Domestic Biomass CH

[drinksloe]

I'd get a few prices first but make sure ur sitting down.

 

I'm about to start renovating an old ruin, was going to put a Boimass system in but not any longer, for a large 2 bed house u were looking at 12-14k just for the LGB and thermal store and some pipe work but not any plumbing.

The RHI is not worth claiming now for boimass, couple of renewable 'experts' i've spoke to recently wouldn't even quote for a boimass system even with me having free fire wood and were on;y intrested in Heat pumps.

 

Also from wot i have been told ur looking at 1-2 services a year so 2-400+ quid a year. Know of 1 farmer who it has cost him a fortune to fix as the previos owner never cleaned or serviced it right.

 

How are those who have LGB finding the servicing and maintenace?

Anyone had any major repairs yet? And wot age is ur boiler?

 

I'm now probably going to go to an old fashioned back boiler log burner system, probably with an oversized accumultor tank so will have hot water next morning for heating.

Plumber say's it should not be any bother but i'm using UFH.

I'd consult a decent plumber and possibly renew ur stove with a higher KW and put an oversized insulated accumulator in.

 

Interested in wot some of u say that have Boimass in, really far too expensive and it seems to complicated for me, all these fans and sensors to get an extra 10% effeciency which is all ur really gaining over a log burner/back boiler.

Worried about servicing costs and future breakdowns with it

[CallumA]

The log boiler is serviced once a year but don't know the cost yet! The RHI payment will almost cover the installation costs so it works for me I did not do it to make money but to keep the wife happy with less mess in the house and having a warm house first thing in the morning is a boost

[drinksloe]

Cheers callum, dunno when u put ur boimass in, RHI was originally 12p for domestic when it first came out down to about 7p now.

As i'm stripping house right to masonry and insulating they will likely give me the new build EPC so get little allowance.

 

I think they estimate heat load per m2, for an old house it about 250kw/yr/m2 but only 50ish fore a new and 5 for a passhaus.

 

Way i see it the now the extra 10+K could be spent on other things or would buy a lot of electricity/oil. In fact in the life of the boiler it may not pay back esp with oil prices so low at min.

The more i look into it the less sense it makes financally in both short and long term, but interrested in wot other users think

[difflock]

Drinksloe, I am in agreement with your assessment.

A good log burner in a reasonably insulated home heated with oil or gas, seems to be the most pragmatic/best "fit".

I.e.

keep the living room warm, & screw the thermostats back elsewhere, a kitchen should be warm anyway, but ours backs onto the wall with the stove in the living room so even better (as was indeed planned)

And when we used the bedroom above the living room, it was also nice and warm, being above the heated room with the flue running up through the associated en-suite.

Perfect.

Cheers

M

PS

My assessment of ALL grants is they are there to support the suppliers/installers, not the end users.

Edited December 16, 2015 by difflock

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Drinksloe, I am in agreement with your assessment.

A good log burner in a reasonably insulated home heated with oil or gas, seems to be the most pragmatic/best "fit".

I.e.

keep the living room warm, & screw the thermostats back elsewhere, a kitchen should be warm anyway, but ours backs onto the wall with the stove in the living room so even better (as was indeed planned)

And when we used the bedroom above the living room, it was also nice and warm, being above the heated room with the flue running up through the associated en-suite.

Perfect.

Cheers

M

PS

My assessment of ALL grants is they are there to support the suppliers/installers, not the end users.

 

Definitely agree there's a significant element of that! Costs of supply & fit of solar PV / thermal / biomass etc have all tracked up & down in relation to the tariffs available. Pellet prices for example, and (anecdotally) logs have certainly jumped up with the roll out of domestic RHI and requirement to buy from BSL registered supplier.

[muldonach]

I'd get a few prices first but make sure ur sitting down.

 

I'm about to start renovating an old ruin, was going to put a Boimass system in but not any longer, for a large 2 bed house u were looking at 12-14k just for the LGB and thermal store and some pipe work but not any plumbing.

The RHI is not worth claiming now for boimass, couple of renewable 'experts' i've spoke to recently wouldn't even quote for a boimass system even with me having free fire wood and were on;y intrested in Heat pumps.

 

Also from wot i have been told ur looking at 1-2 services a year so 2-400+ quid a year. Know of 1 farmer who it has cost him a fortune to fix as the previos owner never cleaned or serviced it right.

 

How are those who have LGB finding the servicing and maintenace?

Anyone had any major repairs yet? And wot age is ur boiler?

 

I'm now probably going to go to an old fashioned back boiler log burner system, probably with an oversized accumultor tank so will have hot water next morning for heating.

Plumber say's it should not be any bother but i'm using UFH.

I'd consult a decent plumber and possibly renew ur stove with a higher KW and put an oversized insulated accumulator in.

 

Interested in wot some of u say that have Boimass in, really far too expensive and it seems to complicated for me, all these fans and sensors to get an extra 10% effeciency which is all ur really gaining over a log burner/back boiler.

Worried about servicing costs and future breakdowns with it

 

Ah - thanks for all responses to date - to be clear - no interest whatever in log, chip or pellet boilers. My main heat source is, and will remain, in the lounge with a set of glass doors so I can look at the fire.

 

The wet CH system is already installed and working fine, all I need to do is to install a buffer tank to the existing system in tandem with a planned changeout of the stove - and I might even line the chimney.

 

cheers

mac

[Commando]

We have a Dunsley Yorkshire wood burning stove that feeds a 300L heat bank. Also have 2 X immersion heaters and oil boiler. The heat bank comes ready tapped for solar thermal although we haven't got around to fitting it yet. The whole system is integrated and oil only kicks in when required. TBH I'm very happy with the system

[AardvarkTreeServices]

We have a Dunsley Yorkshire wood burning stove that feeds a 300L heat bank. Also have 2 X immersion heaters and oil boiler. The heat bank comes ready tapped for solar thermal although we haven't got around to fitting it yet. The whole system is integrated and oil only kicks in when required. TBH I'm very happy with the system

 

Does the 300l store enough heat to be able to heat the house the morning after the stove has heated the store? I was under the impression that you need 2-3000l to store enough heat for CH the day after having run the wood burner.

[Commando]

Does the 300l store enough heat to be able to heat the house the morning after the stove has heated the store? I was under the impression that you need 2-3000l to store enough heat for CH the day after having run the wood burner.

 

 

It will heat the UFH, which uses lower temp, but tbh it's just a buffer to give flexibility in the system and allow lots of different heat sources. I agree, to do the job properly 2-3000l would be required. I don't have the room for that size accumulator and the WBS only gives 9kw to the water so would struggle.

[difflock]

The best design I have seen to date was a German one, a 2 story high thermal store located in a corner of a new build, and left so as to be assessible for maintenance or swopping out(from above)

Allowed for useful volume of stored water and ultimate temperature stratification, and designed so as to take multiple inputs of heat/water at any temperature without upsetting stratification.

My big regret was not designing a basement into our new build in 1995, with Yankee style (or indeed English pub style) doors to the yard outside.

A LGB and associated thermal store under the build is surely optimal, plus get a taller flue.

BUT

With current technology in our temperate climate, if starting from scratch, one should only require minimal heating, i.e. a log burner for both ambience and heat, with solar hot water panels to supply the DHW, backed up by a small modulating mains gas boiler.

marcus