Long time coming--installed a Lopper Drummer 45 boiler

[Onfoot]

It's been a good while since checking in on the forum, but after more than two years of digging around and researching options, I decided to go with a Lopper Drummer 45 boiler. This was to replace my much loved and faithful Tarm Solo Plus 140 that served me for some 9 years but was not up to the heat load demands of the homestead after I added 1200 sq. ft. of heated space. I also replaced the 800 gallon heat sink with a 2000 gallon heat sink (unpressurized). The install was completed in August and I am now able to report on my experience.

(I will be brief, but am happy to answer questions that may occur to forum members--though I am an amateur compared to many of you!)

The first couple of months involved a significant learning curve. The Lopper has a sophisticated computer-controlled interface that monitors a range of data, including: O2 content, flue gas temp, fan rotation speed, supply temp, return temp, heat sink temp, primary damper opening and secondary damper opening. All of these (and more) have settings that can be adjusted and fine-tuned. (Beginning with whether you are burning cordwood or chips--you can burn either.)

Getting it 'right' involved experimenting with different settings and observing how the system managed. I cannot say enough positive things about the support and help that I received from Mark and Ray at
http://www.loppernorthamerica.com/ during the learning curve.

I also need to acknowledge the help of Tom at http://www.americansolartechnics.com/, who went way beyond the call of duty when he provided the custom liner for my homemade 2000 gallon heat sink.

Bottom line is that the system is working great. Even at -40C/F, the Lopper has been more than able to keep up with my heat load. And, over all, I am burning less wood than with my old system. (The Tarm needed to be 'helped out' by also having a fire on the Vermont Castings woodstove in the Great Room--this is no longer needed.)

The Lopper is extraordinarily well built with a large and easily loadable burn chamber. Among other features that I appreciate is that the draft fan is on the exhaust gas side of the boiler, effectively sucking air into the burn chamber and pushing it out the flue. This allows the firebox to have a top loading door, through which you literally can drop the wood into the firebox. When the loading door is opened, the fan goes to max % rotation, sucking the smoke down and allowing for a virtually smoke-free loading experience. (This was definitely not my experience with the Tarm, and is much appreciated.)

That's about it. There are a growing number of good wood-gasification boilers out there, but I am very happy with my decision to go with the Lopper Drummer 45.

 

[Onfoot]

Forgot to add that it is simple and convenient to clean--considerably easier than my Tarm was, in fact.

 

[PassionForFire&Water]

Congrats!

45 meaning 45 kW (or 153,540 BTU/hr) ?

I checked their website. Looks like this is a Swiss/German parent company.
Never heard of them, and never ran into them at shows in Europe the last 3 to 4 years.

Did you end up with buying some specific spare parts for in case something breaks down?

And, ... oh yes, we want to see pictures on this forum

 

[jebatty]

Another intriguing gasifier. Even an automated split loader.
http://www.loppernorthamerica.com/index.html

 

[maple1]

Very interesting indeed. Yes, we need pics & more details.


Care to share the MSRP? Certainly looks like a well built unit.

 

[PassionForFire&Water]

Another intriguing gasifier. Even an automated split loader.

This is a movie (in Dutch) on the wood loading system.
Normally the door of the wood storage room is closed and the wood does align itself nicely.
Cool system!
Swiss made, will be top $$$

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[PassionForFire&Water]

And .... interesting automatic ignition concept, ... .at the end of this movie clip.

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[PassionForFire&Water]

Sorry got all exited
Must be the 20" of snow that was dumped in my yard over night

 

[Onfoot]

Whoa, guys! I installed a Drummer 45, not the Dragon with the automatic feed! (Great name, eh?) I live off-grid and could imagine too much going wrong with the autofeed feature and, especially, could imagine the drain on my battery bank when I watched that auto-ignition element glowing white hot!

So the Drummer 45 is fed by me. I really appreciate the loading technology (dropping in from the top), and the size of the burn chamber--7.4 cubic feet, with 21" cord lengths. (I can also burn chips, but have not done so yet. I do have a chipper that I use in the summer and may try saving some chips for burning, just to see how it does.)

I have no idea what the '45' refers to in the model designation, but it is not the BTUs (or kWhs). The 45 is rated at just under 209,000 BTUs/hr, maximum. Typical burn time with my pine/spruce/poplar (best I can do in this part of the world) is about 4 hours. You can explore all the technical specs here: http://www.lopper.ch/index.php/en/products/logwood-boilers?id=109

The boiler is, as we say in the Yukon, extremely 'skookum' (i.e., extraordinarily well engineered and heavy duty build). The burn chamber is encased in 3/8" high quality steel, with Bavarian German engineering in evidence throughout. (The factory is located in a small Bavarian town.)

I will post a few pics. The boiler is located in the 'boiler room' of my detached garage/shop and there were a few minor compromises necessary to fit it into the space that had been occupied by the previous Tarm, mostly to do with needing a longer flue run than would have been needed if I was starting from scratch. But FYI.

Picture 1: The faithful Tarm and the old heat sink.
Picture 2: Reviewing the tangle of heat exchangers in the old heat sink.
Picture 3: The Lopper Drummer 45 in situ.
Picture 4: Building the new 2000 gal. heat sink.
Picture 5: Yours truly placing the heat exchange loops in the new heat sink.
Picture 6: All the heat exchange lines into and out of the heat sink.
Picture 7: Grandson helping bring the wood in.
Picture 8: Lots of copper feeding the heat sink. Garden hose for bleeding the loops as we got things up and running.

 

[Vizsla]

No need to heat the shop, that's a lot of pipe. I'm guessing the shiney cover is what sold ya....
Everything looks nice and organized

 

[Onfoot]

No need to heat the shop, that's a lot of pipe. I'm guessing the shiney cover is what sold ya....
Everything looks nice and organized

True enough about the shop--it's always the warmest place on the property! I am gradually getting all the pipes insulated as well as possible, mind you!

And I do confess to being attracted to the diamond plate!

Also, FYI, here is what the computer screen on the control panel looked like a few moments ago, just before starting a burn--first since yesterday afternoon. In the way of explanation: F1 is Supply Temp., F2 is Flue Gas Temp., F3 is Return Temp., F4 is the Heat Sink Temp. PK and SK are the Primary and Secondary Dampers. O2% is the Oxygen content of the flue gas. Geblase % is the % speed of the Fan. The three triangles on the right are the mixing valve and the triangle in the circle is the circulating pump. "Material" can be "coarse" (cord wood) or "fine" (chips). (The Lopper folks have not quite got all the German labels converted to English, but it has not been too much trouble to figure it out. The manual has been translated, at least.)

All of these parameters can be adjusted to reflect the individual circumstances of the boiler--the type of heat storage, type of wood, heat demands, etc. and etc. It took me several weeks of experimentation to get to what feels like a sweet spot for my situation.

 

[PassionForFire&Water]

20.9% O2 seems a touch to high.
Ok, I got it, this is just before the burn.

Just curious:
- what testing agency did the UL/CSA listing/certification for this model?
- Is this a 110V/60Hz wood boiler?

 

[Onfoot]

20.9% O2 seems a touch to high.
Ok, I got it, this is just before the burn.

Just curious:
- what testing agency did the UL/CSA listing/certification for this model?
- Is this a 110V/60Hz wood boiler?

Yep. The O2 is what we are breathing, eh? During a burn it typically is between 2 and 6%.

Too the best of my knowledge, the UL/CSA work was done by (or at least commissioned by) Lopper North America--though of course it would have required the involvement of third party, independent labs.

Voltage is 240, single phase (European). I did not design my off grid system to provide 240v, so have a toroidal transformer to turn my 120 to 240v. (The toroidal transformers are 90-95% efficient and have almost no standby drain.) Having 60 Hertz means that the fan rotates at somewhat higher RPMs than would be the case at 50 Hertz. All the rest of the electronics and etc. are DC--so the 240v is being converted to DC to run most of the boiler. And I am using a Grundfos Magna pump which is also 240v and is run directly from the boiler control system. So makes for good match.

 

[Onfoot]

FYI, here is the data screen after not quite 3 hours into a burn. Passion for Fire&Water will note the O2 percentage is considerably improved when there is a fire on...

Delta T is pretty consistent at 10C to 12C (about 18F to 21F)
.

 

[heaterman]

Lopper is the real deal. A lot like a Kob

 

[Chris Hoskin]

Lopper is the real deal. A lot like a Kob

I had the same thought, heaterman. Anyone know if one is the OEM for the other?

 

[heaterman]

I'm not at liberty to name names but the Lopper is built here in the states and headed up by a couple guys who are "into" the wood burning scene right up to their eyeballs. There are some really good people behind this and I wish them well.

The Lopper is basically the design that KOB started out with before they were bought by Viessmann and "watered down" somewhat. Top notch stuff here that takes a back seat to no boiler on the market.

 

[Chris Hoskin]

interesting, heaterman. With the 240V / 50hz issues, I assumed European mfg.

 

[heaterman]

The boiler is made here, not sure about controls. I'm thinking there is also direct "German bloodline" involved in the boiler design. Just guessing there but from what I have seen of early Kob units in the past, this one sure appears to be a knock off or maybe even a copy.

 

[henfruit]

When I spoke to them. They said they were waiting for boilers to arrive from Europe? They also said they had not had them ul tested yet.

 

[Vizsla]

There are lots of versions of made in the USA. And sometimes it's just stickered or labeled here. Can't put AGA or ASME labels on outside of the states.
Either way. Nice unit, and anything German is a good design. I don't know what would be so secret about a few names unless there is something to hide.
Nothing a business search or origin of materials wouldn't reveal.

Its common knowledge there are plans to keep increasing regulations ,control fuel sources and types until only a few can meet them and stay in business.

 

[hobbyheater]

Congratulations!
Very impressive!

 

[heaterman]

Might have jumped the gun here and assumed that these were current production in the States. I have to backtrack and say the model you have may be of European manufacture. I have not talked with the parties I know are involved with this project in half a year or so. That being the case, I'm making assumptions, so I'll simply say that you have a very well made and designed boiler regardless of where it came from.

I can say that I was told US production models will be ASME/CSA/UL listed. Looking forward to seeing these on the market as I have always thought that was a really good design. Negative draft, side fire instead of down fire, precision combustion control.....there is probably nothing to dislike about this boiler other than possibly the price. I do not know what they cost.

 

[Onfoot]

Heaterman and co., I can tell you that the boiler was definitely manufactured from start to finish in Germany, at the Lopper factory in the village of Alzhausen in Bavaria. That is where I arranged for it to be picked up and shipped to Skagway, Alaska, where I picked it up with my F250 and brought it home to Whitehorse, Yukon. (I always prefer to make my own shipping arrangements.) The folks at Lopper North America are the distributors in North America and I arranged the purchase through them. (And can vouch for their thorough-going helpfulness from start to finish.) I had planned to install it 12 months earlier, but needed to wait for UL/CSA approval process to be completed. It is rather involved and complicated and took longer than I had hoped, but I was not prepared to risk purchasing a non-CSA approved boiler.

I cannot speak to the Kob connection, as I am not familiar with Kob--though it appears to be connected with Viessmann, the company that manufactured my oil 'back up' boiler. Lopper has been manufacturing boilers since 1989 from their factory in Alzhausen. You can read about the company and its history here: http://www.lopper.ch/index.php/en/about-us.

From personal experience in Bavaria, I can say that they describe a not uncommon phenomenon--a small village with one dedicated factory making very high quality product. I was in correspondence with the Lopper folks in Germany directly as part of my becoming familiar with the Lopper North America folks. Whatever may happen down the road, Lopper boilers at this point are 100% German manufactured.

Of course they are not cheap... But price and value are two different things and I am happy with the value I received for the investment. And living off-grid in this Northern climate as I do, I am prepared to invest in solid, dependable equipment.

 

[Onfoot]

In the way of an update, after all my fine-tuning, and using the efficiency tables attached to this post, I am happy to report that I am averaging 80-83% efficiency at capturing the BTUs in my cordwood for my heatsink. I.e., I am losing less then 20% of the available heat up the flue. To my mind this is quite good.

(The efficiency %'s reported for the various wood gasification boilers are typically reporting how much of the wood is converted to heat, not how much of the potential heat is actually captured by the system. So a boiler may be 90% efficient at burning wood, but that does not tell you how much of that heat is actually captured for the heating system.)

I am quite impressed. Last couple of weeks I had no trouble keeping ahead of the heat demands, even at -40C/F.