Brand new to the forum and have already spent hours reading past posts. I was in the market for a OWB but found out my town already has a "no burn" season(may31-sept1st). I then turned my attention to corn/pellet boilers which eventually lead me here. I have a free supply of wood and heat my 3000 sqft home mainly with a central wood stove. I use my oil burner for hot water and still hate to see the oil truck pull up and pay $770 for 200 gal. @ a shot. Are there any boilers out there that can burn wood/pellet/corn/wood chips? I want to diversify my supply of fuel as much as possible. I have a walk out basement so wood could be stored a cord at a time, but it would still be a pain. Can I install any of these gassifiers with a SS chimney in a barn 150-200ft away using plex pipe underground? I see that some have mentioned burning corn/pellets/wood chips with the EKO's? Thank you in advance. Great forum!
Multi fuel/Biomass Boiler
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check out the REFO on this site. www.farm2000.co.uk I don't think that they are exporting it yet but it is a great unit. It will burn all sorts of biomass. There is some corn and pellet burners out there but the problem is the fuel is going to follow fossel fuel in price. grain and pellets are fossel fuel dependent on fossel fuel where chips would be less dependent as they would be available locally and less labor and transportation dependent.
I emailed the co. and said I would buy3 units but they haven't ever responded. To much red tape, restrictions, law suits and such to give them much reason to do bussiness here I guess. I sure is a shame as there is some great teck. over there. I'm hoping that when eric goes over seas to the energy show that he can help convince them to look at the market here.
leaddog
I emailed the co. and said I would buy3 units but they haven't ever responded. To much red tape, restrictions, law suits and such to give them much reason to do bussiness here I guess. I sure is a shame as there is some great teck. over there. I'm hoping that when eric goes over seas to the energy show that he can help convince them to look at the market here.
leaddog
Nofossil
Moderator Emeritus
I think any gasifier can burn a wide range of biomass as long as it's dry. There may be an issue with fuel falling through the nozzle if it's too fine, and it my help to have a bed of coals before loading in the wood chips. My brother burns a mix of wood and chips in his gasifier, and EKO tests their boilers using coarse birch chips.
Eric Johnson
Mod Emeritus
Welcome to the Boiler Room, MyOutdoors.
There are some pellet boilers out there (corn, too), but I don't know enough offhand to make any recommendation. I do know that you can burn corn cobs in an EKO, and as nofossil points out, other forms of dry biomass as well. I think burning dried firewood is probably the most economical approach with these boilers, but the bottom line is that it ever lived and is dry enough, you can burn it in a gasifier.
Like leaddog, I'm hoping for the introduction of some small, residential wood chip burners. That technology is well established, but apparently there isn't enough of a perceived market here in North America at the moment to justify the effort.
Yes, you can put a gasifier (or any other wood-burning boiler, for that matter) in a barn or other outbuilding and pipe the hot water into your house. Actually, that's what I do, and it makes the fuel storage and handling really easy.
There are some pellet boilers out there (corn, too), but I don't know enough offhand to make any recommendation. I do know that you can burn corn cobs in an EKO, and as nofossil points out, other forms of dry biomass as well. I think burning dried firewood is probably the most economical approach with these boilers, but the bottom line is that it ever lived and is dry enough, you can burn it in a gasifier.
Like leaddog, I'm hoping for the introduction of some small, residential wood chip burners. That technology is well established, but apparently there isn't enough of a perceived market here in North America at the moment to justify the effort.
Yes, you can put a gasifier (or any other wood-burning boiler, for that matter) in a barn or other outbuilding and pipe the hot water into your house. Actually, that's what I do, and it makes the fuel storage and handling really easy.
Nofossil
Moderator Emeritus
Reading this, I think I'd like to add a cautionary note:
Most gasifiers are set up to burn wood. Wood has a specific air/fuel ration that's ideal. Other biofuels may have different ratios. Oil, for instance, requires a lot more secondary air per unit of fuel or per BTU. I'd stay with fuel loads that are mostly wood if possible. There's a fairly wide latitude on air/fual, but without combustion analyzers you can't easily tell if you're running too rich or too lean.
Most gasifiers are set up to burn wood. Wood has a specific air/fuel ration that's ideal. Other biofuels may have different ratios. Oil, for instance, requires a lot more secondary air per unit of fuel or per BTU. I'd stay with fuel loads that are mostly wood if possible. There's a fairly wide latitude on air/fual, but without combustion analyzers you can't easily tell if you're running too rich or too lean.
Thanks for the feedback. I'm going with a gasifier as long as it can be installed in my barn. I'm going to my local board of Health meeting tomorrow just to make sure there aren't any regulations on outside gasifier boilers. The OWB are getting some bad press and most towns around here are really pushing against them. I just have to make sure they won't included gasifiers as well. What would you recommend for heating a 6 year old 300osqft home. I will most likely add a water storage next year and focus on the barn and boiler this season. What should I expect to pay for these units? I see Tarm is a few hours away in Lyme,NH, but the EKO looks just as good?
Eric Johnson
Mod Emeritus
The only online pricing I'm aware of is the Cozy Heat banner at the top of this page. That's for the EKO and probably pretty close to comparable models in the other brands you're considering.
You can spend some time reading some of the brand-specific threads here to get an idea how people like what they have and what some of the issues and considerations are.
If I were you, I'd stress that you're considering an "indoor" boiler and play down the outbuilding aspect as much as possible. Indoor units are not subject to any restrictions other than code (at the moment), and these boilers are all designed as indoor units.
You can spend some time reading some of the brand-specific threads here to get an idea how people like what they have and what some of the issues and considerations are.
If I were you, I'd stress that you're considering an "indoor" boiler and play down the outbuilding aspect as much as possible. Indoor units are not subject to any restrictions other than code (at the moment), and these boilers are all designed as indoor units.
Brand new to the forum....I am looking at installing (in a parallel arrangement with my oil hot water furnace - Riello and Biasi) a pellet boiler. I am lookinf at the Tarm Multi Heat (Pellet/Corn), Harmon PF105 or the Pinnacle PB 150. Is there any specific reason to throw one or more of those out of the mix completely?? I need some of the veterans of the forum to give me info as heating oil for a 1200 gallon pre-buy price today topped $4.15/gallon in Bangor Maine.
My house is 2700 square feet but spread out in basically two 2-story houses connected by a 14 by 22 addition. Odd configuration so the house uses 1600 gallons/year. I need help as the local shops are starting to get a back up of over 45 days at this point don't want to wait too long.... House has 60% radiant 40% baseboards for heat output...any specific suggestions.....
My house is 2700 square feet but spread out in basically two 2-story houses connected by a 14 by 22 addition. Odd configuration so the house uses 1600 gallons/year. I need help as the local shops are starting to get a back up of over 45 days at this point don't want to wait too long.... House has 60% radiant 40% baseboards for heat output...any specific suggestions.....
Well I just got back and the town isn't as strict as I thought. The know that gasifiers are cleaner and currently have no restrictions whether they are located indoors or out. They also don't have restrictions on outdoor corn/pellet furnaces as well. Only OWB have a 200' restriction from any existing structure as well as a no burn from May31st-Sept1st.
Hi Maine Thom
Here's a little something for you to think about.... The Harman boiler looks like a nice unit and sounds like it will do a decent job. It is also reasonably priced and has minimum maintenance. I actually saw the price go up $600.00 over a weekend. I'm shocked at the price increases that I received from Tarms (I'm talking thousands... and I live in NH). Other than initial cost, a big concern for me is the variability or limits of what a boiler can or cannot burn. That really is the major concern of any unit I am researching. The pellet manufacturers are increasing their prices each year too. I went ahead and prebought 8 tons of wood pellets at $230.00 for this coming winter. Obviously I've committed to finding a new system. I think the option to burn corn in New England will get too expensive (nationwide farmers will get a better dollar return for selling the corn for ethanol fuel), so I need to prepare for other pellet fuels. I just don't want to deal with wood and the mess and labor associated with it. In the big picture it seems that the European boilers are now beginning to be available. But, the prices are over $9000.00. $*^&%$ Crooks
Also tonight (please sit down now) I found maineenergysystems.com out of Bethel has a very highly rated and regarded Janfire unit for $12,500.00...
I could ramble some more... If you would like more info just ask.
Best of Luck!
Mac
Here's a little something for you to think about.... The Harman boiler looks like a nice unit and sounds like it will do a decent job. It is also reasonably priced and has minimum maintenance. I actually saw the price go up $600.00 over a weekend. I'm shocked at the price increases that I received from Tarms (I'm talking thousands... and I live in NH). Other than initial cost, a big concern for me is the variability or limits of what a boiler can or cannot burn. That really is the major concern of any unit I am researching. The pellet manufacturers are increasing their prices each year too. I went ahead and prebought 8 tons of wood pellets at $230.00 for this coming winter. Obviously I've committed to finding a new system. I think the option to burn corn in New England will get too expensive (nationwide farmers will get a better dollar return for selling the corn for ethanol fuel), so I need to prepare for other pellet fuels. I just don't want to deal with wood and the mess and labor associated with it. In the big picture it seems that the European boilers are now beginning to be available. But, the prices are over $9000.00. $*^&%$ Crooks
Also tonight (please sit down now) I found maineenergysystems.com out of Bethel has a very highly rated and regarded Janfire unit for $12,500.00...I could ramble some more... If you would like more info just ask.
Best of Luck!
Mac
I would happily install a European boiler stove model if I could find one. Does anyone know where I can find a boiler stove with 9Kw to 12Kw added to the water and 3-5Kw added to the room air?? I am interested in any reasonable (???) price I can find. I am limited as to what I can install into my basement without major re-configuration of my basement. The stoves I've seen are from Reka, extraflame and others of that style, they are good looking to please the wife and efficient to please me and the pellet delivery staff (my two teenage girls). Any US distributors out there for that style stove???
Burn-1
Feeling the Heat
how about the biomax. thats what i'm looing at, burns wood, wood chips, sawdust, corn, any kind of pellets and coal. made by orlan who makes eko.
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