Anyone any experience of log boilers?

[Big J]

For some time we have had the desire to install wood fired central heating on account of the fact that I generally have access to quite a lot of free timber. More recently, we have swung away from a back boiler and towards a log boiler in an outhouse.

 

Primary reasons for it are the increased efficiency and not having to haul all the wood through the house. The set up cost doesn't seem to be too much more and I was hoping to glean a little advice from anyone who has one/has experience of one.

 

When installing, did you manage to get a grant for the installation? How often are you stoking the fire and how automated is the system? Do you have any figures for how much wood you're putting in for your size of house?

 

Our house is an old, stone built end terrace farm workers cottage. About 110 square metres floor area, single story and not especially well insulated. I think the single largest issue we will have is that it is a rented property (we live on the estate for whom I subcontract) which adds complications for grant application. Also, I have to persuade the factor that it's a good idea (though that should be possible given that the estate is a fairly large firewood producer).

 

Anyway, any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[Joy Yeomans]

we deliver to alot of people who have such boilers, often situated in an outhouse or a little building tagged onto back of property, but the size of house that their in is alot bigger than your sqm. quoted - so i dont know if thats because they are such a big boiler and too powerful for a smaller area or what? have you thought about the ssecond hand market for say a rayburn or stanley, which will do hot water, cooking and central heating upto 12 radiators?

[pro bros]

i agree entirely with log baron, we are log suppliers and can burn as much would as i like but thats not to say the wood is "free" counting time . i have alog burner in the living room hooked up to oil burner via a baffle system works good as sometimes logs dont give out enough heat as i to rent a farm house not well insulated either.on a cost basis ican easily burn a cube a week which really would be better sold for money for oil but im an old timer who likes the fire with the missus watchin telly:thumbup1:

[skyhuck]

I have Ruffle boiler, it very similar to a Farm 2000.

 

Mine is 500,000 BTU, its a bit big really. I have 16 radiators in a large four bed house, which is single glazed and poorly insulated.

 

I burn a lot of wood, but it does not need cutting up, if I can lift it it goes on, the fire box is 6ft by 4ft.

 

Our house get a little to hot some times.

[renewablejohn]

Big J

 

I think for the size of your property a stand alone boiler would be to big. Try looking at a Dunsley Yorkshire it will run all your central heating and keep your room warm and because it is very efficient and thermostatic controlled will not use a lot of wood. We installed one last December and have been very pleased with it.

[Marko]

May be worth reading the trials and tribulations detailed in Light My Fire - The Coed Cae B&B Guide to sustainable heating with wood

 

Whilst the wood boiler is responsible for all the central heating and hot water they do have a further three log burners topping up the rooms. I think they get through 40 cubic meters a year. Stone built cottage but well insulated (or at least as well as you can insulate an old stone cottage)

[taz]

Farm 2000 agricultural boiler For Sale - Used and New Agricultural Machinery and Equipment With Free Advertising on Farming Machines UK

[Big J]

Thanks for all of the replies!

 

I think the primary reason for not wanting an internal back boiler system is that we don't want to drag all of the timber inside. We have a fairly rubbish Villager stove at present that came with the house and it was on more or less constantly from December through to the end of February. All in all we burned just under 10 cubic metres over the winter, avoiding putting on the oil fired heating where possible. It's a large wheel barrow a day which can get tiresome when you're knackered from work.

 

We are also thinking long term about approaching the estate about converting the loft space into a further three rooms, bringing the house to about 170 square metres.

 

Regarding free timber, I realise that there is no such thing, but from a large garden clearance (the chap living there previously seemed to have aspirations of creating plantation woodland!) I've had 10 cubic metres of mostly cherry and willow, which I was paid to fell and process. I am aware that 10 cube isn't anywhere near a full years timber, but I do get quite a few off cuts from my milling too.

 

Perge boilers seem to be fairly extensively used in France - would a smaller (say less than 20kw) model be suitable for a house of our size?

 

Thanks for all the comments, replies and advice. A log boiler is a big step up from a simple stove and if it is something that we can go ahead with, we want to make sure that we get it exactly right.

 

Jonathan

[WINTERBOURNE]

I am a supplier Eco Angus Ltd

With a reasonably well insulated house a 25kW log boiler can cover all your CH + DHW for a property up to 250m2 covering your proposed extension.

We have a general sizing graph which enable you to size your boiler approximately

http://www.ecoangus.co.uk/ecoangus_images/ECO10010%20Product%20Brochure%20281009.pdf

 

See page 3 of 5 graph on left hand side:thumbup:

[Big J]

Thanks for the information Winterbourne. As it happens, we have been given a Rayburn which we are in the process of figuring out the best way to install. Our days of a cold house are numbered!