In the process of picking out all the stuff for building a new house and I'm trying to figure out what wood boiler to go with. From looking around I know that Wood Gun offers a gasification boiler with oil backup. Are there any other companies that offer fossil fuel backup? I would do more looking on my own but I'm on a roadtrip for work using my Droid to surf and post. Also, the house is going to have LPG for the kitchen and standby generator, is there any difference between other than price for LPG vs oil? Thanks for any input.
which companies offer a wood gasification with fossil backup?
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Clarkbug
Minister of Fire
If you are building new, I would suggest going with a separate boiler entirely as opposed to a combination unit. Several threads here on the forums indicate that efficiency can suffer with these combination units, depending on their configuration. It does save you from having to have a separate flue, and of course buying a separate boiler.
If you want to keep with a combo unit, I know Tarm also makes one. Varmebaronen makes a combo unit called the Biomax that can be equipped with a pellet burner or an oil gun.
My personal take would be to use LPG since you are going to have it on site anyway, so you will already have the piping and tank handy. No sense doubling up on the fossil fuels you will have on site. You could come up with a way to use an instantaneous hot water heater as a fossil fuel backup, or install a separate LPG boiler entirely.
If you want to keep with a combo unit, I know Tarm also makes one. Varmebaronen makes a combo unit called the Biomax that can be equipped with a pellet burner or an oil gun.
My personal take would be to use LPG since you are going to have it on site anyway, so you will already have the piping and tank handy. No sense doubling up on the fossil fuels you will have on site. You could come up with a way to use an instantaneous hot water heater as a fossil fuel backup, or install a separate LPG boiler entirely.
Fsappo
Minister of Fire
I would just toss in a high efficiency lp boiler as per Clarkbugs suggestion. Where in upsate NY? I may be able to steer you in the right direction.
Jim K in PA
Minister of Fire
I would suggest a GARN with a seperate propane fired condensing boiler, both set up as secondary loops on a primary loop. Hydronically and electrically this will give you the easiest system to switch back and forth from. If you have a walk-out basement planned, putting the GARN unit inside will be much easier. Is the house in the construction phase yet?
Good luck with the project.
Good luck with the project.
woodsmaster
Minister of Fire
biomass has a combo unit. Don't Know about efficiency but if your mostly burning wood might not be a big deal.
Floydian
Feeling the Heat
Hi Trooper,
Do you have any idea what kind of energy needs this house will need. An accurate room by room heat loss calculation of the house could and should be performed before any heating system design.
I love the concept of a wood gasification boiler with storage and low temp emitters and look forward to finishing my install this summer, BUT.......
In new construction a very strong argument could be made to super insulate, build tight and ventilate right. This could greatly reduce the cost of the heating system as well as insure very low energy needs for the life of the building.
Insulation probably has the best ROI available and it only gets better as energy prices go up.
A great place for info:
http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/
good luck,
Noah
Do you have any idea what kind of energy needs this house will need. An accurate room by room heat loss calculation of the house could and should be performed before any heating system design.
I love the concept of a wood gasification boiler with storage and low temp emitters and look forward to finishing my install this summer, BUT.......
In new construction a very strong argument could be made to super insulate, build tight and ventilate right. This could greatly reduce the cost of the heating system as well as insure very low energy needs for the life of the building.
Insulation probably has the best ROI available and it only gets better as energy prices go up.
A great place for info:
http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/
good luck,
Noah
Floydian said:
I haven't had anyone look at the house plans to give me a reccomendation on heating needs yet but that is a call I'll be making shortly. The walkout basement is going to be ICF with radiant heat in the slab and the main floor is going to be 2X6 and super insulated. I would like to go with a wood gasification/storage/DHW setup but I'm trying to figure out how to heat the house in the unlikely event that both of us are out of town for a day or two. I could always have a friend house sit but I don't like depending on anyone except myself for anything.
Thanks for the input guys
Clarkbug
Minister of Fire
I agree with Noah that insulation is the best plan, and it sounds like you have a great start.
You could consider one of the boilers that can be fitted with a pellet head for when you are out of town. While that still leaves you with a single point of failure, you could install a pellet hopper that would hold enough pellets for you to leave for a long weekend. It would most likely not be enough for an extended vacation, but its another option.
You could consider one of the boilers that can be fitted with a pellet head for when you are out of town. While that still leaves you with a single point of failure, you could install a pellet hopper that would hold enough pellets for you to leave for a long weekend. It would most likely not be enough for an extended vacation, but its another option.
Back in 1997 I installed a Tarm with natural gas backup. The next owners of the house decided that the NG backup was insufficient for the total heat load of the house and they didin't have my committment to wood heating, so out the new furnace came!
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