Heating

[haforbes]

I have an oil Rayburn No.1 and I think it's about time it was replaced with something more efficient. Just wondering what you all use for heating & hot water and how you rate it? I have plenty of firewood available so I'd like to make better use of that resource but I'm open to any ideas. Thanks

[davetaz]

Wood burning Rayburn 345W and a villager logburner in living room (3 bed semi). This does all our cooking, mains pressure hot water and about 9 rads. Both appliances heat a thermal store providing all our hot water requirements. No gas or oil but we get through about 12-15 cubic metres of logs a year

[Stereo]

We have an esse W23 and are a bit dissapointed to be honest. It's nice to have burning away and provides ambient heat and cooking and I'm sure adds to the hot water but not as much as I would like.

 

Looking at an eco Angus to heat our expensive heat store which the Esse doesn't.

[Stereo]

Oh and don't forget to check out the new government payment schemes. Can't remember what they are called but it could be very worthwhile if your new equipment qualifies.

[Woody Wood Pecker]

^^

 

It's called Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).

 

I'm assuming that you're in a non smokeless zone.

 

G

[haforbes]

I think I'm in a non smokeless zone:confused1:, likely if I don't know about it. The house is a large old granite farm house which has 3 separate dwellings, each of which has a Rayburn(2 oil and 1 Solid fuel) so I was wondering about something like a large wood boiler that could heat all 3, if such a thing exists?? I guess it would cost lots of £££'s though.

[Woody Wood Pecker]

I'm looking at an Eco Angus boiler myself - for a domestic property. It works in conjunction with a heat store - you heat that up and then get hot water through a heat exchanger and heating water direct off the store.

 

For your situation you'd need a large thermal store - I'm looking at 1,500 litres for a 3 bed (the house is to be extended though). The price of my system is £5,500 & installation, flue and vat. I reckon about £8k (at least).

 

What's your budget? Is yours a domestic or non-domestic property? If non-domestic the RHI paper is now out and tells you the payment amount plus the length of payment (20 years).

 

If you've got free wood then the RHI incentive would pay for the boiler and you're not paying for oil/gas.

 

G

[Stereo]

The RHI payments are quite significant though, especially if you can source 'free' wood as you say. Well worth a look I think OP. Eco Angus have some stuff on their site about RHI and some vids on Youtube of the boiler. There are plenty of other makes as well.

[windfall]

No logs are free, processing timber for firewood will require an investment of time, fuel & equipment.

 

I was talking to a now ex client yesterday who has just had a large wood boiler, thermal store & solar panels installed he said he had all these free logs, when pressed it turned out that the logs were actually still tree/branch shaped and lying in the mud. He then started talking about needing to buy a chainsaw and hydraulic splitter and tractor to process it.

 

I get timber from my land, its cheaper than fuel oil, but its not free.

[Stereo]

Hence the quotes around 'free'.