Froling FHG 40/50 reviews

[Stoneduster]

Hi there, I have been researching boilers lately, and am feeling pretty good about a Froling FHG 50, they seem like solid machines. The boiler will reside in an outbuilding with an attached wood shed, I have been entertaining 1200 gallons of storage. The house is a 2500 sq.ft, two story home, 40 years old, but fairly tight as it was recently energy-audited and subsequently snugged up. I can't seem to find too much written about the Frolings here, and I am hoping that it is because people only write about their problems. I am also only about 45 minutes from the dealer in Lyme, NH, so I am hoping that they might be available for a system design and service. What should I be looking out for with these boilers? Thanks in advance, -Alfred

 

[Eric Johnson]

The most important element for success with any gasification boiler, in my opinion, is having dry wood. And I'm not talking about wood you cut in the spring and burn in the fall. Much better to get one year ahead so that you're burning wood that's dried for at least two seasons. Beyond that, Froling makes a great boiler and if you feed it dry wood, I'm sure you'll be happy with it.

As to system design and installation, there are about a million ways to skin these cats, but I've found (the hard way), that simpler is usually better. You don't want it so complex that an ordinary HVAC guy will stand around and scratch his head when trying to dope out how your system works. Unless, of course, that's your thing--in which case, go for it!

 

[woodsmaster]

Don't believe I've ever heard anyone complain about a Froling. Cadillac of boilers...

 

[jebatty]

I have had considerable experience with a Froling FHG 50 installed at Deep Portage in an outbuilding with a 1600 gal storage tank. The only issues that arose were related to the plumbing design in the operating circumstances of the install. After plumbing changes the evaluation of the Froling by myself and by Deep Portage staff is that the Froling is an excellent boiler and no issues or complaints currently exist. The Froling heats a 5600 sq ft structure, a environmental interpretive center with staff residences, not well insulated, in a water to air hx system, plus domestic hot water. It has so far adequately heated the structure in the coldest weather Minnesota has to offer (-30's to low -40F). I too would regard the Froling as a cadillac among wood gasification boilers.

 

[hiker88]

I can give you some totally biased feedback on a 20\30 if it's helpful.

I put mine in the summer\fall of 2012 and I have been burning year-round since then. It is a very convenient boiler. I burn wood in the 10-15% mc range and that means starting fires with no kindling and it takes about three minutes from the time that I light the fire until flu gases get to 120c and I can close up the boiler and walk away. There are no buttons you NEED to push (but I play with them all the time anyway), no bypass handles etc. to operate. As soon as the outer safety door opens, the boiler goes into automatic mode and the fan goes right to 100% for easy lighting(this also prevents smoke roll out during loading as you can reload this boiler at any time in the burn cycle). Open the loading door and fill with wood, close the loading door and open the lighting door, insert newspaper and light, wait for flu gases, close the lighting door, close the safety door. The boiler goes to 85% on the fan and starts it's run.

As for the setup - I took the DIY route, but followed the free Tarm schematics and I am not a boiler\plumber by any means. I would suggest not short changing yourself here. My system has the Tarm "BLT" (not sure what that stands for) controller and all the other valves "tv-1" and "zv-1" in the tarm schematics . The controller will work with your zone valves, thermostats etc. so that the boiler supplies all heat to your zones during calls for heat, and automatically shunts to storage when there is no call. Mine also locks out the oil furnace until storage drops below a certain temp threshold and there is a call for heat from the thermostats. Then the oil furnace will fire and heat the house.

If you have any specific questions, please let me know. I have a video of the lighting process too. If you want I could put it somewhere for viewing.

 

[skfire]

imho
froling is AAA plus...
4years of awesome thus far.

scott

 

[skfire]

also...the guys at Lyme are on the ball.
U r lucky to be close enough to them for your system...having said that, you will not call them back too often...froling operation and maintenance...easy as pie...my 12 year old has been running it gor the last 2 weeks...I am back now, so...all the fun is mine
scott

 

[poppledungeon1]

I've had my 40/50 since 10/2013, no complaints and haven't needed to call them once. Dry wood x 2(3?);I'm on the periphery of the Tarm/Lyme service area but they were kind enough to do my install, my feeling was they do this day in and day out, so unless you DIY you'd be penny wise and pound foolish not to at least let them visit and give you a quote;the gentleman who did my install also has a Froling, so I guess that's putting your money where your mouth is...I did set up my own propane tanks(500g x 2)for storage so saved some $$ there, Tarm's tanks are ASME certified but mucho dinero; PM if you want more specifics, OTW good luck!

 

[skfire]

..also check out air receiver tanks..asme and rated for much higher service.
I went with them, price was good...

 

[jebatty]

Pay attention to "trash in = trash out" in the boiler/system plumbing design and installation. The Tarm schematics are good but only part of the story. Poor or errors in design/install resulting in performance not meeting specifications or expectations often can be traced to design/install mistakes. I learned that dramatically when in 2007 I did my own Tarm Solo Plus 40 install and religiously followed a Tarm schematic but used 3/4" black iron pipe for the plumbing. More than a good knowledge of hydronics is needed, whether a simple or complex install. That learning was expanded with the Froling install at DP which also followed a Tarm and often otherwise published schematic. Moderately simply design changes were the fix, but solid knowledge of hydronics was required to recognize that there would be a problem.

 

[__dan]

Loving it. It was reading goods things here and reading about other peoples bad experiences with other boilers that sold me on the Froling. My system depends on the Froling's ability to turn down the firing rate. Boiler runs with a constant load at low fire ~ 80% of the time. Never have to keep a fire overnight. Slabs ride through 24 hours no problem.

Easily 3 to 4 cord for all year 100% heat and DHW. This is the fire coming up from a long off time, more than 12 hours. The entire load is back up in 1 hour and then the Froling will dial down to min fire with a constant load load from the slab. Primary secondary with outdoor reset.

 

[skfire]

Dan....you need to find something bigger to stuff in there...Holy $r@p.....

Scott

 

[Tennman]

Dan, I presume you have storage. I'm confused about the never keeping a fire at night and slabs ride thru 24 hrs. It sounds like the Froling manages the fire to avoid idling? But your last comment implies that after 12 hrs it can wake back up which sounds like idling. If I had to replace our boiler today the Froling would be one of the top candidates. Definitely a smart/safe buy based on my 6 years hanging out here. Can't remember a single dissatisfied Froling owner.

 

[__dan]

Dan, I presume you have storage. I'm confused about the never keeping a fire at night and slabs ride thru 24 hrs. It sounds like the Froling manages the fire to avoid idling? But your last comment implies that after 12 hrs it can wake back up which sounds like idling. If I had to replace our boiler today the Froling would be one of the top candidates. Definitely a smart/safe buy based on my 6 years hanging out here. Can't remember a single dissatisfied Froling owner.

The Froling O2 sensor does an auto shutdown prior to completely exhausting all remaining charcoal. Relighting is throwing fresh fuel on the off, cold, remaining charcoal.

It's actually pretty simple. The basement slab is used for storage at 1200 sf 4" thick radiant. It cannot absorb the output of any boiler operating at max output but the Froling does turn down for HWS above setpoint. The present system depends on this and managing the fuel loading to avoid overtemp, so there's plenty of room for operator error. If I want heat I put wood in and if the heat is OK I don't put wood in. The system is tapped and planned for a HW storage tank but runs perfectly now without one by managing the fuel loading and having a constant load on the boiler when it is running by slaving the basement slab to it.

Everything runs in auto. Put wood in, watch it light, and walk away. The outdoor reset controller mixes the slab water temps, keeping the load on longer at the lower water temp (on continuously when burning for the basement slab). The Froling computer controlled draft control dials down into the load. If I loaded more than half on a warm boiler the excess fuel loading would drive the Froling into slumbering later in the burn cycle. Heat comes passively out of the slab which runs 85 to 95 F in winter. The system has storage in the mass of the house! It's a high mass, low water temp distribution system that the Froling is able to dial down the burn rate into as long as I don't overload the fuel.

If I go away for a week or two the house will not drop much below 50 F with no heat because of the stored heat in the basement slab. Overnight ride through is not a problem with the boiler off for 12 hours. The boiler fires into max load every morning for ~ 1 hour and then output exceeds the load and the boiler has to dial down the firing rate.

The picture shows coming up after maybe 24 or more hours off, I forget. Starting with the off cold boiler, a few small splits were throw on the cold coal bed which relit within 2 minutes. Then the big ugly was thrown on the fresh splits and I walked away for at least 6 -8 hours. Last photo of the big ugly burning was maybe 1 hour after loading.

 

[Stoneduster]

I went to the Tarm BIOmass shop in Lyme yesterday and checked out the hardware and got some prices. I am feeling pretty good about the boiler, especially after all of the positive feedback from you folks on this thread. After looking at their prices for storage tanks though, I think I may look into propane tanks or something. Thanks again folks.

 

[Bad LP]

I went to the Tarm BIOmass shop in Lyme yesterday and checked out the hardware and got some prices. I am feeling pretty good about the boiler, especially after all of the positive feedback from you folks on this thread. After looking at their prices for storage tanks though, I think I may look into propane tanks or something. Thanks again folks.

So the road trip is worth the ride? They are on my short list.

 

[Stoneduster]

It was nice to be able to look at the equipment, and the gentleman (Travis Paige) fired one for me. It was only 20 minutes out of my way though, a trip from northern Maine is a different story.

 

[huffdawg]

What's the price tag on a froling 50 nowadays?

 

[Stoneduster]

$10,700

 

[Stoneduster]

(broken image removed)

 

[huffdawg]

Than you ,searched a few times with no luck..