Pellet heating boilers: types, advantages and rules for choosing the best boiler

If there is no main gas pipeline nearby, then modern pellet heating boilers will be the most effective and economical option for heating residential or non-residential buildings. In addition, such units are distinguished by durability, the possibility of autonomous operation and safety.

So that the operation of the boiler does not cause trouble, and the purchase does not disappoint, it is necessary to carefully approach the issue of equipment selection.

We will help you in this matter. The article shows the pros and cons of pellet boilers, indicates the features of their operation and maintenance, and also describes in detail the characteristics and parameters that should be considered when buying.

The main characteristics of pellet boilers

All pellet boilers are designed for heating buildings. In addition, these products can provide hot water. True, such a function is additional, therefore not provided in every product.

The main feature of such solid fuel boilers is high automation. They use compressed wood pellets called pellets as fuel.

For the equipment to work, the owner needs only:

• with a frequency of several days, or even weeks, months (it all depends on the size of the hopper), to ensure a fuel supply;
• perform simple maintenance - it mainly consists of ash removal and takes only a few minutes.

Boilers that receive energy from burning pellets are used to heat private and apartment buildings, cottages, hotels, office, industrial buildings, shops. If you need to heat a separate room, then you can use pellet stoves with the lowest productivity.

Each pellet boiler has two cases (internal, external), and between them a heat-insulating material, which eliminates burns (+)

The advantages of pellet equipment

Today, the advantages of pellet boilers are significant, which makes them popular. One of the most important advantages is high efficiency, it reaches 80-97%. It is comparable to the most recognized heating equipment - gas boilers.

It is important that the efficiency is provided by cheap fuel - pellets are made from woodworking waste (chips, pressed sawdust various hardwood or coniferous species), due to this, their prime cost is second only to gas.

Reasonable fuel prices paired with high efficiency provide equipment cost-effectiveness. In Russia, this is the cheapest type of heating after gas, in a number of post-Soviet countries (for example, Ukraine) and is the most affordable.

For example, using a pellet boiler will cost 1.5 times cheaper than similar coal-fired equipment. And heating the building with electric boiler 2-3 times more expensive.

A pellet boiler differs from any other solid fuel only in the presence of a special burner

An important advantage is autonomy in work - it is achieved by a high level of automation. For example, the boiler itself is able to supply the necessary amount of pellets to the furnace, control the temperature set by the owner, stop and start work. Often, equipment can even clean itself of ash.

Autonomy is within 2-15 days, and if an automated boiler ensures an uninterrupted supply of fuel, it is able to work without human intervention the entire cold season. Also, these units are independent of the availability of centralized heating, the main gas pipeline.

We must not forget about environmental friendliness - pellets are compressed sawdust, they do not have glue, other binders. This ensures the absence of harmful substances (for example sulfur) in the granules, their ash content is ten times lower than that of firewood, as well as the release of carbon dioxide.

Another important advantage is safety.To ensure this, a multi-level fire system is used, which includes control sensors, electronics that interrupt the supply of pellets, automatic shutdown, a number of boilers are equipped with alarm systems.

Pleasing and cheap service - this is a guaranteed fact, due to the fact that there are few jobs and any person who does not have special skills can handle them

An important plus is the simple installation - the boiler owner does not need to get any permission to draw up a project. Current regulations allow you to mount such equipment in utility rooms, basements, corridors, kitchens. Besides, piping of the pellet boiler can do it yourself.

Types of equipment on pellets

Any pellet boiler is a solid fuel, therefore, it has all the features of such products. That is, steel, cast iron are used for its manufacture, and the design consists of traditional elements: a body, a furnace, a heat exchanger, and a chimney has not gone away.

But there is also its own “highlight” - a burner that works together with electronics and a fuel supply mechanism to the furnace. This structural element significantly affects the characteristics of any boiler, therefore, according to their features, boilers are divided into types.

There will be no particular difficulties with choosing the type of burner - there are only three options:

• flare;
• volume;
• mantelpiece.

Torch burners differ in such advantages: compactness, durability, unpretentiousness. Also, these products are characterized by relatively low productivity, therefore they are used only for installation in domestic boilers of moderate power.

They are recommended to be selected if the equipment will often turn on / off (for example, in cottages where people do not constantly live). It is also the best option for universal boilers, that is, using different types of fuel.

It looks like a torch burner. It is unpretentious, reliable, but has a significant drawback: due to the horizontal arrangement there is a local overheating of the furnace body

Another important feature of all flare burners is their sensitivity to the quality of pellet fuel. Such equipment is capable of efficient and long-term operation only on moderately moist pellets that retain their shape until other impurities enter the burner with a low sand content.

Volume Burners - This is the most productive and effective among other types. Therefore, they are installed in powerful domestic and industrial boilers. Usually they have a larger mass than flare analogues. Also, such equipment is insensitive to fuel quality.

The volumetric combustion burner is today the most popular equipment for heating boilers in the market

Fireplace burners - are intended for installation only in the smallest boilers (fireplaces). They are sensitive to fuel quality.

Also, this type of burner is characterized by moderate performance, but because of the simplicity of the design, the highest reliability.

All pellet boilers are divided into groups for their intended purpose.

This question is easy to understand, as there are only two varieties:

• heating boilers;
• fireplace stoves.

Heating boilers - serve for heating and providing hot water supply. Usually their power starts from 13-15 kW, the maximum productivity is 2 megawatts. Differ in massiveness, unpretentious appearance. Such equipment is installed in the basements of houses, individual buildings.

Fireplace stoves - serve to heat the room in which they are installed. They are compact, feature quiet operation, and have an attractive appearance.

Additionally, all pellet boilers are divided by the level of automation into the following types:

• Automatic
• semi-automatic;
• mechanized.

Automatic boilers. It is extremely rare to make a contribution to the smooth operation of such products, usually it is required to start the boiler in the fall and turn it off in the spring. Everything else is controlled by the processor - fuel supply, ignition, cleaning of the heat exchanger and even ash removal.

But such equipment will not be available to everyone because of its high cost, complexity of design, expensive installation, as it requires a lot of precise electronics settings.

In addition, automatic products will show their qualities to the maximum if the fuel supply is large, that is, a warehouse of at least a few cubic meters is needed. And if the bunker has to be loaded often, then the point of paying impressive money for such equipment is lost.

An automated boiler needs a volume hopper or warehouse so that the fuel supply can be maintained at a sufficient level

Semi-Automatic Products usually differ from automatic boilers only in that ashtrays must be cleaned manually. But this procedure does not cause difficulties even for people unfamiliar with such equipment.

In addition, the cleaning procedure is short, it takes a few minutes (no more than 15-20). Yes, and it is rarely performed - usually not more than once a week).

Mechanized boilers - the most common group. There are several reasons for this, for example, they are compact, most affordable, and simple in design, which increases reliability.

Since the level of automation is slightly lower than in other cases, a person will have to clean the heat exchanger and ash pan independently, but this is not at all critical. This procedure is usually simple, takes a little time, and the frequency depends on the quality of the pellets, the intensity of use of the boiler.

Since the hopper of the mechanized product is relatively small, it will have to be loaded manually after a few days. The exact frequency depends on the operating mode (in frosts more often, in the off-season an order of magnitude less).

All equipment that uses pellets for work is versatile - this applies to the type of fuel used.

There are boilers of the following varieties:

• pellet;
• conditionally combined;
• combined.

Pellet boilers can only work on wood pellets. More universal conditionally combined products allow using alternative types of fuel, for example: briquettes, firewood.

But there is an important condition - any type of fuel, except for pellets, should be used only in exceptional cases and for a short time. The reason for this is the design of the boiler.

The shape of its furnace is designed to use only pellets, and firewood, coal can cause local overheating, which will lead to equipment breakdown

Usually, the opportunity to use alternative fuel is provided by additional structural elements, for example, often a grate is included in the kit, which is mounted in the furnace if pellets run out.

The combined type of equipment allows the use of several types of fuel on an ongoing basis.This feature is achieved due to the presence of several furnaces. This solution allows you to make the boiler as versatile as possible, but also makes it more bulky and expensive.

Pellet boilers are durable, they are ready to serve more than 20 years, subject to proper operation

An important point is the characteristic of the pellets themselves and their quality. The fact is that the automation of the equipment presented is designed only for granules of a certain type and quality. Therefore, before buying, you need to learn to understand the selection of the right fuel.

What you need to know about pellets?

Wood pellets used as fuel are of various sizes, they depend on the standards adopted in the state. So, pellets released in the European Union reach a length of 30-60 mm. In Russia, where the rules have not yet been established, the granules can be longer.

Therefore, if you use such a product for a boiler manufactured in Europe, it will be difficult to set the automation to the desired mode. As a result, cost overruns, incorrect operation in owner-defined modes, etc. are possible.

The hopper can be at a significant distance (up to 10 m) from the boiler itself

Also, all boilers for heating, operating on pellets, require that they be of sufficient quality. That is, the granules must retain their shape until they enter the furnace. Otherwise, an overrun cannot be avoided.

The strength of pellets depends on workmanship, humidity. It is important that it does not exceed 12%. If the norm is not observed, then the calorific value will decrease, and in severe cases, the granules will become completely unusable.

This type of fuel happens:

• household (ash content up to 1%) - they are made from hardwood waste with a minimal addition of bark;
• industrial (ash content up to 3%) - it is made from coniferous waste with the addition of bark (up to 10%);
• from agricultural waste (ash content of more than 3%) - they are made from biomass of various origin (sunflower husks, straw).

Granules for domestic use are characterized by the highest calorific value, as they contain a small amount of dust, have low humidity. They are always white.

Cheaper - pellets for industrial use. Low cost is their significant advantage. Their disadvantage is not the highest calorific value. In addition, the boiler will have to be cleaned much more often and this procedure will be more labor-intensive.

Industrial granules can be identified by color - they are dark brown. For domestic use, they are undesirable due to low calorific value.

There is another type of pellet made from agricultural waste. But you should not use them - they have extremely low calorific value, high ash content. This means that the boiler will become clogged frequently, and cleaning it, in this case, is quite difficult, especially frozen ash.

Pellet production can be set up independently; more information about the production of special presses is written in this article.

How to choose the right equipment

Even before deciding to purchase a pellet boiler, one should understand a number of points in order to avoid significant financial losses. It so happens that, in a hurry with the purchase, the owner can not install the purchased equipment or fully operate it.

What to look before buying

So, before buying, you should deal with several nuances.

Firstly, make sure there is an opportunity to place the necessary equipment in the building. Usually it is installed on the ground floor, in the basement.

It is necessary to take into account not only the estimated dimensions of a particular product, but also the requirements for its installation, for example, there must be gaps of 700 mm between the components of the boiler.

Secondly, you need to figure out whether it is possible to store fuel in the right amount.It is also necessary to pay attention to the convenience of delivering it to the boiler (transportation from the supplier, moving from the storage location to the bunker). Yes, and fuel should be stored only in a dry room.

It should be borne in mind that there will be a lot of pellets. For example, for heating a house, a relatively small area (100 sq. M), when it is cold, you need 25 kg of granules per day

Thirdlywhether the power supply is sufficient. Since the control unit, together with the sensors, the ignition system are powered by electricity, for normal operation, for a short period, they can create a significant load.

This happens during the boiler ignition procedure, when a special heating element raises the temperature in the combustion chamber to an impressive 1000 ° C so that the pellets catch fire.

In the range of boilers from the company Teplodar there are KUPER PRO combined boilers, which can be used both as solid fuel and as pellet:

Take care of fuel in advance

Also, before buying a boiler, you should find out if there are organizations nearby that supply pellets. There should be several sellers - if he is alone and suddenly ceases to exist, then problems with operation will begin.

It is necessary to pay attention to the fact that it is usually cheaper to buy fuel from the manufacturer. To prevent any accident, the potential buyer of pellets should be familiar with the offers of sellers before buying.

It is advisable to contact them directly and find out all the details - the cost of delivery, whether the organization will be able to deliver regularly, etc. And at industrial costs, it is best to sign a supply contract with the supplier before the acquisition.

The hopper can be installed on either side of the boiler - the main thing is that it is convenient to use the equipment

Rules for choosing a pellet boiler

If there is no doubt about the possibility of installation and provision of fuel, then you can proceed to the choice of the boiler. This should begin with a power calculation.

It is not difficult to calculate theoretically - all manufacturers indicate this characteristic in the passports, and for simplicity they add how many square meters the boiler is ready to heat.

For example, if the description says that the power is 30 kW, then the manufacturer will indicate that his boiler is able to heat 200-300 square meters. m of premises. But all these are average values, which are of little use for determining the exact values.

Also, any person is able to perform the calculation himself, since it is believed that 1 kW of power is needed for each square meter. The formula is relevant only for buildings with insignificant heat losses. Effective heat-insulating materials were used in their decoration, and doors and windows also matched them.

Otherwise, it is necessary to calculate the heat loss, which only a specialist can do. It will cost money, but will guarantee that the building will be warm and there is no need to overpay for it.

Without the necessary calculations, the purchase will be made at random, which is unacceptable, given the cost of purchase and installation

In addition to the rated power, it is worth considering such a moment as its modulation. Although it does not sound clear, everything is simple here - this is the ability of a pellet boiler to operate at modes below its maximum performance.

This is true for regions in which most of the season is not the coldest temperature. Therefore, there is no need for heating equipment to work at full capacity, but it is enough to use only 30-40% of it.

If the boiler does not have such an opportunity, then, at first glance, it does not matter - having reached the highest temperature indicated by the user, it will turn off. When it is reduced to the minimum set level, it will turn on again. But during such on / off wear occurs, which significantly reduces the resource of the equipment.

Heat exchangers are made of steel or cast iron. The former give better heat, less massive, the latter are more resistant to corrosion

You should also pay attention to dynamic power. The owner may rarely encounter such a characteristic, but in unpleasant moments (if the boiler is selected incorrectly).

To understand the dynamic power, it is enough to analyze an example: there was a sharp decrease in temperature and the boiler began to cope with heating.

If he has enough opportunities to increase his productivity for a short time, but significantly, and quickly bring the temperature to a predetermined one, then the boiler has sufficient dynamic power. If this does not happen, then the specified characteristic is insufficient and it is better not to buy the boiler - it will sometimes make the owners freeze.

How to choose the right equipment model

When the power is determined, you can proceed to the choice of model. At this point, the potential buyer will understand that there are many manufacturers, as well as models. In order not to get confused in this variety, you should decide which boiler of which manufacturer to take - a famous domestic or foreign one.

It is only worth buying equipment from a long-known seller or service provider in the country or region, updating all software, repairing a sold boiler.

The larger the hopper, the greater the autonomy of the equipment. This will allow no longer to add fuel

Also, when choosing, you should pay attention to the type of model you like, advantages, versatility, etc.

But in any case, you need to check:

• whether the boiler is certified by Rostekhnadzor;
• whether there are conclusions of independent specialized institutes confirming the high efficiency of the selected equipment, the size of harmful emissions;
• is there a fire extinguishing system and can the boiler automation prevent a “reverse fire” when, for some reason, the flame began to move from the burner to the bunker;
• what methods prevent overheating of a working boiler.

Since the boiler will operate in various modes, it is worth checking the information on the efficiency, the amount of emissions on all of them. Also, it will not be amiss to find out the noise of the work and worry about security.

In addition, you should see how easy the equipment is programmed, controlled, whether there is auto ignition so that all households can cope with it. Cleaning the product from ash should also be simple.

Since the boiler will be connected to other heating equipment, it is always necessary to find out the standards, the connection diagram, the manufacturer's requirements in this case, the diameter of the pipes. The last point is especially relevant if they are already installed or purchased.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

Advantages and disadvantages of heating with pellets in a video clip:

The video provides an overview of the pellet equipment market:

What is a pellet boiler and its comparison with electric in a video clip:

The choice of a pellet boiler is a responsible procedure. To do this, you need to pay some attention to the study of the features of this equipment. And it’s also important not to save, but to give preference to a product made in Europe.

Since the durability of the boilers depends heavily on the quality of the materials, the sufficient thickness of its body, and compliance with all standards is guaranteed only by manufacturers from the European Union.

Looking for a reliable and efficient pellet boiler? Or have experience using such heating units? Please leave comments on the article, ask questions and participate in discussions. The contact form is located below.