Thinking of exhausting via our 30’ of unused chimney (1900 brick building).

[Drywall]

Hello, New member here. Looking for some backup heat options in the event of power-outage or break-down. We have a Buderas natural gas boiler with baseboards.
1. Is a pellet stove a good option for this situation? Other options? Or should we focus on a back-up generator to run the Buderas?
2. The 1900 two-story brick building has an unused 35’ chimney which might provide pellet/wood stove exhaust, but lining the chimney might be prohibitive and make wall-exhaust a better option.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

[bholler]

Hello, New member here. Looking for some backup heat options in the event of power-outage or break-down. We have a Buderas natural gas boiler with baseboards.
1. Is a pellet stove a good option for this situation? Other options? Or should we focus on a back-up generator to run the Buderas?
2. The 1900 two-story brick building has an unused 35’ chimney which might provide pellet/wood stove exhaust, but lining the chimney might be prohibitive and make wall-exhaust a better option.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Pellet stoves require power as well

 

[mellow]

You can find manual fed pellet stoves like the wiseway and others but for what I am guessing is a large old unsealed house I wouldn't recommend it.

If you have a backup power generator the pellet stove might use less power then your existing boiler. If doesn't necessarily need to use the existing chimney if you have another install location on an outside wall.

 

[Drywall]

Pellet stoves require power as well

There are a few non- electric pellet stoves (Wiseway, etc,)., though they may be more expensive and less efficient. Venting a stove through the brick outer wall seems less complicated than getting up on the slate roof to drop a liner down the ancient chimney.

 

[bholler]

There are a few non- electric pellet stoves (Wiseway, etc,)., though they may be more expensive and less efficient. Venting a stove through the brick outer wall seems less complicated than getting up on the slate roof to drop a liner down the ancient chimney.

Also very low heatoutput no where near enough for an old 2 story house in mass

 

[Drywall]

You can find manual fed pellet stoves like the wiseway and others but for what I am guessing is a large old unsealed house I wouldn't recommend it.

If you have a backup power generator the pellet stove might use less power then your existing boiler. If doesn't necessarily need to use the existing chimney if you have another install location on an outside wall.

The house has insulated windows, and appears to have had insulation added between the brick exterior and the sheet rock (window sills are about 15” deep, if that is any indication). But it’s fairly large: two story 2000 sq. ft. so a pellet stove might be enough to keep pipes from freezing until power is restored. Would a Honda 2000 generator keep a Buderas running (circulation pump, ignition, etc.)?

 

[BigJohnfromCT]

"Would a Honda 2000 generator keep a Buderas running (circulation pump, ignition, etc.)?" Maybe, if the boiler doesn't draw more power that the generator makes available but how would you safely connect the genny to the boiler?

 

[Drywall]

Thanks for your response. Some friends have installed whole-house propane backup generators after experiencing a week-long power outage. This is a very expensive solution. Here is a link discussing the possibility of running a boiler off a portable generator:

How To Hook Up A Boiler To A Generator: Step-by-Step Guide

Learn how to hook up a boiler to a generator and get constant heating during power outages. Don't let cold weather catch you unprepared!

generatorgrid.com

 

[mellow]

Would a Honda 2000 generator keep a Buderas running (circulation pump, ignition, etc.)?

Only way to find that out would be to measure how much power it uses during startup cycles and normal use so you would know your peak power needs for it. Install a transfer switch to hook the generator up to that has dedicated breakers for that Buderas.

 

[BigJohnfromCT]

"Install a transfer switch to hook the generator up to that has dedicated breakers for that Buderas."

I believe putting in a transfer sw for a 2kw generator is a waste of money. Even a small 6 circuit xfer sw would most assuredly overload a generator that small. Also, with a generator that small the OPs options are very limited.

 

[mellow]

I never said anything about the 2kw generator. I told him he needs to find out what his real world usage needs are first.

 

[Drywall]

I believe putting in a transfer sw for a 2kw generator is a waste of money. Even a small 6 circuit xfer sw would most assuredly overload a generator that small. Also, with a generator that small the OPs options are very limited.

I was thinking of a temporary emergency connection: Just manually use a two-way switch to disconnect the boiler from the breaker box, and connect it to the portable generator, though I have seen some connections run through a capacitor. Generally, it appears boilers need about 600W to operate.