Pellet boilers

[hemlock]

Hello,
My oil tank is due to be replaced, and I am inclined to not bother with oil any more. The boiler ran for a grand total of about 15 hours this year (more just to make sure it still worked). I would like to be oil free once and for all. A small pellet boiler seems like it may be a good option for a backup heating system. Does anyone have any recommendations for a small pellet boiler? The house has hot water baseboard/radiant, but the radiant is never used - only the baseboard very occasionally. The wood stove heats the home 99%. Thanks.

 

[Como]

It is going to far too expensive relative to the use. Go for the cheapest electric/oil/propane depending on your supply options.

 

[hemlock]

It is going to far too expensive relative to the use. Go for the cheapest electric/oil/propane depending on your supply options.

That was my first thought also. But, I'm already in it for $1500 for the tank/install - repeated every ten years. Depending upon the cost of a smallish pellet boiler (something like a Hydroflex 60), it may be not to far fetched. That and furnace oil is about $4 dollars per gallon up here (101.9/L) - thank goodness for the wood stove.

 

[Como]

Certainly a pellet boiler can provide heat, the way you posted made it sound that fiances was the driving factor.

For a back up system you really need something that will run for a long time, with pellets that means a large silo. The Harman will run for a day or so with the built in hopper, you can certainly add additional capacity.

 

[hemlock]

Certainly a pellet boiler can provide heat, the way you posted made it sound that fiances was the driving factor.

For a back up system you really need something that will run for a long time, with pellets that means a large silo. The Harman will run for a day or so with the built in hopper, you can certainly add additional capacity.

Finances are a factor. My thoughts are that if I am to pay roughly $1500 every 10 years, on top of the infrequent 200L minimum delivery for oil, I can theoretically justify around a $3000 TO $4000 expense for a boiler within a 10 year time frame while coming out close to even - if it is possible to get a boiler for between $3000 - $4000.

You are right that the infrequent use is something to consider and will likely be a deciding factor. I have had the same tank of oil 2/3 full for about 2 years now. I do have a fear of oil leaks as well. It is that 10 year rolling $1500 replacement cost that bugs me.

 

[Como]

Will you be doing the install etc yourself?

That sounds more like the price band for a pellet stove rather than a Boiler.

My guess is that the one mentioned would be twice that installed.

They do not last forever and will need servicing as well. I am not sure why an oil boiler only lasts 10 years.

 

[Singed Eyebrows]

With pellets you again have no control over your heating costs, if they rise 50 percent not much you can do about it. If you can't or don't want to burn wood I would get the highest effeciency oil boiler you can afford & insulate everything well, Randy

 

[Willman]

Check out the poly oil tanks, rust free. Wouldn't have to change every 10 yrs. Do your tanks rust out or sludge?
Will

 

[Willman]

but the radiant is never used

Radiant will provide heat at a lower water temp than BB. How come no radiant?

Will

 

[pybyr]

Check out the poly oil tanks, rust free. Wouldn't have to change every 10 yrs. Do your tanks rust out or sludge?
Will

I seem to recall someone from one of the Eastern Provinces of Canada saying here in the Boiler Rm that they are mandated to change oil tanks every 10 years as some form of leak-prevention plan. I am all for preventing leaks, for all the obvious reasons, but that seems like hyperactive regulation. The newer tanks with an outlet on the very bottom, instead of the old arrangement with the tap at the bottom of the side, do not seem to be nearly as prone to standing pockets of water leading to pinhole corrosion from inside out.

 

[PassionForFire&Water]

With pellets you again have no control over your heating costs, if they rise 50 percent not much you can do about it. If you can't or don't want to burn wood I would get the highest effeciency oil boiler you can afford & insulate everything well, Randy

Most likely the cost of pellets will increase significant the next 5 years.
More and more industries and application will "fight" for this pellet commodity.
My guess is that the residential application will start paying more when big commercial/industrial biomass installation go on-line in the next few years.

 

[hemlock]

Check out the poly oil tanks, rust free. Wouldn't have to change every 10 yrs. Do your tanks rust out or sludge?
Will

I seem to recall someone from one of the Eastern Provinces of Canada saying here in the Boiler Rm that they are mandated to change oil tanks every 10 years as some form of leak-prevention plan. I am all for preventing leaks, for all the obvious reasons, but that seems like hyperactive regulation. The newer tanks with an outlet on the very bottom, instead of the old arrangement with the tap at the bottom of the side, do not seem to be nearly as prone to standing pockets of water leading to pinhole corrosion from inside out.

Yup. We have to replace our tanks every ten years regardless. Being as I heat with wood, the oil almost never gets used - and they will not transfer oil from your old tank to a new one - the reason they give is to prevent putting contaminated (water/sludge) oil into a new tank.

 

[hemlock]

but the radiant is never used

Radiant will provide heat at a lower water temp than BB. How come no radiant?

Will

Two reasons. Fisrt, the install was done very poorly (unknown to me before buying the house). The first time I tunred it on upstairs, th boiler ran for an eternity, but the floor never even got slightly warmer. I went downstairs and pulled some insulation away from the space between the floors and found that the pipes were just hanging in the rafters about 3 to 4 " below the floor they were supposed to be heating - not attatched to anything, just dangling there. Given where they are, and the layout of the house, repair is impossible without removing the entire floor from upstairs. In short - the upstairs radiant does not work. I don't know how the previous owner heated the place. It cost a fortune. The oil company said the average for the house was about $3500 - $4000 per year. That was when oil was "only" $3.50 a gallon. Now it is over $4.00/G ($101.9/L)
Reason two - see price of furnace oil in reason one. Got a wood stove installed, cut my own wood, buy a tandem load of logs every couple of years and keep the place in the low 70's (22C) all year for about $450.

 

[Como]

If you use it so little, how about a cheaper smaller tank?

Sounds like a pellet stove with a large hopper would be a more practical back up if you are not gone for a long time. You can get a Heatilator Eco with an 80lb bin and a horizontal vent for $2,000.

From a toy point of view I would go for the Pellet Boiler and a silo, but just adding the number up it makes no financial sense.

The fuel costs when it is run so little is not significant, presumably otherwise you have electricity, an electric boiler may be the best practical option, no tank.

 

[hemlock]

If you use it so little, how about a cheaper smaller tank?

Sounds like a pellet stove with a large hopper would be a more practical back up if you are not gone for a long time. You can get a Heatilator Eco with an 80lb bin and a horizontal vent for $2,000.

From a toy point of view I would go for the Pellet Boiler and a silo, but just adding the number up it makes no financial sense.

The fuel costs when it is run so little is not significant, presumably otherwise you have electricity, an electric boiler may be the best practical option, no tank.

I'm leaning towards the electric boiler. You're right about the cost of a pellet boiler just not adding up for the amount of use it would get. What do electric boilers go for? How do you size them?

 

[Como]

Size the same way as you would any other - btu/kw, I would have though one would be in your price bracket.

 

[Willman]

Keep your oil boiler (you own it already) and install a poly tank. Surely they can't rust out and the sludge can be mitigated by a smaller tank that uses most of the oil every year or so. What does the authorities have to say about these tanks? Link below is just one of many.

For the poorly installed radiant you could check out the Ultra Fin product that requires the tubing to be 3" from bottom of sub floor. Doesn't work well with rugs though. 145* water is all they require.


http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=23527

Will

 

[pybyr]

Another thought-

Pellet-burner heads that will fit in place of an oil-burner head are now finally becoming available in North America [they've been in use in Eurpe for over a decade].

If your oil boiler is in good shape, you could retrofit it with one of those.

They're not cheap, but they are a lot less than a dedicated pellet boiler- plus you'd have the option to go back to oil if at some point you wanted to

Google Pellx USA, Pellergy, or look at the one on the SmokelessHeat.com site's accessories section.

 

[Rick Stanley]

http://www.pressherald.com/opinion/...eneur_2011-03-05.html?searchterm=wood+pellets