Boiler needed need more info

[nailed]

I'm looking for some info on heating.  I have a large off grid house I finished building a few months back.  It has 2 HVAC systems.  One unit for the upstairs and one for the down stairs of my house.  When I had them installed I had put the boiler heat exchanger installed.  The basement floor and the garage floor have the in floor concrete heat (tubing was installed).

I was looking at boilers and I don't know what I want to get.  I do have the manifold and all of the thermostats set up but I still need the hot water.  I'm in SW part of VA part way out in the middle of nowhere.  I'm on a farm so I could go with an outside wood boiler.  I have thought of getting a 1000 gallon or 2 under ground propane tank (also like to cook on gas) and going with a propane boiler.

I have not done a lot of research on heaters but I'm thinking form looking a few through out the years.  There set up as;

Return line form manifold

Storage tank.

Pump

Boiler

Pressure tank / presser relief valve

Manifold

Through what ever

Back to manifold.

I'm not planning on having the system setup and running until next year.  But I would like to get some info.  I have about 15,000 sq feet.  I'm not planning on use it for hot water.  I know I still need to learn a lot.  

[Titantornado]

Well, if you do plan on a wood fired boiler, I recommend a dual fuel version.  With straight wood, you won't be able to leave the property for very long during frigid weather.  At least with dual fuel, you can go away and run on fossil fuel until you get back.

One model I like is the indoor Benjamin, though, I don't know if it would meet you're BTU demands. I know some of the outdoor units are capable of oil add-on.  I guess it all depends on what you want.  Go outside to load wood, but at least you keep the wood outside, or, bring the wood inside, and you don't have to go out in the middle of a blizzard or during the night to load the boiler.

[nailed]

I can put it right off the garage.  If needed I can build an add-on for an indoor unit.  I can still us the heat pumps for heat but would like to cut back on the use because I mostly get my power off hydro during the winter.  

I have not thought about a duel fuel unit but was looking at a corn / pellet unit.  I know to heat my whole house off a single boiler would call for a large unit.  I had thought about using 2 units; a corn / pellet boiler and a wood boiler.  I would keep the pellet burner running thought the winter and I could start up the wood boiler on the weekends or in the on the very cold days.  I know I would need 2 control systems and would need extra valves.  But I could tie the 2 systems together if I used an open system.  It would be harder with a closed system but could be done.  

I'm currently thinking about a large pellet boiler and adding a room off the garage.  But I'm still thinking.  

[jmk]

 If you have access to a lot of fire wood or tree services that will dump for free. I would go with the Central Boiler wood or duel fuel boiler. I have one and love it. Mine can be put up to 300 feet away from the house so your mess with the wood isn't too close. I put mine right at the end of the driveway. The tree trimmers drop of wood for free. I have a medium size one at 500,000 BTU. I load it every day once. I can go three days if I load it to the top in forty deg weather. When it's zero I have to load it to the top once a day. I have a 2700 sq ft house with just 2 by 6 rafters. Drywall on one side and shingles on the other. Plus I have old aluminum clad windows so my house is not very efficient at keeping the heat in and the cold out. I paid $9,000 for it and it will pay for itself this third year. I have fun loading it. The door is 21" by 30" and I roll 20 by 28" logs up a 2 by 12 board. I have put two popular logs that size in it at the same time and it went for four days in 40 - 30 deg weather. If you cant get wood very easily I wouldn't go this route. They do go through a lot of wood. You can burn pine or anything not chemically treated. You can't burn garbage,  plywood, cardboard, or paper because it builds up acid on the walls. It heats the hot water too. It has a pump that runs continuous 1.4 amps 110 volt. Then another that works the zones when they call for heat .7 amps. I have a 12' wind turbine in a bad wind site. The wind has to be 20 mph or better to keep up with the boiler. I am on grid, and at least I have back up if the grid goes out. I have to invert to 110 so maybe if you can get your model with a 48 volt pump or what ever your dc voltage is going to be you could save power.    

[nailed]

I do live off the grid so the power issue is there but if I don't have to run either compressor for a day I think there will be a large power pay off.  My house was built with 2X6 with brick on the out side.  I have top quality windows and I think I'm about as air tight as possible.  I can't tell you R values but I went on the upper end of what was suggested.  

I do think a large wood boiler is what I will need.  A daily loading of wood at 8:00 am on my way in form work when needed.  I need to get on the phone this week and start calling a bunch of companies.

[Baxima]

I got a smal boiler and 2 water tank. 2000L

It works great.When its -20 Celsius i have to start the boiler one time per day.

Some info here.

http://www.freewebs.com/hansson29/

[roddy]

check out rohor.com  

this is seton boilers I just got one in and don't have it installed yet but there are volumes of information if you read his site and the link to the radiant design institute. if all works as he claims, and i believe it will obviously, it will be a great piece.

roddy

[Baxima]

Why dont they do boilers like this one.

http://www.baxi.se/show_image2.asp?bild=bildersolo_innova_cut.jpg

Then not all the wood burn.Only the bottom layer. All the boilers in sweden

are design like this. U get a very god thermal efficiency. 91%

And very god emission

just a thought

[Baxima]

Sorry

Here is the pic

http://xs.to/xs.php?h=xs309&d=06481&f=Namnls1.jpg

[Titantornado]

Looks like it might be a bear to get a draft at start up, but once it's going it would be OK. (until you open the loading door and you get a bunch of smoke)

Interesting design.

[Baxima]

It have a sucking fan.You can se it on the pic in the right upper coner.

The fan is connected to a gasthermometer .So when the gas temp is to low and the wood have burn up it stops the fan.It also stops the fan when the boiler temp is 95 Celsius. It can never start to boil.

[Baxima]

A video off my boiler

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7968214188547587567&hl=en

[nailed]

I'm looking at the outside wood boilers that are the closed systems.  Most of them are made of 304 stainless and some are titanium enhanced.

Something like one of these.

http://www.profab.org/Products/Empyre.aspx

http://www.profab.org/Products/Cozeburn.aspx

http://www.globalhydronics.com/wood.html

[bkrahmer]

Stainless is nice, and titanium is cool, but I don't suspect that it's a coincidence that neither one of those websites mention efficiency ratings.  Read more about outdoor wood boilers and you will realize that they are smoky and inefficient.  What you really want is something that does gasification.  This is what the good European models do.  They can get 80%+ efficiency (compared to 35%.)  http://www.montanastove.com is even a good example of a somewhat efficient stove.  Without gasification or refractory, water jackets will keep the wood from burning at a clean and efficient temperature.

[TimV]

I know a fellow who had a new home built and it has the tubing installed in the floors . He said the heat is nice and even but was  the most expensive place he ever had to heat. System had a oil fired boiler to start with and he soon converted to outside boiler fired with wood. He said the main problem was  the oil boiler was always trying to keep the surplus water up to temp but the lack of storage made it work all the time. Large capacity of the outdoor boiler seemed much better. He is happy with his floor heat now .

[TimV]

Lol

I have heard loading a furnace or boiler many things but never "fun" I like your attitude !!

I use a wood in a hot air ducted system. I cant say I enjoy filling it 3 times a day when its cold but sure like how I dont owe the oilman a small fortune anymore!

[TimV]

It looks like a Tarm Boiler to me. They are awesome Systems.

The draft is like an old Riteway Model 37 made by the Amish people  30 to 40 years ago. They were "gasification" burners before the word was used for woodburning. Reburned all gases and gave off tremendous heat. I heated a 2500 sq ft house with just one Riteway Stove in the basement by gravity.

[myway]

hello my name is richard just wanted to know how seton boiler is working for you i am interested in purchasing one, i have signed up just to talk to you roddy my emailis mcconnrp@westminster.edu  please reply