Effecta or Varmebaronen

[Paver56]

I am looking at adding a gassifier and storage to my home. I am heating around 4,000sf-all radiant. I built it 18 months ago and have a triangle tube propane boiler and a new yorker wc-130 add on boiler which I hate. I am getting rid of the new yorker. I wish I would have found this site before I built! I have a 17x14 cistern(township made me put it in) that is next to my basement and would easily be connected to my boiler room. I was thinking of converting that room into a room for storage tanks and to store wood. Questions are: does anyone have experience with the varmenbaronen vedolux 37? would the effecta, which is $2600 more, be worth it for the added sensors and controls? I would have room for 2 1,000 gallon tanks. With the weight of them filled (over 10,000lbs) it is impossible to stack them. Also is it feasible to use and indirect water heater with storage? And if so, what is the minimum temp that is still efficient? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Floydian]

Hi Ben,

My Vedolux 37 experience started last Friday when it was delivered. Unfortunately the freight company roughed it up quite a bit.
The new boiler comes Thursday and I hope to have it installed in time for the warm weather .

I have made an effort to see several gassifiers in person(Garn, EKO, Tarm, Biomass, Varmebaronen)and would be happy to own any of these. I chose the Vedolux 37 because I really like several features that it has: induced draft, extremely easy clean HX tubes, simple controls, good price. I am really impressed with the quality of fabrication, just don't knock it around with a forklift I guess :roll: .

Do you have a heat load calculation of your house? What supply water temps does your system need? These things could really help you size how much storage you may want. 2000 gallons seems on the higher side for a 150k boiler. Your heat load will tell you how many btus you have to heat your storage beyond what your house needs.

I highly recommend seeing some boilers in person to help make your decision. I know Smokeless Heat is not far from you and Dean has been great to deal with.

Good luck,
Noah

 

[Paver56]

Thanks for the info Floydian. I have a heat loss calc of 83,000 at 0deg. Dean and I have talked about that and think that with the average temps around here I will be needing about 55,000btu's. He showed me pictures of your boiler, and I did see your new one being packed for shipping. Hopefully it goes better this time.
Dean also told me that in the near future Varmebaronen will be coming out with a bigger unit. The owners are coming over from Sweden next week to talk to him about it.
He has the EKO and Biomass for sale at his shop and I thought the Varmebaronen seems to be the best. Dean switched from an EKO to a Varmebaronen at his own house.
The only reason I have been thinking of 2,000 gallons of storage is that I will have to remove the concrete porch above my cistern to get the tanks in and I do not want to have to do it again. I even wondered if it is feasible to install valves to isolate one tank and only use one when the demand is not as great.

 

[Singed Eyebrows]

A good boiler should have a near 20 year life if taken care of properly. I have never heard anything bad about the Varm. You questioned the $2600 difference in the boilers & for this you get a much heavier boiler & Lambda controls. What is it worth to have a boiler that you can just chuck wood in & walk away, no adjusting? Over 20 years? Froling has a Lambda boiler as does Vigas. Something you might want to consider, Randy