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Tying two different heat sources into one system is not uncommon. One has to take into account the operating parameters of each heat source, as well as the configuration and make-up of the rest of the heating system, such as the heat emitters (e.g. ducts, baseboard, panel radiators, radiant floors, etc.) and the controls.
Pellet boilers generally operate at temperatures above 140 °F (usually 155-185°F). Heat pumps on the other hand cannot operate that high, and in any case operate more efficiently the lower the output temperature. Output temperatures of 110-120°F are more typical with any kind of heat pump.
Combining pellet boilers and heat pumps can work of the strengths of each, but the system control has to be set up so they don’t get in each other’s way. The heat emitters must also be able to function suitably well at the lower temperatures produced by the heat pump. Conversely, low temp heat emitters are not a problem for the pellet boiler as hot boiler water can be mixed in with cooler “return” water in order to achieve appropriate temperatures.
Contact EcoHeat Solutions for more details.
If you’re heating with oil today, you should find out from your oil company how much oil you use during the heating season. Use the average of 3 years to reduce the chance of one unusual winter throwing off the estimate. Take your average consumption and divide by 116. That should get you to a good approximation of your pellet consumption.
If you’re heating with propane, your calculation will be slightly different because propane contains less energy per gallon than does heating oil. For propane, divide your consumption in gallons by 175.
For example, 1000 gallons of heating oil = 1000/116 = 8.6 tons wood pellets, and 1000 gallons of propane = 1000/175 = 5.7 tons of wood pellets.
Timing on bulk pellets purchases has less to do with the calendar, and more to do with how much pellets you have left in your bulk bin or silo. You will want to buy pellets at least 3 tons at a time, or you may end up paying a surcharge. You should monitor your fuel storage levels, or if you’re fortunate, you have a fuel storage solution that has built-in technology that notifies you when you need to order.
You should talk to your fuel supplier to find out how much lead time they need. They may want to provide pellets to others on the same truck run, so if you give them a week or two week window, that might help them out. If you’re not in the immediate vicinity of a pellet supplier or distributor, try to size your pellet storage to minimize the number of deliveries.
Pellet fuel deliveries often require that the burner is off during the delivery. Some systems have a switch on the outside wall that the delivery driver can use to shut off the burner. Others will require you to be home if there is no access to the inside of the home, and the connectors are on the outside wall.
Judging by the feedback from our customers, the best time to buy bagged wood pellets is before the heating season starts. If you have the space, and you’re familiar with the pellets you’re buying, and you have the funds available, you should consider buying a whole heating season worth of pellets at one time. If you buy a little more than you think will be enough, you can use the leftovers for the next heating season. Having extra on hand also means you don’t have to go looking for pellets toward the end of winter when stocks are lowest.
Another factor that you can think about is special offers from pellet suppliers. If you know who services your area, get on their mailing list if they have one. Some retailers offer special rates on delivery, or sales on some brands of pellets.
It’s possible to leave the oil (or propane, natural gas, wood) boiler in place and tie your new pellet boiler in with it. You will most likely need a separate flue, particularly if there’s a chance that both boiler may run at the same time. That is the case if, for example, a smaller pellet boiler is installed with the intention of having the oil boiler supplement during the few hours of the year when the head load is greater than the pellet boiler output.
It’s more common to have an oil back-up with a manual-clean pellet boiler. Automatic-clean boilers are designed to be left alone for long stretches, so there’s no need for back up with those (unless as stated, a second boiler is desired for supplemental purposes).
There are several things that can be done with ash left over from burning wood pellets. First, a little about the ash itself. Since wood pellets are made from 100% wood, they contain a small amount of minerals that are inherent in wood. After combustion, these minerals are left over in the form of ash. They make up less than 1% of the wood pellets by weight, and a fraction of 1% by volume.
The vast majority of ash falls down into the ash bin at the base of the pellet boiler. The ash bin sizes vary by boiler, but a good rule of thumb for a residential-size pellet boiler is that the ash should be emptied after consuming about a ton of pellets. If you find there’s still plenty of room left in the ash bin, you can reduce the frequency of ash removal accordingly.
Wood ash is non-toxic. It is slightly alkaline. It can be spread on a lawn, mixed into garden soil or compost, or dumped in the woods. It can also be used for making soap! If you have other good ideas for ash, let us know.
Steam systems are still found in many buildings here in the US. These systems required some smart minds to design and the maintenance of these systems is a dying art. Unfortunately these systems are inherently inefficient, almost profoundly so. To work, these systems have to heat up every bit of pipe between the boiler and the radiator to 212°F in order for the steam to reach the radiator. Doing so requires actually boiling a lot of water and creating a lot of steam just to get a single BTU of heat into a room. That’s a lot of energy that wasted.
To make matters worse, many of the old steam systems aren’t controlled so well anymore, if they ever were, and so excess heat in some rooms is driven off by opening windows.
Another problem with some steam systems is that the old pipe insulation has been removed because it contained asbestos, and it was never replaced. So those big old pipes don’t stay warm.
Replacing a steam system is expensive. In the long run it will pay for itself.
ASME stands for The American Society of Mechanical Engineers. This organization has standards for design, materials, construction, and testing of many different things including the pressure vessels of boilers.
Some states, including Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon and others require ASME certification for any boiler that’s installed pressurized. Other states require ASME only for commercial installations or for installations above a certain size.
Although it’s possible to install a boiler unpressurized and connect it to the pressurized portion of a heating system by using a heat exchanger, this is not recommended. Any part of a heating system that is unpressurized will be exposed to the atmosphere. Oxygen in the atmosphere will be absorbed by the system water and corrode metal parts, including the steel pressure vessel, cast iron components such as circulators, and other items such as tubing, check valves and “air eliminators”. Using a heat exchanger also adds cost and reduces efficiency.
For any application that requires ASME, our EcoBoiler or any one of the EvoTherm boilers (except the smallest) will satisfy the requirements. For an ASME boiler, look for the “H-stamp” in the product literature. The H-stamp will also be included on the label affixed to the boiler jacket.
If you’re buying pellets in 40-lb bags, singly or by the ton, then you may actually have a choice in what pellets you buy. The bagged pellets for sale in your area can come from any number of plant locations in North America. They all say “premium” but you may find you like some brands better than others.
Pellets generally are produced in one of three ways: 100% softwood, 100% hardwood, or a blend. Unlike with non-pelletized wood, the softwood pellets have a slightly higher energy content. This is because once the wood has been pressed into pellets, the result is a similar density for all (about 40 lbs per cubic foot). Pound for pound, the softwood pellets have a slightly higher energy content. The softwood pellets also tend to ignite a little easier.
One other thing, though this is something that you probably don’t need to worry about: your pellets must be made of wood only. If the bag says wood pellets, there’s little chance there’s anything in there but wood. Pellets made from anything else, like grass, will most likely contain higher mineral content with a lower melting point, leading to more ash and clinkers.
High moisture content is something alse to avoid. It raises the risk of creosote build-up. If your friend is looking to sell you some wood pellets and they look like they’re cracking, clumping, or falling apart, chances are they got wet. Even if they’re dry now, you should avoid them.
Ultimately, if you have good experience with one brand of pellet and the price is competitive, there isn’t much incentive to change.
This is a question sometimes asked by homeowners. The more advanced pellet boilers of today do require a trained professional to set up the equipment and perform the commissioning. A professional will be able to check and adjust settings, check flue gas composition and temperature, and otherwise ensure that everything is installed to code.
Of course there are still some things the homeowner can do, such as periodically remove the ash from the receptacle.
A boiler is usually a better solution for heating space, even if the heat is carried to the space through ducts. In order to make this work, the boiler water must go through a heat exchange coil, and air must pass through that coil. If there’s already a warm air furnace in place, the blower on that furnace can still be used, though without burning fossil fuel.