tarm excel 2000

[bennersaw]

I am looking at buying a gassifier boiler, and I came across a tarm excel 2000. It is about 12 years old and has the oil burner plus he had a pellergy pellet gun installed with a 500 lb hopper. He has a brand new ceramic gun (i hope I'm using the right word) that hasn't been installed. He wants 5000 but I am not sure i want to spend that on a used boiler. I have been looking at the eko 25 and can buy one for less than the 5k for the tarm. I kinda like the idea of the back up but will only use it for weekends when I would be away. Maybe once or twice a year. Anyone have advice/input? thanks

 

[timberr]

Ben,

I am very happy with my Eko 25, it isn't sexy or full of bells and wistles but is gets the job done well. I did have to spend some to with high temp RTV to seal up some areas that let smoke escape but for less the 4K new (I paid over 6K in 2008) you can't go wrong. For three yrs. I have been smoke free in the house, there is no creosote smell at all in my house.

Good luck

 

[maple1]

I am looking at buying a gassifier boiler, and I came across a tarm excel 2000. It is about 12 years old and has the oil burner plus he had a pellergy pellet gun installed with a 500 lb hopper. He has a brand new ceramic gun (i hope I'm using the right word) that hasn't been installed. He wants 5000 but I am not sure i want to spend that on a used boiler. I have been looking at the eko 25 and can buy one for less than the 5k for the tarm. I kinda like the idea of the back up but will only use it for weekends when I would be away. Maybe once or twice a year. Anyone have advice/input? thanks

Can you realistically see yourself using pellets? That would likely depend on the supply situation in your area. How much would you actually use backup? If it's every weekend, that's a fair amount. Do you have another fuel option? Propane on site? NG going by?

We only use backup about one weekend a year - so I turfed all our oil stuff & went electric for backup & summer DHW. So lots of questions to ask yourself & variables to weigh.

If you can make use of the oil & pellet side of it, that's a pretty good setup. But if not you'd be buying extras you wont need. I think I would seriously consider it - even if something happens to the Tarm, you'd still have a pellet head setup. I don't know how much they cost - but thinking they might be half the cost of what he's asking?

Did he say why he's selling? Does it come with a return temp protection setup? If so - the Eko price you're comparing with might not include that, so might be something else to consider in the price difference.

 

[bennersaw]

I could see myself using pellets for a weekend or 2 a year. They are readily available in my area. no other options other than oil and maybe electric. I am not sure but I thought I saw those pellet guns for around 3k new. I could be wrong.

He is an older fellow and no longer wants to burn wood. Thats why hes selling it. I do believe It will come with the mixer valve (about 200 bucks?) And the 5k is what he is asking. I haven't tried to talk him down yet either. He actually will be using it till the end of the heating season.

I never really thought about electric heat as backup. Is there a viable way to heat the house for a weekend with electric? It would only be a couple weekends at most per year.. I was just thinking I wouldnt have to deal with another chimney...

 

[maple1]

I replaced my old wood/oil combo boiler, with a new wood boiler, and an electric boiler for backup. And an electric DHW heater. Electric boilers are an easy install (relatively speaking), and take up next to no room, or a chimney. But you do need room in your panel for one (mine is on a 100 amp breaker - but I could have gotten by very well with a smaller boiler), and they are expensive to operate if you will be using it a lot (depending on how much your electricity costs).

That Tarm sounds like a good fit for your situation - and they have a very good reputation.

 

[Vizsla]

One thing I found from the many used Tarms I called on or looked at. Were the condition of the ceramics, many were being sold cuz the ceramics were in need of replacing. Some mentioned it but most don't mention it at all. It's about $1000 to update to the latest style of ceramics. Almost no one mentions the condition of the ceramics required to gasify in the adds. Being 12 years old, you could ask if he has the 2 or 3 piece design and if they were ever replaced.
Many new wood boiler owners were new to this and went thru a learning stage, not knowing how delicate the stones can be in some conditions. So those thorough cleanings were also cleaning away valuable ceramic life.

Good luck, I wouldn't be afraid of a used Tarm as long as you are fully aware of the condition. Cost, well that's what about 70% of new almost. If No usable warranty in your case, I would think max value is 50% of cost not installed job price.

 

[bennersaw]

He has a new nozzle, but not sure about the chamber part of it. any one know what the value of one of those pellergy guns would be?

 

[Bad Wolf]

I have a 6 year old Tarm Excell 2000. I liked the Tarm because I only had one flue available to me, and the oil backup is nice. Do you plan on adding staorage? I've never seen one set up for a pellet feed, is it a different set of ceramics? I don't have a "nozzle" per se, but I'm on my sixth year and will be replacing the ceramics this summer, which is about normal. I seem to remember a price of around $300 or so.

.

 

[bennersaw]

I do plan on storage, maybe not all at once though. the pellet setup actually is installed where the oil burner goes. does anybody know how long these have been around? I looked at it tonight and the tag says something about "tested 1990"

 

[Vizsla]

I seen one like thAt, tested 1990 but it was sold or listed model in 97'.

Was that 6 seasons on one set of ceramics? How much wood per season. How often do you clean or touch ceramix.

 

[bennersaw]

He said he bought it in 2000 and I really do believe him. It just seemed odd to me that it would have 1990 on the tag. i couldn't find anything else on it for a date. I'm not sure about the wood consumption. As far as I know this is the first time he replaced the ceramics. I still have to find out about the 3 piece thing...

 

[Bad Wolf]

I would call the guys at Biomass and tell them what you are looking at. They can give you the instructions on how to replace the ceramics if its 2 or 3 piece. Mines a 2008 and I'm not sure what I have, but they said replacment is fairly straight forward.

 

[bennersaw]

I have been talking with them and they are the best, very helpful.

 

[bennersaw]

I talked with the owner and he said the ceramics have not been replaced but are in good condition. He was eager for me to come down to look when the fire was out. I could not see because he had a fire in it. Why was the 2 piece updated to a 3 piece? Is it detrimental to the boiler? What would I look for to tell if the ceramics are good or not? I would imagine cracks, but can they just wear out? btw, tarm answered my question about the 1990 date on the boiler. He said it was the date the boiler design was tested, not the date of the boiler.

 

[maple1]

Ceramics are generally a wear item. If he's got a new set I don't think I'd worry about it too much - unless there's something about the farm I'm not aware of.

 

[flyingcow]

Does Tarm offer the same boiler new? And at what price? And yes refractories are pricey.

 

[bennersaw]

He has the tunnel but not the rest of it. I would need to buy the upper part, which as I understand it is now 3 pieces and about 800 bucks?

 

[bennersaw]

Does Tarm offer the same boiler new? And at what price?

I don't believe they have the dual fuel anymore but they told me the wood part is still the same as one of the boilers they have now.