EKO Selection Time

[JMann]

I just ran my heat loss calculation and came up with Heat loss – BTU/HR = 34,470 if I have my indoor temp at 67 degrees. This is for my 1800 ft2 home. I want to heat my domestic hot water with the boiler and plan an adding a 500 ft2 addition (about 3-5 years from now) which will be insulated much better than the rest of the home which has only wood siding, wood studs and plaster/lath (built in 1938). How does that factor in to the heat loss calculator?
Temperatures range between 53 and 29 degrees F during the fall and winter months. Anyone have a suggestion of what size EKO boiler to go with? I figure that it will be either the 25 or the 40. I've read that I should be careful not to go too big but I don't want to over work the boiler (or myself) if it's too small. I have a great connection for quality hardwood so I will not be using scraps or pine.

Thanks for any insight, this site has really helped me and I greatly appreciate it.

JMann

 

[heaterman]

Any storage planned for now or in the future?

Your 500 sq ft addition will soak up another 10-15,000 btu's max, so a 25 will probably do it. Storage will allow you to fire multiple loads and "bank" the heat until needed. Without storage your time spent tending the fire and reloading will increase. Storage also acts as a big capacitor which allows you to discharge more btu's over a short time than your boiler will actually produce. This let's a smaller boiler, which is more efficient because you burn it steadier, serve a load greater than it's rated output.

Have you considered Econoburn? The EBW-100 slots in between the EKO 25 & 40 and may be a better match for your load size wise.

 

[JMann]

Thanks for the reply. I am planning on getting a storage unit a few years after I get used to using the boiler. I have been looking at the Econoburn line because of the EnergyStar rating but have lost interest because most of the posts here for that manufacturer are negative. Not sure if they are all true or if it is user error at fault. I tend to go by the "if there's smoke, there's fire" rule. On the flip side, I've head a lot of great things about the EKO line, that's why I'm heading in that direction. I just want to make sure that I get the right size.