Storage vs Boiler Sizing.

[SolarAndWood]

Given that we don't mind burning 24/7 when its cold out, that should be more than adequate especially once the house is done. If it is inadequate from time to time, the Encore uses the same size wood as the boiler and makes a really nice glow that we will miss.

 

[Medman]

I went with the smaller boiler, the EKO 25, even though I was on the borderline between the 25 and 40. Without storage I idle, sometimes a lot, which means that if I build a fire at 4pm when I get home, I reload at 8:30-9pm when the first load is gone, and the boiler idles on and off until about 4am when that load is gone. Between 4am and 6am the temp in the house can fall quite a bit if outside temps are cold, so I either have to get up in the night to load or put up with the cold.

I am putting in a storage system this spring to reap the benefits of burning full-out, then loading at my convenience, not when the boiler tells me I need to.
One of the things you will not miss about using the woodstove is the mess inside. I have even put up with the cold this winter rather than light a fire in the PE stove, because I can't stand the wood mess and soot in the house anymore - you quickly get used to not having to vacuum and dust as much with a boiler!

I also bought my house for the view - of the water. In the last five years, I have spent 90% of my time at home with my back to that view as I work on some project or other. I figure I'll get to enjoy it when I retire in 20 years!

 

[SolarAndWood]

Thanks for the real world feedback Medman. Understandably, I think the primary concern of the dealers is to make sure you never complain that there isn't enough heat. I'm sold on the smaller boiler strategy. I would rather put the heat directly into the house whenever possible and spend the savings on bigger storage to buy consistent heat and flexibility. My wife seems to focus on the no mess benefit.

I'm sure the quality of your view makes up for the relatively low quantity of time directly enjoying it. A fine beverage in an Adirondack chair facing the view at the end of the day keeps my sometimes overwhelming project in perspective.

 

[BrownianHeatingTech]

You can, of course, only load it halfway, and start it sooner

If you run it flat out, that only means that you'll run out of wood sooner. You still only need 1.5 hours of burn time. I suspect a lot of the gasifier problems come from people trying to get them to run at half (or less) of their rated output.

I think large boilers make sense if you have LOTS of storage. With 2000 gallons, I could see having a larger boiler.

I was referring to sizing the storage to the house, and sizing the boiler to the storage. As long as the storage can absorb the heat, I want the boiler to run flat-out for a short time, and be done with it.

Joe

 

[Piker]

You can, of course, only load it halfway, and start it sooner

If you run it flat out, that only means that you'll run out of wood sooner. You still only need 1.5 hours of burn time. I suspect a lot of the gasifier problems come from people trying to get them to run at half (or less) of their rated output.

I think large boilers make sense if you have LOTS of storage. With 2000 gallons, I could see having a larger boiler.

I was referring to sizing the storage to the house, and sizing the boiler to the storage. As long as the storage can absorb the heat, I want the boiler to run flat-out for a short time, and be done with it.

Joe

I think this goes back to what I said earlier about systems that will require more than 7 or 8 hours of burn to charge the tanks and fulfull the heat load of the house. Anything longer than that, and alot of people are going to have to get up in the middle of the night to fill the boiler. In this case a larger boiler with a little more storage is handy. Granted, this may only apply at design temps, and for most of the season the numbers look a whole lot better.

The bottom line is this: choosing between a large boiler and storage combo, and a small boiler and storage combo, isn't about right and wrong... it's about what fits your lifestyle. No fossil has time in the afternoon to start his fires early to get the long burn he needs to get everything up to temp. Myself, I struggle to get home 4 hours before bedtime... and some evenings I get home after bed time. I simply sized my system to work around my schedule as best as possible.

cheers

 

[Der Fuirmeister]

The previous owner was going through just under 4000 gallons of propane a year with the old forced air furnace.

I just got propane delivered this morning. Price is down $.50 from last time... to only $4.30/gallon.

$17000/ year could pay for a pretty fine 'solar and wood' system in very little time.

You're kidding!??

I just paid $1.79 last week.

 

[DaveBP]

Der Fiur Meister

You’re kidding!?? I just paid $1.79 last week.

No, not kidding. It's the "free market" in action.
Once you control the "market", you're "free" to charge whatever you want.

It's like cable TV. Just glad I don't use much propane and I'm really looking forward to heating my hot water with my own wood.

 

[LeonMSPT]

Maine and Alaska...


"Shipping"...

Der Fiur Meister

You’re kidding!?? I just paid $1.79 last week.

No, not kidding. It's the "free market" in action.
Once you control the "market", you're "free" to charge whatever you want.

It's like cable TV. Just glad I don't use much propane and I'm really looking forward to heating my hot water with my own wood.

 

[Der Fuirmeister]

Der Fiur Meister

You’re kidding!?? I just paid $1.79 last week.

No, not kidding. It's the "free market" in action.
Once you control the "market", you're "free" to charge whatever you want.

It's like cable TV. Just glad I don't use much propane and I'm really looking forward to heating my hot water with my own wood.

You and I both are looking forward to hot water via wood. Next year............when the boiler and storage are installed.

This year, even with wood heat, the LP invoices added up to $2400. And that was with LP running between 1.79 and 2.40.