maxim 250 and source of pellets

[seymour]

Hey new here but have been cruising the site for a while now. currently in the process of buying a maxim 250 to heat my shop (28x34) and my house (2800sq ft) I will be switching over from a orlan 40 with 600 gallons of storage. reason being that I have a pellet manufacturer in my area and can buy bulk loads of softwood pellets for $110 per ton. I live in northern Ontario and regularly see -40 for days on end. my questions are:

Do I need storage? or will the boiler idle down enough that it maintains its effiecency?

Does the new maxim 250 have some sort of integrated protection from cold water shock?

Any help, advise, tips, tricks or other useful tidbits would be greatly received. thanks

 

[PassionForFire&Water]

Swap the Orlan40 with the Maxim.
Keep the 600 ga storage !!
Make sure you have return water protection 140F (LK820 or LK810 or Caleffi280 or 281 ThermoBlo)

 

[seymour]

I have a danfoss valve in right now. will this work for the maxim? do I plumb the bypass loop the same way?

 

[maple1]

I'd say yes.

I also wouldn't get rid of the Orlan right away - or maybe you're planning not to get rid of it anyway. That seems like some darned cheap pellets to me - wondering if you're sure they're decent quality? If it was me, with my luck, I'd swap boilers, get rid of the old one, and then find out the cheap pellets I was getting won't burn worth a crap & want my wood unit back.

 

[seymour]

My neighbour is in his 5th year with the old model 250 (has done some mods to make it pretty much a new one) and he was burning corn and some garbage grain (he's a farmer) and loves it so far, He is heating a 5000sq ft shop that usually has 30-40 tons of frozen steel equipement in it every night and a average size bungalow house. he started burning the local pellets last year and said they are great. The reason for the price is that they are being produced for a power generating company up on the coast and they are sold bulk not bagged. you bring the container and he fills it. they are produced using the scraps from a local lumber mill.
just wondering about the storage and the danfoss because the neighbour has neither but doesn't really concern himself with alot of technical details or great effiecney.

 

[Spartan]

Seymour,

Never trust a single source to make long range plans. For all they know, the mill can close and then what? Will the company you buy from have other sources as cheap fiber?

Best advice is to disconnect and keep the Orlon in storage. Still go ahead if the numbers make sense but look at a five year payback to offset the uncertainty.

BTW.....that is a great price. Where in northern Ontario are you and this manufacturer? Send me a pm if you don't want to make it public.

 

[seymour]

Located in New Liskeard. plant is shipping pellets to atikokan to a power generation plant via rail in Earlton. If the pellet plant goes tits up I am in the heart of rich farm land and can get fuel grade corn for $200 a ton. Worst case senario I can grow my own wheat or barley to burn in stove. lots of btu's but dirty