Overview of pellet heating boilers: how to choose the right option?

Even in the midst of hot summers, a zealous host remembers the cold. Therefore, the problem of competent heating of your home is always relevant. I want the house to be warm, but I really do not want to overpay for this pleasure. The problem is easily solved where it is possible to install gas heaters. But what if gas is unavailable and electricity seems overly expensive? Pellet boilers come to the rescue, gaining more and more popularity.

How does such a boiler work?

The equipment is a solid fuel boiler that runs on a special type of fuel - pellets. These are small granules made by pressing from woodworking waste. The device is intended for heating buildings and providing them with hot water supply. Available in various variations in power: from 15 to 100 kW.

There are three equipment options:

• Designed to work only on pellets.
• Using briquettes or firewood as a backup fuel. In this mode, the device can work no more than a few hours.
• Combined, equipped with several combustion chambers. It can work both on pellets, and on wood or on coal.

Heating appliances are sheet steel structures. The device combines three mechanisms at once: a boiler with a special pellet burner, a conveyor feeding granules to the combustion chamber, and a fuel storage bin. The equipment operates as follows. Loaded in the tank pellets with the help of a screw are fed into the furnace, where the combustion process takes place. The resulting heat heats the coolant, which carries it through the heated room.

The principle of operation of pellet boilers is quite simple: granules are fed through a screw into the combustion chamber, where they are burned, releasing heat that heats the coolant

The special design of the combustion chamber, which is a kind of nozzle, makes it possible to obtain high efficiency of such boilers. It reaches about 96% for premium equipment. The instrument heat exchanger can be made of cast iron or steel. The first option is resistant to corrosion, but is afraid of water hammer. The second is not sensitive to high pressure, but requires rust treatment.

The device is equipped with an automatic control that regulates the fuel supply and maintains a programmed coolant temperature. The operation of the device is very simple. The granules are poured into the hopper once every 2-14 days, depending on the volume of the tank. In addition, you will regularly have to clean the smoke channels and remove the ash from a special ash box.The service life of the device depends on its class and ranges from 10 to 50 years.

Why is this option better than others?

Users of pellet heating boilers can list the many benefits that the use of these systems gives them. Among the most noticeable advantages of the equipment are the following:

• Economical fuel consumption. Since the pressed wood burns without residue, the consumption of pellets in the device is small. It’s difficult to give exact numbers, because they depend on the composition and quality of the granules. However, if you take the average weight of the fuel, the pellet leaves half as much as firewood.
• Non-volatility devices. Most boilers of this type are completely independent of electricity, although there are models equipped with a large number of electrical appliances.
• Ease of maintenance.
• Profitability of equipment. The cost of pellets is lower than that of firewood, coal or other fuel briquettes. Prices for boilers are lower than for similar devices running on electricity or gas.

The advantages of practical pellet boilers include ecological cleanliness. Their work does not pollute the environment.

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Pellet boilers are environmentally friendly. The fuel for them is compressed woodworking waste, which when burned does not form toxic substances

What to look for when choosing a pellet boiler?

In order not to make a mistake in choosing a device, you need to take into account several factors that affect the performance of the equipment.

Type of burner

On sale you can find boilers with two types of burners. Retort flare up. They are insensitive to the quality of the granules and do not require frequent cleaning. Stocker burners support the flame in a vertical plane. They are very demanding on the quality of pellets and “prefer” only low-ash varieties of granules. This burner clogs very quickly and requires frequent cleaning. Without timely maintenance, the heater simply stops. Thus, retort burners are more convenient in operation and it is precisely them that experts recommend purchasing.

Automation level

Pellet boilers are equipped with modern automation. Depending on the model and the degree of complexity of the integrated automatic system, they can function independently for some time, without human intervention. Very convenient control function using SMS messages. The owner’s phone number is entered into the system, after which, using messages, you can control the operation of the heater: turn off and on, adjust the temperature, etc. In addition, in the event of an emergency or critical situation, the boiler can immediately inform the owner of this.

The retort type pellet burner is unpretentious in terms of quality and granule size. It is easier to maintain and does not require frequent cleaning.

Type of feed pellet auger

The equipment can be equipped with a rigid or flexible auger. The first type is simple in construction and low in price. It without interruptions delivers fuel to the combustion zone and has a simple mount, which guarantees the reliability of the end parts of the screw. Among the disadvantages of hard nodes include the restriction on the length. It can not be more than 1.5-2 meters, otherwise the device will simply grind pellets into sawdust. In addition, the hopper is rigidly attached to the burner, which does not allow changing its position. Thus, space is used very irrationally.

To solve this problem, you can use an additional auger, which is connected through the interface module for the functioning of electric motors.The necessary system to prevent the appearance of “reverse fire” in a rigid type screw involves the use of a fire extinguisher or the installation of a second screw and an additional air chamber, which significantly complicates the system. The flexible auger is free from these drawbacks. It allows you to install a hopper of any size at a distance of up to 12 m and execute a feed line of any geometry. The main disadvantage of the flexible design is the complex screw fixing system.

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A rigid auger is the easiest fuel delivery mechanism. It is very reliable and inexpensive. However, it can not be used everywhere, since such a screw is limited in length and is rigidly attached to the burner

Heat exchanger design

There are several types of heat exchangers for pellet boilers. They can be horizontal or vertical, flat or tubular, with a different number of turns and moves, with exhaust gas swirlers, the so-called turbulators, and without them. Experts consider vertical heat exchangers with turbulators having two or three strokes to be the most effective. Devices allow to reduce the temperature of flue gases from 900-800C to 120-110C at the outlet. Thus, most of the thermal energy is spent on heating the coolant. In addition, the vertical design makes it difficult to settle ash on the walls of the heat exchanger. The force of gravity contributes to the shedding of ash down.

And a few more tips for choosing a device. All other things being equal, preference should be given to a company whose boilers are used for at least two to three years in the region where the buyer lives. When buying a new model, the risk of getting big problems is very great. It is worth checking the availability of spare parts for equipment at the seller’s warehouse. After some time, they may be needed and better if everything is in stock. The heater must be serviced by a certified service technician.

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A little bit about manufacturing companies

The popularity of pellet-fired boilers has led to the sale of good, domestic-made devices. These include equipment manufactured by NCC Biyskenergoproekt. These are reliable, simple, electronically controlled devices. They are easy to program, precisely maintain the set temperature for a long time. The efficiency of such boilers reaches 93%. At the same time, the cost of the systems is relatively small.

The “Start” devices, manufactured in Kirov, have imported burners, which allows for maximum efficiency. The constructions are equipped with a horizontal fuel conveyor, which makes it possible to reduce the requirements for the shape and size of fuel fractions. The device can work not only with pellets, but also with wood chips with sawdust. Another feature of Kirov's boilers is the possibility of using coal or firewood as fuel. In this case, the grate installed in the equipment is installed above the pellet burner. The process of switching to another fuel is extremely simple and takes minutes.

The design features of the Kirov pellet start boilers allow them to work not only on pellets, but also on coal or wood

The Russian company Elephant also produces pellet boilers. Their difference from analogues consists in a special horizontal fire tube system with two passages, used as a heat exchanger. A water shirt passes not only in the walls and ceiling of the combustion chamber, but also under the ash pan, which gives an increase in efficiency.It is about 97%. Among foreign manufacturers, we can mention Biotech, Buderus, Gilles, Bosch companies, which produce well-proven products. It is not only of excellent quality, but also of a higher price.

Pellet heaters are gradually gaining in popularity. They prophesy a great future. Profitability, unpretentiousness in leaving, high efficiency and environmental friendliness do the equipment by the serious competitor to traditional systems. When choosing a heating method for the home, you should carefully look at the pellet equipment. Its competent use will allow you to get an effective and practical heating system for relatively little money.