Hi
I am newly researching wood gassification boilers, searching for an alternative to propane heat. I have really benefited from reading this forum - thanks so much!
Here is some background on my system at this stage:
- I have an 80 gal insulated DHW tank.
- The DHW tank has two internal heat exchangers, both with glycol in them. One goes to an evacuated tube solar hot water panel. The other goes up to my radiant floor manifold.
- The DHW is heated presently by a sidearm propane fired heater (Takagi TK-3 Pro). When the water in the tank falls below a set level, a pump sends water from the hot water tank to the Takagi and then the heated water goes right back into the hot water tank.
- The radiant floor is divided into two zones, each running a Grundfos Alpha pump set at the very lowest power setting of 5W. I get < 1 gpm on each zone.
- Radiant floor tubing is set in 1.5 inches of concrete that is on top of my subfloor. I have bamboo or carpet on top of the concrete.
- I believe the heat exchangers in the DHW tank are undersized. As a result, I can't get the house hotter than 18 degrees celcius in winter. Too cold for me.
- I have hard well water, so the heat exchangers in my DHW tank do get coated with scale. Every summer we put vinegar in the hot water tank and then empty the tank to try to eliminate the scale buildup. But it still definitely has an effect on heat transfer.
And a bit of background on my home:
- 3500 square feet, two levels, mostly cathedral ceilings and lots of glass.
- Built in 2009 roughly. 2x6 construction with fiberglass batts. No attic.
- I have calculated about 45,000 BTU/hr.
- We are contemplating an addition in the future that would add roughly 1/3 more floor space, and would boost BTU/hr to 65,000. But the addition is mainly my pipe dream and not a huge priority right now.
- I live on a nearly-deserted island in the Gulf Islands in between Vancouver, BC and Victoria, BC. To get propane I have to hire a guy with a modified truck to deliver it. He has to get on a barge to get to me. I have only one supplier so I'm at the mercy of his prices and the barge adds $600 per delivery. If I was home full time, I believe I would spend around $6000-7000 / year on heating with propane. My last propane bill was almost $2 / litre after barging costs are factored in.
- Being remote also means I can't just pay for wood. I have to chop it myself or hire someone to do it.
- I am off grid, so electricity consumption is crazy important to me. A pump running at 50W for several hours is a big deal.
- Due to work commitments, I am not at home consistently. I might be home for a 3-7 days, then away for about the same period, then back for a week, then away for 5 days, etc. Up to now, to save on propane, when I leave home I have been turning off the heat.
So....now for some questions!
1. I am considering the EKO line of stoves, but I'm concerned about power consumption for the fan. The Vedolux 37, for example, only runs the fan at the beginning of the burn and shuts it off after the flue gasses get to a certain temp (per their manual). But the Vedolux is way more expensive than the EKO, so I'm hesitating. Does the EKO stoves run the fan all the time?
2. Is it possible to replace the pump on the EKO stove with a Grundfos Alpha pump?
3. The Vedolux recommends a stand to put the stove on. Does the EKO need a stand?
4. In a system with no storage, is it acceptable to run water from the DHW tank straight into the boiler from a health/safety perspective? I have read some systems do this, but have also read that boiler water is not potable water. While most people don't drink their DHW, you do consume a little bit when showering etc.
6. So far I have looked at the EKO, the Vedolux, the Froeling, the Garn, and the EconoBurn. I discarded the Froeling due to price and the Garn also due to price. I discarded the EconoBurn due to power consumption. The EKOs seem to be pretty popular around here. I like the Vedolux due to power consumption and ease of cleaning but am less impressed with price. Any other stoves I should be looking at?
7. By reading this forum, I definitely understand that a system with heat storage is preferable. Is it possible to set up a system that will send heat first to the hot water tank, and only when the hot water tank is up to temperature does the system direct heat to the storage tank? Is there a smart valve I can buy or something that will do that for me? (I'm not up on plumbing or hvac gear.)
8. Given that I am not home for stretches of time, I wonder if I would be better served by a system with no storage. I could buy a smaller stove (e.g. the EKO 25) and plumb it directly to the hot water tank. I would save money from not having to buy storage...and if I'm only going to be home for 3 days, maybe it doesn't make much sense to heat up a whole storage tank. Does this logic make sense at all? Or is having storage just so important that it is worth getting no matter what? Anyone do a lot of travelling -- what are your experiences?
Thanks for any responses.
Really appreciate it!
I am newly researching wood gassification boilers, searching for an alternative to propane heat. I have really benefited from reading this forum - thanks so much!
Here is some background on my system at this stage:
- I have an 80 gal insulated DHW tank.
- The DHW tank has two internal heat exchangers, both with glycol in them. One goes to an evacuated tube solar hot water panel. The other goes up to my radiant floor manifold.
- The DHW is heated presently by a sidearm propane fired heater (Takagi TK-3 Pro). When the water in the tank falls below a set level, a pump sends water from the hot water tank to the Takagi and then the heated water goes right back into the hot water tank.
- The radiant floor is divided into two zones, each running a Grundfos Alpha pump set at the very lowest power setting of 5W. I get < 1 gpm on each zone.
- Radiant floor tubing is set in 1.5 inches of concrete that is on top of my subfloor. I have bamboo or carpet on top of the concrete.
- I believe the heat exchangers in the DHW tank are undersized. As a result, I can't get the house hotter than 18 degrees celcius in winter. Too cold for me.
- I have hard well water, so the heat exchangers in my DHW tank do get coated with scale. Every summer we put vinegar in the hot water tank and then empty the tank to try to eliminate the scale buildup. But it still definitely has an effect on heat transfer.
And a bit of background on my home:
- 3500 square feet, two levels, mostly cathedral ceilings and lots of glass.
- Built in 2009 roughly. 2x6 construction with fiberglass batts. No attic.
- I have calculated about 45,000 BTU/hr.
- We are contemplating an addition in the future that would add roughly 1/3 more floor space, and would boost BTU/hr to 65,000. But the addition is mainly my pipe dream and not a huge priority right now.
- I live on a nearly-deserted island in the Gulf Islands in between Vancouver, BC and Victoria, BC. To get propane I have to hire a guy with a modified truck to deliver it. He has to get on a barge to get to me. I have only one supplier so I'm at the mercy of his prices and the barge adds $600 per delivery. If I was home full time, I believe I would spend around $6000-7000 / year on heating with propane. My last propane bill was almost $2 / litre after barging costs are factored in.
- Being remote also means I can't just pay for wood. I have to chop it myself or hire someone to do it.
- I am off grid, so electricity consumption is crazy important to me. A pump running at 50W for several hours is a big deal.
- Due to work commitments, I am not at home consistently. I might be home for a 3-7 days, then away for about the same period, then back for a week, then away for 5 days, etc. Up to now, to save on propane, when I leave home I have been turning off the heat.
So....now for some questions!
1. I am considering the EKO line of stoves, but I'm concerned about power consumption for the fan. The Vedolux 37, for example, only runs the fan at the beginning of the burn and shuts it off after the flue gasses get to a certain temp (per their manual). But the Vedolux is way more expensive than the EKO, so I'm hesitating. Does the EKO stoves run the fan all the time?
2. Is it possible to replace the pump on the EKO stove with a Grundfos Alpha pump?
3. The Vedolux recommends a stand to put the stove on. Does the EKO need a stand?
4. In a system with no storage, is it acceptable to run water from the DHW tank straight into the boiler from a health/safety perspective? I have read some systems do this, but have also read that boiler water is not potable water. While most people don't drink their DHW, you do consume a little bit when showering etc.
6. So far I have looked at the EKO, the Vedolux, the Froeling, the Garn, and the EconoBurn. I discarded the Froeling due to price and the Garn also due to price. I discarded the EconoBurn due to power consumption. The EKOs seem to be pretty popular around here. I like the Vedolux due to power consumption and ease of cleaning but am less impressed with price. Any other stoves I should be looking at?
7. By reading this forum, I definitely understand that a system with heat storage is preferable. Is it possible to set up a system that will send heat first to the hot water tank, and only when the hot water tank is up to temperature does the system direct heat to the storage tank? Is there a smart valve I can buy or something that will do that for me? (I'm not up on plumbing or hvac gear.)
8. Given that I am not home for stretches of time, I wonder if I would be better served by a system with no storage. I could buy a smaller stove (e.g. the EKO 25) and plumb it directly to the hot water tank. I would save money from not having to buy storage...and if I'm only going to be home for 3 days, maybe it doesn't make much sense to heat up a whole storage tank. Does this logic make sense at all? Or is having storage just so important that it is worth getting no matter what? Anyone do a lot of travelling -- what are your experiences?
Thanks for any responses.
Really appreciate it!
