Anyone else given up on Wood Pellet Boilers?

Yep I've given up before I've even had one installed.
I was determined not to put oil in my newbuild - wanted something eco but several things have conspired against me
1) the new uk government (i'm up north) cancelled the grants so it went from a 3 or 4,000 grant to zero. Add on the cost of building storage etc and it would never pay for itself
2) started worrying about the longterm supply of pellets - with supply and demand it's bound to become a problem for companies growing trees quickly enough, plus long term there is bound to be competition between timber and food crop growing
3)you are at the mercy of pellet companies with regard to fuel prices just as much as you are with oil

So all in all the pellets aren't the cheap, eco-friendly solution i had hoped.

Decided to put in grant vortex oil condensing boiler, extra insulation, a solar panel for hot water, a stove with back boiler and a buffer tank.
Hoping i won't actually need to run the oil too much!

yes i'm glad to hear that too - we were advised to put in a buffer tank with the oil system to avoid cycling. does that make sense? it's also good to hear someone with experience of the pellets - often you don't hear the downsides until it's too late. I think long term (and i mean 50 years!) the only solution is some kind of electric heating powered by wind or solar, or to go with the passivhaus idea. I just remain unconvinced that any house in ireland could do without any form of heating. Plus we need hot water in winter!
do you have solar panels? i've heard great things about them, our builder says he hasn't used his oil since the spring for heating his DHW (and he is not involved with our SP installation so he is not trying to sell them to us!)

Sorry if i'm bugging you with questions but i'm at the building stage and hoping i'm doing the right thing! - do you have evacuated tubes or flat plate? and if you don't mind me asking how is your system set up? i'm thinking HW from panels feeds the normal cylinder, the oil and wood stove go to the buffer tank.

cheers
i'm same - not very technically minded and learning as i go. i think evac tubes are a bit more efficient but more expensive. we have rads upstairs and ufh downstairs. i think the buffer will be used so that the oil boiler doesn't continuously turn on and off - it will keep a supply at a certain temperature for a long time.
many thanks for your help, hope the oil boiler gives you a warm and stress free winter this year!!:)

My parents have a pellet stove with back boiler in their house. It has been nothing but trouble since they got it installed. We had decided on wood pellets for our new build and had even put in slabs over the garage to store them above the boiler house, but after hearing all the problems that the parents and others in the area have had, it's a condensing oil burner for us.

Nice space above the garage now, though.

I too had a gerkros fitted about 3 years ago and it has been going relatively well.
I replaced the ignition element (€50) myself a few months ago after getting the part from a crowd in Cahir who set up to meet the demand for parts servicing etc. as far as I know.
They certainly aren't for anyone who isn't hands on. Plenty of TLC and maintainance required but if they get that, then they work quite well and economically.
Though I have had to pursuade the OH to not attack it with an axe a couple of times, she hates it!!
As for pellets, have gotten them off that big company in Enniskillen (you know who they are) and the quality and delivery has always been good.
Though there has been a significant cost increase lately, it is still a little cheaper than oil I reckon. And of course my conscience is all the better for having a rather dainty carbon footprint don't you know

I have no connection with this company other than getting a part from them and here is the link for those of you who may require parts. If it's inappropriate to put it here, sorry

http://www.woodpeckerenergy.com/contact-us.php

jpb1974 wrote: »

To be honest I'm not all that up-to-speed on the technicalities of these things... everything was entrusted with our plumber who is very good.

Our solar panels are flat plate but I've no idea what the differences are between these and evacuated tubes in terms of pros and cons.

The panels feed the hot water cylinder.

We don't have a buffer tank. Are you using underfloor heating or standard rads? I think buffer tanks are used with rads.. but I'm not a plumber so no great idea on this. Just make sure your buffer tank is uber insulated from top to bottom.

The advantages of tubes over panels is that they are 1, easier install 2, more surface area 3, easier replace dulled or damaged tubes than a panel;)

Once i heard wet pellets/ Rats getting cot in the screw/ and lots of ash....


Mehh I gave up

Joey the lips wrote: »

Once i heard wet pellets/ Rats getting cot in the screw/ and lots of ash....


Mehh I gave up

Wet pellets just turn to mush and couldn't be used, rats getting caught in the screw :eek: would like to see that :rolleyes:

And lots of ash? I empty mine about once a month and there's still bugger all.

I understand that these units get some bad press and certainly some folks have had bad experiences, but unless you know what you're getting yourself into and can handle it, you'll have those problems.
Think I'll clean mine out tomorrow, just to show it that little bit of TLC what is required.

You should get a decent oil boiler installed for about 2K,all in, I reckon.

But you can't blame the government for wood pellet boilers not being all they may have been cracked up to be.

That may be the only thing, but....

yoshytoshy wrote: »

It's crazy to think wood pellet boilers are around for such a long time and we just can't get it right here.
Over 65% of boilers in sweden are wood pellet.

I heard of a irish woodpellet boiler being launched next year, wont mention names, but met a guy who has one on test in his own house, if it does what he says, but i am still on the fence, beside my oil tank!!!!