articulated trucks for a year, the figures were quoted on an evening television programme aimed at the farming community Ear To The Ground ?

Please email all of your representitives from Councillors to T.D's, Ministers, even Bertie.

Maybe now would be a good time to start a campaign by sending the same email every morning until you get a positive reply

I know from the enquiries we have been receiving since the web site went up that the people of this country will not be the one's to blame if big fines are handed down for breaking the agreement on emissions.

The people are more than willing to do their part by installing new or converting to new forms of energy to heat their homes.

.

Hi patrido,

I do believe that pessimists like you are the very people who are advising the Government Departments / Ministers.

I have been upfront about my association with the industry, I have yet to see who patrido is ?

But I see an attack which I do take personally about the industry in general, of course I wouldn't expect any less from a pessismistic anal retentive begrudger like you.

I take it you have actual facts and figures to back up your claim regarding the UK self builders ?

I take it you have actual facts and figures and figures as to the number involved in the renewable energy business in Ireland and exactly how much I and the other suppliers intend increasing our prices by should Grant assistance become available ?

Part of the reason Clear Skies (UK) insisted on Appoved Installers is to ensure the Government get value for money by Approved Systems being installed by Approved Installers in the business.

Another not so published reason is to ensure the Suppliers / Installers of the various systems are tax compliant businesses, every installation in the UK that is Grant Aided can be tracked and traced.

The appliances can be accuratley costed because they must be imported or manufactured in the UK, the cost of each appliance I import is available to the Revenue.

By putting a properly managed Grant System in place the revenue will be able to tell at a few clicks of a mouse exactly how much my turnover was for the preceeding year.

They will also be able to tell if I or any other supplier / installer has been taking advantage of the Grant System to increase the cost to the consumer just because a Grant is in place.

I welcome the accountability regardless of whether there is a Grant in place or not.

There is no point in trying to explain why to a person like you because your begruging nature prevents you from looking look after your own finances because you are too busy looking in other peoples pockets.

A bad day in my office is when we receive five enquiries and that is without any Grant in place, I will not sell pellet fuel stoves or boilers direct to any consumer to take away and try fitting themselves.

I have refused the cheques being written by the self installer because there is a lot more to installing the Correct Heating Appliance than the ability to carry it into your house.

The most liberal supplier I represent is Gerkros who will allow you to buy the system and install it, But they have their fail safe built in to prevent the product or consumer being abused and that is each appliance must be commissioned by one of their approved agents.

The cost of this service is built in to the price when you buy it regardless of who you buy it from, so I can sell to a person in Cork or Donegal but the local engineer must undertake the final commissioning.

The very same way as you can buy from anywhere in the country but I could possibly be called on to commission your system because you are local to me.

Perhaps if you take off the blinkers you may get to see there is value in the market place, all suppliers / installers are not the same and while a few might try to take advantage of any Grant that may be put in place they are the short sighted ones.

This Island of ours is too small and the today's consumer is well educated (except for a few who refuse to learn) so bumping the prices will be caught on to very fast and the word will spread very fast.

I have a Marketing Graduate as well as Heating Engineer on hand, the Marketing advisor has come up with two very interesting figures :

One good installation will at best reap five referrals (recommendations).

One bad installation will at the least be made known to twenty five potential customers.

An increase in the market will make it possible to enable us to at least hold today's prices into next year, maybe even a small reduction in price due to the economies of scale.

Yes there will be those who will try to take advantage of any grant system but take care with your generalities, I for one will certainly not be increasing prices because a grant is available.

Kind Regards,

Peter Crawley.

www.ecostoves.com