Boiler Distance

[scooter]

Hi,
I purchased a PB105 pellet boiler and would like to place it in my garage. The garage has radiant heat and is kept at 45° in the winter. Between the garage and the house is a breezeway with sleeves under the concrete floor to run the boiler pipes from the pellet boiler to the oil boiler in the basement of the house. The distance is 85' for each run. I plan to insulate the pipes.

I live in Vermont. Heat with oil/hot water base board. We use about 710 gallons of oil each year. The house has 1800 square feet plus the 14'x14' breezeway and 24'x26' garage. The garage and breezrway have radiant heat.

My questions:
1. Does this installation plan sound reasonable?
2. Is there a lot of Heat loss for the distance between the boilers? Or enough to worry about?
3. Is 45° to cold to run the pellet boiler in the garage?
4. Has anyone installed a pellet boiler like this and is working ok?
5. How much more pellets would I burn by having it in the garage compaired to in the basement next to the oil boiler?

 

[Nofossil]

Code and/or insurance companies may not tolerate a solid fuel heating appliance in a garage. You'll lose heat in between, but it's a function of how well insulated the pipes are. I doubt that 45 degrees would be a problem.

 

[scooter]

Thanks for replying,
I hadn't thought of my insurance company. I don't think we have any building code preventing it. I could build a fire rated room for the pellet boiler.

 

[scooter]

Could I get away with running 1" instead of 1 1/4" loops between the boilers?

 

[Nofossil]

Could I get away with running 1" instead of 1 1/4" loops between the boilers?

I would think so. It would be good to run the numbers, and you might need to go one step up on your circulator to handle the increased head loss (a Taco 007 might be marginal). How many BTU/hr do you need to handle, and what kind of delta T are you looking at?

 

[scooter]

I'm not sure on either of thoses questions. I'm having a plumber look at everything and I know he could answer your questions.

BTU/hr do you need to handle, and what kind of delta T are you looking at?

 

[Jersey Bill]

Its not local codes. Installation of a solid burning fuel appliance in a garage is prohibited from NFPA211 12.2.4
This is not an option if its getting inspected. If it doesn't get inspected and there is an insurance claim, the payout can be denied because of improper installation violating fire safety code. The liability of the claim could be turned around to the owner.