Heating with Woodchips

[skyhuck]

We use burner in our office, which we burn 2 week old wood chip on/in Im not sure if you can heat water with it, but it is very hot!!! We dont have any problems with water content or chip size.

 

Sounds good, could you tell us make, model, cost, etc ??

[Mr Ed]

Good feedback -

I think a m3 of chip would have less kwh than logs, down to the density of the fuel.

 

I do know that if your in an urban environment, wood pellets are the best option.

I think that chip heating would suit certain people well, but not be suitable for heavily populated urban areas, as you need a certain amount of space to site the boiler and the fuel hopper.

I'm thinking that the whole thing is better outside, and pipe the heat inside.

 

If you chip fresh timber into the back of your truck, and tip it undercover, it will dry down to 35% quite quickly if turned.

I think people would get adept at knowing what type of chip to put in a burner. Ash or sycamore chip not in leaf would be ideal - Leylandii chipped in the rain would be less than ideal

[skyhuck]

I would be prepared to dry cord wood and chip straight into the fuel hopper, if I could get a decent boiler at the right price.

[Mr Ed]

What do you think is a reasonable price?

[Andy Collins]

As i dont know a lot about this topic, I'll keep it brief. I do know that a local housing association has installed pellet fuelled heating systems on some of their so-called "eco-housing". I also know they have experienced many problems with the efficiency of the system, mainly regular supply of quality pellets, and problems with the feeding supply,so much so that the residents committee got together to ask to have mains gas installed, but thats all i know about it. Probably teething problems, but not a good advert for the system.

[Quickthorn]

I put cost; I couldn't afford it. It also seems there's no grant help available for people who rent.

 

If I did ever invest, I'd be more interested in a log burning system, despite the extra workinvolved in firing it.

[skyhuck]

What do you think is a reasonable price?

 

Hhhmmm:confused1:Good question.

 

Can I tell you in March?, when I have a better idea as to the sort of year I'm going to have

Edited December 31, 2008 by skyhuck

[Log-ologist]

I think if a boiler of this type is to be succesfull, it must be capable of burning FRESH chips, straight from the chipper, without any screening.

 

 

 

you are looking for step grate boilers rather than underfed boilers then. Step grate will burn wetter , fresher material, they cost more and in general are at the larger end of the domestic market.

 

chip boilers cost more than gas, they cost more to install but, the fuel is cheaper, locally sourced , is carbon neutral (well 95% neutral) and the well maintained boiler should last 2 or 3 times longer than a gas one.

 

european countries ( austria, germany denmark, switzerland )have far more community / central heating systems powered by wood waste, they have little or no oil and gas reserves so are dependent on exterior sources. Wood is a good option. In austria about 100,000 woodchip boilers are annually installed.

[Chris B]

If you look at the links at the bottom of the page and click on perge they have a great site, i'm going to be fitting there systems in the coming year to add to my stove installations.

There are many companies that import or rebadge continental systems, (nothing wrong with this ) but its good to know that there is somebody in the UK with spares and technical backup , just in case.

 

Chris B

woodburnerinstallers.com

[skyhuck]

What do you think is a reasonable price?

 

Would £5K with chip bin be possible?