A really small boiler??

[jim_n_nh]

Ok Gentlepeople,

In a previous thread I got great comments on switching over to a wood boiler. Trouble is I don't have a big of BTU requirement. What is your opion on the 200 and 400 series boiler from http://www.nationalstoveworks.com/ (you have to look under furnaces).

Thanks in advance,

Jim

 

[Eric Johnson]

That looks to me like pretty much of a bottom of the line boiler.

In that price range and output, I'd consider something like this:

http://www.kaukora.fi/material/viewmaterialfile.php?li_id=466&inline=1&additional=www_thumbnail

Sold by Windy Ridge in Tamworth.

It's worth spending a little extra to get something with a little more sophisticated design and controls, IMO. A boiler like the one in your link is going to produce a lot of smoke and creosote and consume a lot more wood than something with a little more engineering behind it.

Liken it to a car: You can buy the modern equivalent of a Yugo, but it's not going to get you very far--for very long--in a New Hampshire winter. I'd consider buying an older, used Tarm on Ebay for $500 if you're on a limited budget. You can always swap it out for something newer at a later date.

 

[solarguy]

You ought to come by the Farm & Forest Show next weekend in Manchester
& see an Eko Boiler up close.

 

[Bob Rohr]

I sold an Atmos 18 KW to an off-grider years back. It had a tiny fire box, 2X4 scrap size, really. And it would warm, and usually overheat the building before it had a chance to warm the radiant slab.

What I did see in Europe were parlor boilers. Buderus and many others had very attractive models that would both warm the space and do a little DHW or hydronic heat.

I have pictures from th ISH show but I need to resize them some how to post here due to the size limitation??

A few years back I installed a Verner biomass boiler for a customer. While searching the Verner website I saw the parlor boilers they offer.

www.verner.cz/main.php?id=0442a3011bd8a1&locale=en

I'll bet ther were hundred's of these in the fireplace hall at ISH. Some very exotic and unique Italian ones For small areas, or todays super insulated homes, this type of appliance may make more sense then a larger, buffered, gasification arrangement.

hr

 

[sparke]

The nice thing about the boiler Eric mentioned at Windy Ride is - You can buy the boiler and the "storage battery" (heat storage water tank) for nearly the same price as a Eko or Tarm. I think you can get the whole package for around 6K. This sounds like a good set up for someone with a light heat load. One drawback is the firewood needs to be cut short. If I remember correctly 14"...

 

[wdc1160]

sparks, cool link. Have you seen one in action. They look cool.

Are you a Atmos fan?

 

[Bob Rohr]

I have installed Atmos, PK Pyros, EKO Vimars, Tarm, and Verners in the gasification styles. In my opinion the Atmos had the nicest quality and best refractory. PK on the low end. I suspect they all perform about the same?

I understand Atmos was nervous about all the lawyers in this country and the potential for lawsuits.

All the big name boiler companies in Europe have wood fired boilers. I've heard that solid fuel market is almost as big as oil fired market, now.

However for the first time ever heat pumps out sold boilers in Germany. The Russians are screwing with the oil supplies to Germany, and other countries I suppose. They feel they can build and generate electricity quicker and easier then finding oil. Plus the AC potential excites a lot of Germans.

The largest attraction at the ISH show was the drill rig at the Buderus booth. Most of the TV and press coverage was done in front of that machine. Times are a changing.

Yes they did have a bunch of wood fired appliances running in that hall. A big ducted exhaust system kept it smoke free. although it was about 80F in those rooms.

They also had these cute little, almost hand held, electric log splitters you could have in your living room. In case you need to burn the furniture I suppose

hr

 

[wdc1160]

Very cool Have you seen the verner hearth/boiler in action? It says it puts out 10KW in hot water? Is that legit?

 

[jebatty]

. . . I have pictures from th ISH show but I need to resize them some how to post here due to the size limitation?? . . .

If you have Photoshop or other image handling software, under the File menu you likely will find a item to Save for Web or something like that. This will let you resize and save to the 1000 pixel (I think) max for this forum.

 

[jim_n_nh]

Gentlepeople,

Thank you for all of the responses. I know the boiler I mentioned is far from the top. But it is cheap and living just outside of Manchester NH it is getting hard to find good hardwood firewood, but I can find free wood If I go for lesser species. I thought maybe I could buy the boiler and some storage, run a hot fire then let it cool off and clean the pipe and stove while running off the storage.

I might go to the farm and forest show in Manchester, I have in years past.

I was impressed with the Verner, any local dealers?

Thanks again,

Jim

 

[wdc1160]

they also have third party photo hosting sites to be able to avoid all that resizing crap. Try www.picturetrail.com/ or Picasa Web Albums

 

[Eric Johnson]

The spec is 1000 pixels by 1000, but since few photos are square, that can get somewhat confusing.

As a practical matter, any jpeg measuring 9" x 6" at 72 dpi will work. My digicam produces 9 x 6 images at 300 dpi at the setting I like to keep it at, so all I do is downsample them to 72 dpi.

 

[tuolumne]

Call someone who sells EKOs and see if they can get their 18kW boiler shipped over here.

 

[BrownianHeatingTech]

Thank you for all of the responses. I know the boiler I mentioned is far from the top. But it is cheap and living just outside of Manchester NH it is getting hard to find good hardwood firewood, but I can find free wood If I go for lesser species. I thought maybe I could buy the boiler and some storage, run a hot fire then let it cool off and clean the pipe and stove while running off the storage.

I might go to the farm and forest show in Manchester, I have in years past.

I was impressed with the Verner, any local dealers?

What's your actual heat demand?

I'll be down in Manchester tomorrow evening to meet some friends, and I'd be happy to head down a bit early and meet with you to see what might work best.

Joe

 

[jim_n_nh]

I am trying to find a dealer for the verner 13/10 that was displayed via a link in this forum. I believe that would be exactly what I am looking for especially if it has that glass front and can heat dhw as well as a minor amount of radiant heating. So..... If you are a dealer please pm me. I have tried contacting a couple of sources on the web. There is only two adults in this house with low dhw requirements. The boiler would be placed in my future family room in the basement where the woodstock wood stove is currently placed.

Thx,

Jim