Pellet wood boilers

Pellet wood boilers have advantages over oil and gas boilers in very cold climates, for those with high heating bills. But they demand a much higher initial investment..

Modern pellet-Wood boilers

Pellet-wood boilers are complex appliances, but like oil and gas boilers they are mostly or fully automatic.

Modern pellet-wood boilers use microprocessors to control the amount of fuel and air being supplied, ensuring high efficiencies (often in the range 90%-96%) and, also, very little pollution.

The feed system of these wood boilers is based on a suction system (or an electrically spiral conveyor) doing the transport and making the process largely or fully automatic.

Modern pellet-wood boilers are stainless steel, compact and modulate their firing rate to match the house’s energy needs.

Capacity of pellet wood boilers

There are a wide range of models and capacities. All depends on your needs. Capacities to 100,000 BTU/hr are common.

The main manufacturers present different models, with different outputs and prices. Pay close attention to the capacity issue, and avoid oversized boilers: boilers are often greatly oversized, which is a common cause of higher energy costs.

Oversizing is often related with the fact that people do not take into account modern levels of insulation.

Qualified Pellet Wood boilers

Qualified models of pellet wood boilers are certified or approved by organizations as ASME, UL and Energy Star.

Maintenance and ash

Pellet-wood boilers do not demand more maintenance than oil or gas boilers.

The difference is basically on ash removing. Its periodicity - variable and typically oscillating between once a month and once every six months - depends on models and brands, and also on the type of pellet: using premium and super premium pellets will cause lower quantities of ash to remove.

Chimney or Direct Vent & Pellet Wood Boilers

Modern pellet wood boilers allow sealed combustion and are extremely safe appliances.

You may use a chimney, but many models allow direct vent with PVC pipe (in order to vent the exhaust combustion gases).

The most efficient boilers may produce an acidic exhaust gas, which will demand some modifications in old and unlined chimneys. If you have an unlined chimney, and if you want to use it, you must line it in order to accommodate the boiler combustion gases…

Load demands

Pellet-wood boilers respond very well to variable load demands. They can operate on a timer, and support intense uses...

Pellet Wood Boilers disadvantages

Besides their high initial investment, pellet wood boilers also require pellet storage space... You can store pellets in basements, small fabric-sided containers, silos, etc.

See, on this issue: Pellet prices, availability and storage.