Biomass boiler

[hedgesparrow]

spoke to my heating engineer and he said no way he would do it. as other posts check if he has done one or two lot more to it than just plumbing it in. in the end it is a glorified steam engine.

[richardwale]

Interesting, what would you call that type of engineer, bio mass engineer? Solid fuel specialist? Would it need to be signed off like a stove? All new to me, so all your comments are great info

[Longstroke]

We've installed a 20kW Log boiler and a pellet boiler with a 1500l thermal store - found a company selling them who were happy to let me install them myself with a plumber friend helping and then they came down and 'commisioned' them.

The plumber has some industrial experience under his belt, possibly why he was comfortable with our system as there is also Solar Thermal, underfloor heating and a wood burner that just heats the indoor tank (300L) so it is a bit involved.

 

The advantage of doing it 'officially' is that it should be possible to claim the RHI (renewable heat incentive) that the Government has carefully been putting off for the last 2 years - the reason we went official

 

To meet the requirements for the RHI (via the MCS) it is necessary for the system to be a total replacement for all space heating requirements - i.e. you're not allowed to have an oil boiler 'just in case'.

 

There was still a grant available called the 'Premium Payment' which is around £950 for a biomass boiler, while we wait for the full RHI to start - supposedly in summer 2013!!

My fingers remained crossed.

 

PM me if you want the company name - not sure if I should post it direct on here.

[difflock]

Erm, actually very simple plumbing if using a "Laddomat 21" or similar.

At least our system is.

Top of boiler connected to top of accumulator tank.

Bottom of boiler connected to bottom of accumulator tank.

The Laddomat is installed close to the boiler, plumed vertically between the top and bottom pipes.

Draw/pump hot water off from the tapping provided at the top of the tank and ret via rads etc to the bottom fitting.

pure simples.

Our 40kW boiler is plumbed with 28mm copper pipe (by myself)

running 5 + years without a hitch.

Ditto 28mm pipe from the tank to the man boiler circuit in the house, which is also 28mm pipe(from a 30kw oil burner/boiler)

I will admit Longstroke that your system is a trifle more complex.

cheers

marcus

[markieg31]

yes that was quoted for akvaterm.

did a show at the nec with the chap who designs them from finland, interesting chap.

 

get a lot of quotes and do the research. there is a lot of information out there so it pays to know what the sales man is going on about and to avoid the wool over the eyes.

 

plumbing them in is easy.

some installations i have seen have holes drilled everywhere in the walls where pipes have been moved etc.

 

so make sure every thing is planned out and drawn up. you can not do too much planning.

 

 

a good installation looks the muts a bad one will be pants. orientation of boiler door etc

[difflock]

A good point about the door.

Some brands are fixed either swung left or right handed.

Which can be a proper bollocks depending on the layout of the space, where the firewood is stored etc.

So brands allow for swinging to be changed at any time.

Some brands have a third door to allow one to light at the bottom, others rely on one kindling a fire down in the bowels of the firebox then topping up with fuel.

Not quite so handy, especially if one wishs to leave the boiler ready to light later after the fuel load has been warmed by the residual heat.

Some brands have a suction fan, in the flue, some "push" the combustion air in.

If a suction fan it can help to exhaust the "steaugh" when the door is opened.

Some brands allow for much easier access for cleaning the boiler tubes.

Some are plain bloody akward to clean.

Most of the above has been larned from experience:blushing:

But will influence my next choice of boiler when the relatively cheap Solarbayer is done, another 5 to 10 years I guess.

cheers again

m

oh

A big PS

NO need as far as I am aware for ANY treatment in the water.

IF a sealed system installed

 

 

[markieg31]

i think the stuff that goes in the water contains corrosion inhibitors. a Vit like the additives in antifreeze.

 

as said before i am not sure how helpful they are.

[pycoed]

go on BFF renewable energy so much on this subject that you should find what you are looking for. have looked and it was aprox £7k to install including pipework the pipework coming from tank is a special pipe and not just copper. so worth reading up on BFF

 

 

Ah! I thought it was you - are your lamps still lit?

[difflock]

I would guess the "special pipe" is the pre-insulated flow and ret pipes within an outer pipe/duct, all plastic(HDPE?).

A shocking price per metre run (cos I priced it) but one can supposodedly just bury it in the soil, without additional insulation or protection.

[openspaceman]

I would guess the "special pipe" is the pre-insulated flow and ret pipes within an outer pipe/duct, all plastic(HDPE?).

A shocking price per metre run (cos I priced it) but one can supposodedly just bury it in the soil, without additional insulation or protection.

 

50mm heat main is about 60 quid/metre for the twin pipe, personally I would avoid it and pay more for a pair of singles if the delta T feed to return is high to better isolate any cross conduction. The end fittings are about £100 each though. It's just a 2" mdpe water pipe with closed cell insulation all round stuffed down a normal rigiduct.

 

Many biomass systems will have thermal stores and this amounts to a lot of water in the system, often too much to dose with corrosion inhibitor. In a sealed system (still not allowed under building regs in domestic premises unless the latest part J changed that) it's not a big problem as any free oxygen dissolve in the water gets vented or reacts and then there is no more to do harm. In a vented system there is still a point where fresh air can get in at the F&E tank so these should have inhibitor. Antifreeze is another matter and apart from keeping the boiler running I don't know what would happen. I would hope the expansion vessel would cope with the main body freezing.