Wood Pellet burner

SoreHead

Oh dear God. I just typed a page of info and the page crashed. Here goes again.

More briefly this time.

A number of systems available:
Plastic tank with hole for preferred feed type (auger/blower etc)
Metal tank with hole for same
Bag systems using blower system

The first 2 are designed for Northern climates that are cold and dry. Not suitable for here in my opinion with the damp.

Warren brown (wahb@eircom.net) in Kerry is currently bringing in an excellent bag system using a blower system that can be situated away from the house with the feed pipe underground. The system also filters the dust before it feeds which is very important in preventing feed blockages in the boiler (not applicable to bottom feeders which temd to be multifuel anyway). Not sure of his company name and I'm on the laptop now but that email will get to him and he will be happy to give more info I'm sure.

The fuel is fed into the system using a modified cattle feed truck which Warren and Balcas have been specifying for quite some time now.

The system is a bag supported by a metal frame which is then covered to appear like a shed so it doesn't ruin the look of your garden.

Hope this helps

Bomany

Thanks for information. Very helpful. Was at Self Build show in Belfast. In the North they get a £2000 grant toward wood pellet boilers and £500 toward solar panels. It is disgraceful that the government here is not encouraging people to switch to eco-friendly fuels.

tinofapples

In the North they get a £2000 grant toward wood pellet boilers

Typical of our country.

Sure wouldn't that cover the cost of the boiler ??

Sorehead , know of any similar incentive here ? Got the tickets by the way , thanks a million !!

SoreHead

No grants here as yet unfortunately.
We don't even get a reduction in VAT. It's the full 13.5% same as any other fuel.

The grant for our boiler up North and UK is €1,500 and the stoves get €600.

See any of you at the show.
Not sure what our stand is but it's Celtic Flame if you want to see them working and have any questions answered.

ultra

SoreHead wrote:

To be honest, from experience, Irish people are a couple of years away from being ready for the boilers.

Hi Sorehead,

New user here!
I was seriously considering installing a pellet boiler in our house (nearing end of construction). Do you think that maybe I should install an oil burner for the moment and when the pellet boiler market matures here, then switch to a pellet boiler?

I have installed underfloor heating if thats of any relevance.

Thanks.

Doper Than U

I'm going to sound like a complete dunce here, but I am seriously considering a joint system of geothermal heating and wood pellets if that's doable. I'm just a little sketchy on the wood pellet system. What is the difference between the stove and the boiler? Do you have to shovel the pellets in like coal? I'm a little confused about how the system works on a practical level...

aislingw

We were all on for getting an EF Thermo, as it is half the price of the other boilers on the market, if not less - but would like to hear of someone who has gone through a winter with one. So thought I'd ask here... Anyone actually have one, or can you recommend a different pellet boiler (not a stove).

Thanks!

Aisling

PS - Doper than U - have I seen you on a certain peakoil forum - and on river cottage too? i'm just a lurker but I recognise your sig and general location etc

ednwireland

just been looking at these and been qouted €5000 euro for a stove and 8000 for a boiler from greenheat (ballpark didn't speak much to him after that) when a condensing oil boiler at 97% efficiency costs €1500 these prices are ridiculous how are we supposed to go green when the prices are like this. i seriously would like to replace my oil boiler with wood pellet as i can't see oil doing anything but get more expensive. but €8000 its only a burner a heat exchanger and a worm drive with a bit of electronics. i reckon i'm going with oil cos i can't justify a 15 year payback. also i read that these boilers work best running continuously, you can't just switch them on and off like an oil boiler (you can run them down to 15% output though). if anyone has better prices could they post them !

aislingw

Only thing I'd say there, ednwireland is that a 15 year payback is presumably based on current oil prices. There is a lot of talk about that these will double in the next couple of years, so you might be looking at a lot shorter payback time.

Goll Mac Morna

I was really enthusiastic about wood pellet stoves and boilers for months ( a couple of months ago).
But I was really turned off by the cost a PELLETTHERM P2 pellet boiler from FROLING in Austria was the one that I was after but it costs about £7 K (approx. €10K)

When you can get a condensing oil boiler for €1,500 approx. as mentioned by a previous poster and when you get absolutely no incentives form Rialtas na hÉireann to go green, the numbers for pellet heating don't add up.

+ our climate is wetter than the continental (cold and dry)and could cause problems re: storage of pellets in hoppers

The most worthwhile investment is to stick your extra couple of thousand € into passive solar design (if a new house), insulation and very good quality windows to go for a house that gets close to ZERO ENERGY, BODY HEAT or PASSIVHAUS (PAssive House) standards and thus limit your need for heat at all.

I am going for this option myself and will install a small oil boiler and radiators to boost heat when/ if needed.

ednwireland

yep i wanted to put in solar heating 8 years ago when renovating could't afford that, now want more green and can't afford that, i have a south facing sun room (with several feet of hardcore undrneath) and any sunny day the doors are opened to the rest of the house and the hetaing stays off.
maybe someone could explain why green technology seems to be developed for the rich not the masses.
anyway even if oil prices go (more) through the roof i have to take that risk as i just don't have the 8000 for the boiler and the money to build the boiler house extension to put the thing in and the store pellets.
mind you i have a solid fuel range and a wodd burning stove in the house and a chainsaw so i have a few options :-)

ednwireland

sorry to post again but just got this still €5500 from solar energy ireland www.solarenergyireland.com
but pointed me to some really interesting calculators on the following site
go to the bottom of the page, calculators and tools

http://www.sei.ie/content/content.asp?section_id=741

the spreadsheet on domestic fuel comparison is interesting

Bomany

Six months ago I started off wanting to make my house as green as possible. I wanted to reduce greenhouse gases etc. But unfortunately as an average PAYE WORKER I found out very soon that the cost of this is crippling. I am building a new house - very expensive - and the extra cost of 5.5k for a wood pellet boiler plus whatever to build a silo etc is beyond me at this point. All these options have VAT slapped on them by that greedy shower of wasters in Dail Eireann. Dick Roche may spiff on the TV and radio about the Kyoto Agreement etc and get his picture in the paper beside some wind farm in County Wexford, but when it comes to putting money where his mouth is it is a different story. I am sick of this. I feel guilty about installing an oil boiler. But at the end of the day I cannot afford to install the heating system I would like to.

rooferPete

Hi Bomany,

No reason to feel guilty that I can see, you are looking to the future and wanted to start the change today, I think that's admirable.

We all agree oil will increase in cost and it would be nice if we could heat our homes in an enviromentally safe way, but this Government will not remove the VAT on goods to assist the disabled unless the disabled person can prove they paid for the goods themselves, they even want to see the loan agreement from the finance house.

That is our Caring Ireland of today, what you can do is get your plumber to make provision for a second heating appliance that you can install later.

By planning today for the future you will most likely have two advantages, one being the lowest cost to change your system, the second being the system you get will have been tried and tested.

So much is said about pellet boilers today that is not exactly the truth, they do cost more than 250 euro a year to heat the average home.

Many do not have the output that equals the oil boiler, some are being sold at amazing mark up's or profits for the retailers.

I being a decadent capitalist believe in profit, but a fair profit margin that makes the units affordable for anyone who wishes to install one in their home or business premises.

Perhaps by not installing today you may be able to avail of some Government inititives like zero VAT or even a grant in the future

.

gregos

rooferPete wrote:

Perhaps by not installing today you may be able to avail of some Government inititives like zero VAT or even a grant in the future.

It'll happen. Unfortunately, our elected policy-makers being what they are (that is to say, ignorant half-educated buffoons) it will take rather longer than in the rest of the EU. What you can do, in terms of design, is put the circumstances in place now, so that when you decide to install your wood-pellet burner, it can happen with the least disruption.

Maskhadov

I have 2,000 square feet 10 radiator bungalow house to heat. What kind of boiler is required to heat that size and what kind of price would it cost ?

and what kind of grants are available ??

pollyanna

There are grants available for 2006 only for the wood pellet boilers and solar panels just go to the sei.ie site. I have had severel quotes ranging from €10,000 up to €13,000 thats inc vat and installation. Has anyone out there had one fitted that they could recommend? anyone had problems with the boiler.
3 companies have told me i need 3 different sizes i have a 2800 sqft house with 24 radiators one said i need 25kw one company have give me 2 quotes one saying i need a 30kw and another guy from the same place said we need a 40kw, so who do you trust?
The grant available for the size boiler we are after is €4200 which we have got so now its deciding where to go, we will still have to put around €6,000 towards it and it is a lot of money especially if we get the wrong advice.

vicar1

Hello Folks, anyone bought a wood pellet stove ? I am interested in both space heating and boiler types and wonder how reliable, efficient and cost effective they are. any advice? Thanks!