Hi,
New to the site & my first post. We live in Western MA (Conway) and many, we are doing a complete revamping of our heating system.. This fall, we are starting with installing a Viessman oil burner to replace our 30+ year old system, but to drastically reduce our use of we are looking seriously at also installing a wood pellet boiler next year. However, as we are nearing retirement age (with plenty of back issues), the labor involved in pellets (bags) has become a big concern. What we do see that we like is the European systems –bulk delivery, no bags, etc.
Our house (old with stone wall, gravel floor cellar) does not have a bulkhead and it is impractical ($$$) to put one in. However, it is 25 feet from the road and down 6-8 feet from the road grade. I think it is an ideal setup for bulk delivery. The basement, though a nice space, is damp in the summer (dry in winter) and takes on a few inches of water in the spring for a week or so. I am thinking of an outdoor storage solution (silo) for most of the material. A transfer to a smaller, inside hopper during heating season would move the pellets along (by augering).
Our thought was to buy a metal silo that would not overwhelm the house – 6' diameter and 12 feet to the top would hold about 190 Cu. Ft. I'm not sure what that translates to in tons of pellets. Our house is 2200 sf and uses about 800-850 gallons of oil (old, old boiler). I'm guessing a silo would need two deliveries (?) in a season. Anyway, any recommendations/experience as to the viability of this storage solution (pellets gaining moisture, etc) and the availability/practicality of bulk delivery in our area would be appreciated
Thanks,
Bob
New to the site & my first post. We live in Western MA (Conway) and many, we are doing a complete revamping of our heating system.. This fall, we are starting with installing a Viessman oil burner to replace our 30+ year old system, but to drastically reduce our use of we are looking seriously at also installing a wood pellet boiler next year. However, as we are nearing retirement age (with plenty of back issues), the labor involved in pellets (bags) has become a big concern. What we do see that we like is the European systems –bulk delivery, no bags, etc.
Our house (old with stone wall, gravel floor cellar) does not have a bulkhead and it is impractical ($$$) to put one in. However, it is 25 feet from the road and down 6-8 feet from the road grade. I think it is an ideal setup for bulk delivery. The basement, though a nice space, is damp in the summer (dry in winter) and takes on a few inches of water in the spring for a week or so. I am thinking of an outdoor storage solution (silo) for most of the material. A transfer to a smaller, inside hopper during heating season would move the pellets along (by augering).
Our thought was to buy a metal silo that would not overwhelm the house – 6' diameter and 12 feet to the top would hold about 190 Cu. Ft. I'm not sure what that translates to in tons of pellets. Our house is 2200 sf and uses about 800-850 gallons of oil (old, old boiler). I'm guessing a silo would need two deliveries (?) in a season. Anyway, any recommendations/experience as to the viability of this storage solution (pellets gaining moisture, etc) and the availability/practicality of bulk delivery in our area would be appreciated
Thanks,
Bob
