[Jimbofish67]

Hi folks

has anyone installed a log burning boiler and accumulation tank, we are looking to have one installed once we move down to our holding next year and the O.H has reservations of how well they work, we have read a lot of the literature from various suppliers but 1st hand experience is always closer to reality.

Many thanks

Jim.

[Greenerlife]

If an accumulation tank is basically what used to be an immersion heater hot water tank - then yes!

Installed about 4 years ago - a back boiler on our log burning fire which heats the water during winter (well - from yesterday when we had our first log fire of the winter!).  It works a dream with our set up, as we also have solar water heating for the summer.  It might change the way you use water, for instance changing the time you bath all depends on whether you have had the fire on!   . 

They say that the back boiler takes away half of the output of the fire as a heater for the area it is in, so make sure the oitput of your burner is good enough for twice the space.  You also have to remove any ash build up at the back of the fire as this retards its efficiency.  We still have an immersion in the tank for the occasions when it hasn't been sunny enough for solar heating and not cold enough for a log fire, but we probably use it only a few days a year.  Hope this is what you were after!

[Pheasant pharmer]

We have installed a log burning boiler (not your typical glass fronted type that sits in the house - this is housed in our boiler room) with a couple of large water storage tanks that sound like your accumulation tanks.

We used this for the first time last year and learnt a lot. All is not exactly as the promotional material might suggest, but we'd be happy to talk you through our experience if you want to PM us with some contact details.

We have had heat pumps in the past, have solar panels etc. so a reasonable level of experience in these things.

PP. 

[Juno]

Hi Jim,
I am just reasearching the same - I have plans for an solid fuel aga type stove which i can use for cooking, hot water and heating a few radiators.

I have to agree though nothing is better than listening to experience 
 

[Jimbofish67]

We have been looking at various systems very much like the one PP has mentioned, a stand alone wood burning boiler supplying a large accumulation tank (around 1500 litres) the idea being that the heat source is predominantly from the tank which stores the heat for use even when the boiler is not firing.
I have been advised that with this system it is possible to have one or two burns per day in the winter and during warmer months perhaps only once every 3 to 4 days just for domestic hot water.
The reseach is still going on but I have been able to dismiss several suppliers/systems already, especially when the salesmen know less than I do regarding how it's meant to work and what is required. Fortunately I have been involved over the last 15+ years in Building and facility management so can pull in various information from some of the people I've met and experience gained along the way.
But although wood fuel has probably been used longer than anything else in our history, the methods and technologies involved in these systems are still quite new, at least in this country, will keep on searching though.

Jim

[SallyintNorth]

I have no firsthand experience of these systems, Jim, but several of my friends and neighbours have them.  All are very happy with the type of heat they get (and the awful damp farmhouse I used to live in has been transformed to a warm dry haven!) but all have been very much taken aback by how much wood they get through and how often they do in fact need a burn.   All buy their wood by the 40T lorryload and one, who has always been a hands-on, chop-it-yourself, "wood heats you three times - cutting it, chopping it and burning it", never-spend-money-on-making-a-job-easier type, now hires a tractor-driven log splitter when they get a lorryload.

I think last winter stretched the systems - the water running around the house to the radiators when the outdoor ambient was -21C got cold en route so rather quickly drained the stored heat in the tank.  I see insulation / draught-proofing continually being improved in these houses.  (And the teenager in one is growing up - so that'll help... I think it's about 17 when they get the hang of shutting doors behind them?  )

[Mel Rice]

Try researching Pellet burners too. I believe you can get a grant to help instal a solid fuel boiler with an internal fan (gasifying i think its called) the modern pellet burners can be housed in an out house and the heat fed through to tank/radiators/hot water. you can get models that self feed too. We heat our house (well half of it the other half gets very cold) with wood boiler..the nice looking ones with glass windows. It works very well BUT does make a lot of mess. If I was doing the heating inslalation again I might look at a pellet boiler in an outhouse.

[robert waddell]

have you seen the price of the pellet boilers 

[benkt]

We have a Wamsler range that heats an accumulator tank for hot water and heating. Works very well for us, splitting logs is a bit of a chore but very satisfying and a good upper body workout. Our accumulator isn't that big as we had limited space for it but most of the time we light a fire at maybe 5pm and run it till 10pm and that heats our '60s farmhouse and does water for baths and also a quick burst of central heating in the morning. In the real cold spells we light it first thing in the morning and keep it going slowly all day. I'd definitely advise going for the biggest tank you can fit in.
In the summer we've been using an overnight burst on the immersion for hot water but the tank has fittings for solar when we can finally afford to get some panels put up.

[Jimbofish67]

Glad to hear some people are having a success with these set up's, it does seem to be getting the balance of boiler/tank size and also expectation balanced out.

We had looked at pellet burners and although they are generally cleaner and more automated, the initial cost does seem higher and the pellet cost seems to have increased significantly over the last 18 months.
Part of the attraction of having a log boiler was hopefully to some extent be self sufficient with the log supply buying in logs to boost what we had ourselves from the holding and begged from various other sources.

I will be planting 200 fast growing hybrid willows this winter, which we should be able to start and coppice after 4/5years, I know they will not give us enough fuel but will help reduce the need to buy in as much.
Part of any heating solution is saving the heat produced so we will be looking very closely at reducing heat loss around the house, windows and doors already being on list to be upgraded.


Jim.

[honeyend]

Remember if you install a pellet boiler there is a scheme where the goverment pays you for the energy you produce,
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/meeting_energy/microgen/biomass/biomass.aspx

http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/meeting_energy/renewable_ener/incentive/incentive.aspx

[Jimbofish67]

This scheme will cover many biomass boilers including some log burners, but it is wise to check whether the model or manufacturer chosen has been approved for the scheme. They are not usually slow to tell you their equipment has MCS accreditation.

Jim

[Mel Rice]

The UK scheme covers'gasifying' boilers ie ones with a fan inside. Pellet makers are also avaliable and will cope with a variety of ingredients, straw, wood, paper,etc.

[FiB]

Hi we looked into an outside batch log boiler with accumulator tank, but the cost put us off (and I think the Renewable Heat Incentive which would have helped has been withdrawn for review??)  So we've gone for a large (normal indoor) hot water tank and a REALLY cheap bulgarian stove (Prity) with a 'back' boiler (the tank is actually above the fire box, rather than the usual jacket type) and are so pleased with it - it is running our 7 radiators and hot water really well and the hot water is still hot the next day. Might go to outside batch boiler and accumultor tank next time but it will have to be a lot less than £6000!!   (Vs £400 for our stove and £450 for a new water tank).  Its all very 'old tech' and mechanical, but I like that!
 

[Surrey Dodger]

I went down the route of fitting a thermal heat store in our home. Currently, we only have it on electric but the idea is that we will set it up this summer to be heated by our wood burning stove (with back boiler).

The beauty of a thermal heat store is you can buy them with a multitude of fittings that can accept different forms of heating. The more you spend, the more heating sources you can connect. Eventually, ours will be heated from a solar source, wood burning stove and either an air or ground source heat pump. And of course, it still has its electric element as well.

The one thing I would recommend is to fit as big a unit as you can. I hated the idea of going with all the recommended sizes and only find out it only could all just cope. In the end I allowed 40% over the top from what was recomended. Although we are still only on the electric heater, I have yet to run short of hot water and that includes moments where the shower is on, the bath filled and the washing up also being done.