Boiler operating cost, maintainance and repair?

[4acrefarm]

This was inspired by the posting about refractories life and replacment costs. Old fasion wood boilers seem to run for 20+ years with low maintainance, gassers seem to need repairs and replacment parts on a continueus bassis. I was thinking of building my own out of massonry or buying a gasser, but I dont know of it is worth spending 7K on a gasser and $500 a year to keep it running. My homebuilt would require yearly repairs but I can acept that. I cannot acept spending big bucks and having to do repairs. It makes me want to buy a conventional boiler.
Can peple please tell me from experience what you are spending?

 

[stee6043]

Yearly repairs on gassers? You heard that on this site? What have you heard is being repaired? As far as I know there are very few moving parts on most downdraft gassers. I haven't repaired a single item on my EKO. I replaced the upper door seal ($30) but that was for upgrade purposes, not "repair".

I think you may have heard wrong. Most gassers are very well built and very low maintenance. Just add wood and go....

 

[leaddog]

Into my third year with my eko-80. I've had my bottem refactory bricks crack but haven't replaced them. When I do I'll just go with some fire brick that I have. No big deal. Had a sticky button on my controller and was replaced under warrenty by Dave at Cozyheat. I haven't noticed any wear of my nozzels. I don't see were this boiler will be any more maintance than any other boiler. The refactory can be made, the blower fans can be replaced with other types if for some reason they would become unavailable ( not that I see that) and the controller can be replaced with other types if nessasary. There isn't any thing on this boiler that will make it obsolete. I haven't replaced the door seals since it is in a shed and a small amount of leakage isn't a problem but they are available and are a replacable item with any boiler or stove.
Now if I had to spend $500 bucks every year I wouldn't be happy. that said I haven't read where anyone has had kind of cost with the gasifiers.
I've been the route of building my own and kniow there are alot of skillful people out there but unless you have some plans of a unit that has been sucsessful and is PROVEN in the field you will find that there are alot of pitfalls that crop up. If a person is very skillfull I think it is very posible to COPY some of the gasifiers. The problem is they have no certifications and insurance and code problems come to mind. If you can get around those problems then I say go for it. I'm a DIY type of guy and like to experment and build things and know how it feels to make something work plus save you money. Just sometimes I haven't saved me money.
leaddog

 

[Nofossil]

In five years I've bought a door gasket that I haven't installed yet and don't actually need. I've also spent about $30 on the refractory pieces that I'm using. Total of $70 in five years = $14 per year. I can live with that. I don't see any other expenses on the horizon, either.

Based on my best estimates, I've saved 16 cords of wood during the same period vs. what I would have burned with a conventional boiler, and I haven't had to clean my chimney. I'm happy with the tradeoff.

 

[pybyr]

Running my Econoburn since 1-15-09 as my sole space-heat source, and no repairs, nor any sign of needed repairs. Not the slightest sign of wear on any refractory surfaces, or any metal. Gave it a basic cleaning (firetube scrub, remove fly ash) in September 09 and everything looked perfect inside.

 

[jebatty]

Gassers needing continuous repairs and replacement parts? Something is smoking and its not the gassers. The Tarm put into operation Sept 2007, not a penny spent on any repair or replacement, and no evidence of any upcoming repair or replacement.

 

[4acrefarm]

I wasnt trying to pis everybody off or insult owners of gassersbut I was reading the thread about replacing refractories and became concerned. I am just looking for info so that I can make the best choice. I have built a tube boiler as an experiment and it is relativly successful but I really rather buy one if posible.

 

[leaddog]

I don't think you pis any one off. I know that in sometimes reading here that people get a wrong impression of how hard a gasifier is to run etc. Alot of us a tinkerers and are trying things and looking to make them run even better than they do. Also when someone has a problem we discuss it here so one problem looks like a bigger one. also because gasifiers are new here in the US most people don't understand how to run them so they have problems with the learning curve. Your question was a good one and one that needs to get asked when someone is looking to buy.
leaddog

 

[Reggie Dunlap]

I haven't spent on a dollar on my Tarm in the three winters I've had it.

 

[mole]

I seem to remember a lot of talk recently about replacing fire bricks /nozzle annually, but I think the topic was specific to Wood Gun. I've replaced my draft door motor twice in four years. No other repairs.

 

[Dave T]

I bought an EKO standard used, It was one of the first EKO's that Zenon ever sold and I've used it 2 winters.. I have cracked U
shape blocks, and I've replaced door gaskets..I did have a couple fixes along the way, but they were not all the EKO's fault..As a
preventitive measure next year I will replace the nozzles.. Thats it, I am very pleased with how this EKO standard is holding up..I
posted some pics for the heck of it, these were the things I did work on.. one pic shows my EKO EPDM cover, one shows the new
flange I had made cause it only came with 1 flange, the other pic shows that I had to adjust the secondary inlet adjustments..
NO expensive repairs to date..

 

[Como]

I have been mainly looking at the Garn, but the one thing that the Garn and other options had was reliability. It is not a new technology, lots have been around for decades.