# Anyone using a pellet burner for central heating?



## bradders2175

Hi All,

I wondered if anyone was using a pellet burner for central heating? We are looking to change from oil and I wondered about the efficiency.

Thanks,

Paul


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## Crabtree

I do have bias against pellet burners so you may want to take these comments with a pinch of salt as others swear by them but here goes
1.You get what you pay for -ie you will need to shell out to get one that produces enough heat to run a central heating system
2.Same applies to the actual pellets.Many are produced from poor grade material often contain chemicals that pollute the atmosphere and if not stored correctly have a tendency to absorb damp which leads onto
3.The augur that feeds the fire box often ends up jamming because it is of poor quality manufacture or the pellets have swollen with moisture This usually happens the day after the guarantee runs out
4.The printed circuit board which controls the system has a habit of burning out again the day after the guarantee runs out
5.You will need to have a new flue which is double walled and has rubber seals due to the gases given off by the pellets so you just cannot do a one to one swap.
The pellet burner needs electricity to work like any other system so do not be tempted to get rid of any woodburners and replace them with free standing pellet burners


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## bradders2175

Thank you;


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## Crabtree

I currently have a combined woodburning cooker and oil system that is controlled by a "Laddomat " device that switches heat sources to provide central heating and HW. which halved my fioul use especially as I tend to use kiln dried wood in the cooker leaving my local farmers wood as back up or in my woodburner However we are lucky as we have a very good heating engineer close by who keeps on top of the latest developments


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## bradders2175

Some friends had a Scandinavian wood burner that was very efficient. It was in their barn and looked very industrial. It was linked to a 2000 litre tank which provided their hot water and central heating. I'm not looking at anything close to that!
I installed a solar hot water system from Navitron about 14 years ago. That is very efficient. It saves us 500 litres of fuel oil per year and paid for itself in less than four years. Since I installed it, it has had one new fuse and a new circulating pump. Over its life, two tubes have been replaced due to them fogging up. I also increased the water tank from 200 to 500 litres. The tank is a more efficient tank specifically designed for solar and the water gets much hotter.


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## Poloss

Hi, we took our pellet stove out and replaced it with a wood burner just before last winter came along.
The major problem was the high level of noise from the fan,
next in line was that it didn't produce enough heat
and finally that it needed almost daily cleaning, generating greasy, fine dust.
It was a 6kw model and had a hard time heating our 30sq m main room.
The previous owners paid 4k€ just for the stove and another 2k for installation
It sold very quickly for 650€ on the bon coin.

Some people are really happy with their pellet stoves,
pouring in a 15kg bag of pellets per day and programming your temperature is a real advantage.
It's a good idea to use a fine garden sieve to eliminate dust from the pellets so not to clog the burners.


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## bradders2175

Poloss said:


> Hi, we took our pellet stove out and replaced it with a wood burner just before last winter came along.
> The major problem was the high level of noise from the fan,
> next in line was that it didn't produce enough heat
> and finally that it needed almost daily cleaning, generating greasy, fine dust.
> It was a 6kw model and had a hard time heating our 30sq m main room.
> The previous owners paid 4k€ just for the stove and another 2k for installation
> It sold very quickly for 650€ on the bon coin.
> 
> Some people are really happy with their pellet stoves,
> pouring in a 15kg bag of pellets per day and programming your temperature is a real advantage.
> It's a good idea to use a fine garden sieve to eliminate dust from the pellets so not to clog the burners.


That's a good idea about the sieve, especially if cheaper pellets were used. This would be a 24kW model, more industrial and would be sited in the garage.


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## Befuddled

When a friend moved house he asked if I would like his pellet burner gratis. No was my answer. The noise while running, having to still carry the pellets, and the dry storage issue. He also informed me it had to be "serviced" annually so "on going" cost.


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## bradders2175

Befuddled said:


> When a friend moved house he asked if I would like his pellet burner gratis. No was my answer. The noise while running, having to still carry the pellets, and the dry storage issue. He also informed me it had to be "serviced" annually so "on going" cost.


Servicing wouldn't be an issue, as our oil burner has to be serviced.


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## SPGW

In addition to all points raised against pellet burners, another is the source of wood for the pellets, which is why the cost of some is lower and is of poorer quality. Because demand is high with the trend away from fossil fuels (a good thing), there isn’t necessarily good réglementation or control of what goes into the pellets. Probably another cause of mass destruction of forest. Regardless what the label on the sacks say.
At least with wood burners, you know what wood you are burning.


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## Befuddled

No matter what we use for heating fuel, or to drive machinery and vehicles, there will be a big downside. The inevitable conclusion is that population vs resources is the bottom line. So-called "green" energy sources are not that green when you look into it deep enough.


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## bradders2175

SPGW said:


> In addition to all points raised against pellet burners, another is the source of wood for the pellets, which is why the cost of some is lower and is of poorer quality. Because demand is high with the trend away from fossil fuels (a good thing), there isn’t necessarily good réglementation or control of what goes into the pellets. Probably another cause of mass destruction of forest. Regardless what the label on the sacks say.
> At least with wood burners, you know what wood you are burning.


Yes, I see what you are saying. Interestingly, several years ago there was a place outside Villereal and another in Bergerac where you could buy oak off cuts from the production of barrels. However, you had to buy a lorry load of 12 stere. It was delivered and tipped into your drive for about €240. The people that were selling it were either getting it free from the Coopers, or being paid to take it away. I've not seen that available for a few years. I imagine it goes to the production of wood pellets now.


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