decisions decisions Advice Please

[nwomatt]

I get so close to purchasing a boiler and then i'm not sure if it's the right one. I need a 60k boiler. i will have 1000gal storage. the more i read about the lambda controls the more i think that would be a good idea. i guess the only thing that is really hanging me up is the back-up heat for when i leave for a week or two and cannot feed the fire. biomass has a combo with LP that would work and i think wood gun does to or should i go strictly wood and add another LP boiler into the system in the future? the system will be in the shop 180' from the house. I could also use my existing f/a furnace to heat house when i'm gone and just bypass the heat exchanger in it while leaving the circ. pump going. Would that be enough to prevent the system from freezing?

 

[JP11]

I'm of course partial to the one I bought.. The Vigas 60.

In my mind.. a LP boiler is the perfect backup. They don't get dirty, and the fuel doesn't go bad. You likely can, or do have other uses for the propane around the home. Cooktop, gas grill, standby generator. Tank goes outside for LP.. so you don't lose floor space.

That being said. I have my twin 275 tanks and a big ole buderus oil boiler.. But if I could wave a magic wand.....

JP

 

[maple1]

What do you have for fuel now?

 

[Tennman]

The heat exchanger (HX) from our wood boiler is in the ductwork that was there for the propane forced air furnace. It's used as a backup heat source to keep the house at 50-55F if we go away during our winter season. It's fine for that use and an acceptable cost of filling the 500 tank maybe every two years. So when the propane is on the hot air from the propane furnace just blows thru the wood boiler HX. Just me, but I don't care for devices with dual functions. I like it when something breaks it doesn't take down two systems. Anyway, our LP furnace is our backup which also provides the fan function when the wood boiler is running. On some mornings if the house is too cool I'll kick on the propane for 30-40 minutes until the boiler gets up to temp. If we had storage this probably would never be necessary. Hope that helps.

 

[mikefrommaine]

I'll add that when I bought mine last year lambda controls were available but I didn't think the added cost, complexity and future maintance expenses were worth the small increase in efficency. Others will disagree, but for me when gassifying simple is best. There are many boilers that use mostly off the local hardware shelf components. Which gave my piece of mind when you consider that the importer of the latest greatest whiz bang wood burner might not be around to sell you parts next year.