Wood Pellets

Dtp1979

mark_18tp wrote: »

if you are qualified in pellet boilers e.g. an approved mcs course, i think its wrong that grant asks you too do another course to fit their boiler. "approved grant installer"?? and then its another course ontop of the course I have already took. i feel its a bit cheeky

I think they should allow mcs accredited installers, install them no extra course. i have seen them and there is no difference in them compared with others.

i just sometimes think companies don't understand the costs involved.

Apart from the fact that they're condensing. I think it's good that grant only want guys trained by them fitting their boilers

jimf

I can understand mark that you have to take time off from your daily schedule to do these courses and maybe a bit of travel also involved I only do oil but imho the trip to grants in birr was a well worth while experience

I was at a launch night in limerick last jan and they were quite adamant this course was a must do if you wished to become an installer

with the bad experience a number of years back with other manf I think grants are not willing to leave anything to chance as you already said yourself in an earlier post bad installers mean bad performance and even worse reputation

mark_18tp

im glad you can see my point, and i do see yours.
but my issue is when i spoke to a grant agent its basically a retrofitted grant vortex internals and they don't ask that approved installers fit their oil boilers

i will do the course one day but i stand by the fact that is setting double standards for oil and pellet

Biglad

You can never do enough training and although the Grant boilers might be in principle the 'same' they clearly still have unique features and or requirements. I sell MegaPixel CCTV and we still like engineers to do our companies training course (free of charge) to make sure they get the best out of our product.

I am no plumber myself but I was worried about the lack of info available with local plumbers when it comes to pellet boilers so I have been doing all my maintenance myself which was straight forward and easy. Even replacing an element or capacitor turned out to be simple.

My next project is a buffer tank and all the valves and bits...will need help with that ken though!

PeteHeat

mark_18tp wrote: »

my advice is to always buy austrian boilers basically stay away from anything local, heard a few reports on grant pellet but its a bit cheeky you have to do their course

Doctors differ, patients die.

There were quite a few Austrian boiler manufacturers that were and still are anything but helpful especially when it comes to parts, maintenance manuals and training.

I have lost count of the number of times my emails and telephone calls to Austrian / E.U. manufacturers have been ignored despite explaining that a consumers home was without heat in the depths of winter.

As for Grant they could have launched their Grant Spira pellet boiler in 2006 but held off until they had carried out full field testing to iron out any possible issues, could explain why they are the biggest seller in the UK under the UK renewable energy schemes?

I have traveled to a number of manufacturers in Europe for training, my time spent travelling to Grant for training was painless in comparison.

For your information it's not a retrofitted Grant Vortex (the best selling oil boiler in Ireland and the UK) I have yet to see a vortex actually wash itself with water!

For training we did the theory courses in Dundalk I.T. very similar to the MCS course, they were no comparison to the manufacturers courses which naturally were specific to each manufacturers products and invaluable when it came to installation and after sales service.

I think if Gerkros had stuck with their original training and installation guides (pre SEI grants) they would still be in business today, sadly the madness created by a €4,000.00 grant meant quality of installation and wood pellet fuel was left to one side in the rush to provide product.

Balcas are not the only pellet fuel manufacturer in Ireland, Laois Sawmills also manufacture here.
.

Dosiateh

Hi there, I have problem with a SHT wood pellet boiler. Plug it out from power and after I plug it in again I got no response from it at all. Anybody around Kildare area know something about that boilers?

smwalsh

Hi all

Back to problems with Gerkros Woodpecker Burners. I have an Er01 reading and cannot clear it. Manual says Safety Thermostat High Voltage 1. Any ideas what this means? I cannot clear it to try to restart the burner again. (Oh how I long for those Er13 messages)

Got my plumber coming out to take a look, not hopeful... Anybody know of anyone in the West who has experience fixing these machines?

Not that one

This i had this message as well at one stage.
I have the 40kW Gerkros boiler - digital display model.

I think when this message came up, my buffer tank had a lot of air that needed to be bled.
Just turn the key at top of tank and let out any excess air (same process as bleeding radiators).
You may need to allow water back into your system to "re-pressurize" the system if you had a lot of air in the system.

Anyone with more technical advice please feel free to contradict.

I've had several Error messages over the years and trying to remember if this was my ER 01 response.
The 40kW woodpecker is hard work. I've just about lost trust in mine, as any issue usually means 1 week without heat while i try to figure out problem, order replacement part and get it fitted.

jennifershauna

tinofapples wrote: »

Has anyone sourced any supplier cheaper than Balcas ?? Anyone use Harper/Crone's for supply ??

Kedco are doing 3 tonnes for €230 a tonne incl Vat & Del anywhere in ROI.

How much space would one need for 3 tonnes?!? I buy boot full's working out at €100 per month....dust in the bags is starting to annoy me and the price hike? I thought it was a 'green' fuel they can't f**k with the price like oil?!? It's all a balls we b paying to breath soon...dirty air n all

Get off my soapbox

jennifershauna wrote: »

How much space would one need for 3 tonnes?!? I buy boot full's working out at €100 per month....dust in the bags is starting to annoy me and the price hike? I thought it was a 'green' fuel they can't f**k with the price like oil?!? It's all a balls we b paying to breath soon...dirty air n all

They are about €2k to buy. Tey come in different shapes and sizes but this might help give an idea of the space needed for a bulk storage canvas silo. (details from kbf) . You can get plastic ones as well.

Capacity : 3.8 tonnes
Height : 2400mm (8ft)
Width : 2200mm (7ft 2in)
Depth : 2200mm (7ft 2in)

There should be a gap of approx. 10-15 cm between the silo and the wall in order to permit ventilation behind it.The distance between the steel supports and the ceiling should be 20 to 25 centimetres, because the filling pipe will take up this space.

I might be getting rid of mine in the next few weeks if anyone was interested.

tinofapples

jennifershauna wrote: »

How much space would one need for 3 tonnes?!? I buy boot full's working out at €100 per month....dust in the bags is starting to annoy me and the price hike? I thought it was a 'green' fuel they can't f**k with the price like oil?!? It's all a balls we b paying to breath soon...dirty air n all

The price will continue to rise imo, up till recently I could get 10kg bags for €2.95 a bag. 20 cent has been added to that now and can see same in future.

Hawthorn_Pl

Hi There. Is there anyone in the West Of Ireland who services scotte opop pellet boilers.I have the 430. No issues with it at the moment just wondering who around the Galway area services them?

Loueln

mark_18tp wrote: »

just went onto done deal and noticed that a lot of people are selling of there woodpecker wood pellet boilers, they must have been bad.

i am installer of wood pellet boilers and am mcs approved in the north, and i think woodpecker/gerkos give wood pellets a bad name. around 8yrs ago pellet boilers really took of in ireland with the grants etc and a lot of "installers??" where putting in boilers because they looked good.

as a installer and approved for mcs for every job i do i get about 20 people ringing to see if the technology as improved, which it has. but i still feel that the bad experiences where due to two main factors.

1. untrained installers - putting in the boilers with the biggest mark up /commission rate.

2. quality of pellets- there was a lot of suppliers a few years ago and now there is only 2 or so in the north and will there is a few small issues at times but this problem is mostly for the part sorted.

any other views

Hi there,
I would like your help if you know anybody able to fix my gerkross woodpellet boiler. there's a water leaking on the side. The boiler seemed to work fine except for the leak.

ayzeb123

do you still service the Kedco boilers, if so where are you based?

ayzeb123

Hi Mark, Do you service kedco boilers in the northwest of ireland