What model of solid fuel boiler to choose for a summer house or home? It is not worth rushing with a choice: the acquisition will cost a considerable amount, so the selection is a responsible task. Having studied the main features of quality, finding out which parameters for the boiler are especially important, you can choose the right model that will cope with its responsibilities for many years. Hastening or deciding to save unjustifiably, you can buy a boiler that will soon disappoint, and there will be no other option but to urgently change the model.
general information
When deciding for yourself which solid fuel boiler to choose for a private house, you must first formulate what exactly is expected from the model. In some cases, you need a relatively small installation that would give heat to a small room, but in other cases, the buyer requires a powerful model. Modern boilers can cope with the heating of even impressive work sites, if they are closed. In some cases, it is the solid propellant type that is optimal if it is necessary to ensure constant heating of the greenhouse and to install a small heating system for the cottage. The device is suitable if the task of a person is to ensure constant compliance with an even temperature level.
Different types and forms are produced, which makes it especially difficult to understand how to choose the solid fuel boiler. First of all, it is necessary to focus on power and technical parameters. The manufacturer for each installation must indicate how large the area with which the model will cope. To find out this parameter, you need to familiarize yourself with the characteristics in detail. So that the purchase does not disappoint, it is worth paying attention to other features and properties of the device.
Parameters and features
To choose a solid fuel boiler (wood, coal and other fuels), you first need to evaluate the features of the room in which the installation will work. You need to know how high the ceilings are, how many windows there are, how well their insulation is made, whether the building is insulated and how.
If the structure is high, while there is no additional insulation, if there are drafts, the indicators of heat conservation will be low, and this creates certain difficulties with maintaining an even temperature inside. Most modern models are designed to heat a room with a ceiling height of 2-3 m.
If the height of the room is standard, it is not difficult to calculate how powerful the installation is: 10 kW per 100 m 2 . A device with such a power characteristic will provide heating of the building up to 20 degrees even in the most severe colds. Even if frost suddenly and abruptly strikes, you can not be afraid of indoor comfort: at temperatures up to -30, most models work just fine, even lower temperatures can cause some individual models to fail, and indoors the temperature will drop by a degree or two.
Fuel: what are we working on?
Understanding how to choose a solid fuel boiler of long burning, it is worth taking a closer look at the different options of raw materials from which the system generates energy. As fuel, you can use firewood or coal, wood processing waste (chips) formed into briquettes, as well as special pellets. In the product passport, the manufacturer fixes what type of fuel is necessary for the system to work adequately.
Many devices are designed to cope with different types and forms of raw materials: briquettes, wood and coal. It should be remembered that briquettes will cost the most, but it is this fuel that does not burn longer and provides more heat. According to experts, briquettes are the most advantageous offer on the market.
Combined boilers may be of interest to those who do not have the opportunity to purchase firewood. When deciding which one to choose a solid fuel boiler of long burning of a combined type, it is worth paying attention to the working conditions and power of different devices. They spend electricity or fuel, which means that even if there is a disruption in the supply of any raw materials, the house will still be warm at any time of the day or night.
Boilers formed primarily for pellet burning are predominantly universal. In their design there is a special bunker where small-fraction raw materials are loaded. Such material burns for a long time, so the efficiency of the system as a whole becomes higher. At the same time, the boiler will cope with coal, it can be heated with briquettes or firewood.
Fuel: technical details
When choosing a boiler, you must first evaluate which fuel option is most convenient to use. So, if there is an opportunity to purchase inexpensive peat and coal, there is access to a large number of firewood, you can choose a pyrolysis system for yourself. It works with a variety of firewood, provides long burning, and it is safe to use the boiler. The best is considered a tree of soft hardwood. It will have to be stored in a room with good ventilation, protected from rain.
Some types of firewood are difficult to light up, but most can burn even if they are not sufficiently dried. The heat transfer rates for different breeds are excellent. Briquettes are a good alternative - they cost more, but guarantee more heat during combustion. Briquettes are produced using peat and agricultural waste. This is an environmentally friendly fuel that can be used in the main percentage of modern boilers. The advantage of the briquette is the absence of sparks during combustion. Fuel must be stored at a humidity of up to 75%, in conditions of protection against aggressive external factors.
Another great option is pellets. They are environmentally friendly, affordable and do not generate waste during combustion. It is convenient to use pellets, they are characterized by improved heat generation qualities. Pellets are considered universal fuel. They are made by pressing plant materials.
About dimensions
When deciding which solid fuel boiler to choose for heating, it is necessary to analyze different options for the volumes of the chambers intended for combustion. In many ways, these dimensions are determined by how large the installation is as a whole. The larger the chamber, the more raw materials can be accommodated in it, which means that it will be less necessary to add new portions. On the other hand, if the boiler is small, and the area heated by it is about a hundred square meters, it will be irrational to put a model equipped with a capacious combustion chamber. Experts recommend staying on a 30-liter version.
The battery life is determined not only by the internal space of the fuel compartment, but also by what raw materials were loaded. If you need to choose which solid fuel boiler for heating to supply with the maximum profitable for yourself, it is worth taking a closer look at the options that are technically adapted for pellets. They burn longer than wood, while they are relatively affordable in comparison with coal.
The nuances of using
Which solid fuel boiler to choose for the house, so as not to be disappointed? Experts recommend paying attention to the need to clarify where the hatch is located, through which you can lay fuel. In many reliable systems, this is in the upper part, while the download is direct, oblique. Studying different models in the store, you need to experiment with the download in order to understand what will be more convenient for a particular user.
Another subtle point associated with ease of use and safe operation is the automatic system. When deciding on which solid fuel boiler to choose for the home, you need to consider only really good and safe models. However, when choosing a heating system for non-residential premises, the issue of reliability is also in the first place. In many ways, security is determined by what the enclosure is made of and how. The thickness of the walls used in the production of materials - all this is considered to be extremely important quality aspects. You should buy boilers with a wall thickness of 3 mm or more. Smaller parameters indicate the danger and unreliability of the system. Three millimeter thickness is enough to withstand heating and at the same time heat up the liquid to move to the heating system up to 90 degrees.
Build Features
How to choose a solid fuel boiler? It is worth paying attention to various aspects of the device. In particular, some manufacturers supplement their products with iron grates. It is believed that this increases the efficiency and safety of the heater. At the same time, cast iron guarantees high quality and level of reliability, and also increases the efficiency of the system.
As practice shows, the boiler rarely breaks, but the circulation of the liquid is sometimes associated with the need to urgently stop the heat supply, which is generally problematic. If there is a built-in automatic system that regulates the work, then the user will be in the greatest security. If a violation occurs in the water movement system, the automation immediately stops the operation of the heater, which means that the risk of fire is reduced to zero. But to buy a device that does not have an automatic control system is possible only in the case when the boiler should work under the supervision of a person. It is impossible to leave the device unattended - this is fraught with unjustified risks.
Maximum reliability
When determining how to choose a solid fuel boiler, in order to minimize the risks for your home, you should look at the classic models without automation, equipped with safety valves. These are such systems that are placed at the inlet of the heat exchanger. As soon as the temperature reaches critical levels, the valve automatically activates, which leads to cooling.
One of the safest solutions can be a thermal battery. Such a system takes away excess heating energy and stores it until it is necessary to heat the room. Currently, such additional systems have established themselves as one of the best and most reliable, profitable options, however, and they cost more than simple valves.
Combine for your own benefit
People, whose house is already connected to the gas pipeline, sometimes think about how to choose a solid fuel boiler for heating. If there is heating due to gas, which in theory should not have interruptions, the solid fuel system becomes only an additional method, a kind of insurance in case the gas suddenly ceases to be supplied. Improving the house with such a heating system, you can ensure yourself complete independence from external conditions.
In order to calculate how it is more profitable to drown, one should compare fuel prices and estimate how much it takes per month. On average, gas is more expensive than pellets, firewood, but there may be individual characteristics, for example, the very high cost of transporting firewood.
Heat exchange
When figuring out how to choose a solid fuel heating boiler, you should pay attention to different options for heat exchangers. Currently, two main materials are used for their production - steel, cast iron. Steel is good for any type of fuel, it heats up quickly and gives off temperature just as quickly. This provides a high level of efficiency of the heating system, combined with sufficient operational safety.
Steel boilers differ from each other in the thickness of the metal plates of which the body is made, as well as in power. Usually the thickness is within 3-5 mm. At the same time, the system is supplemented by iron grates. This metal is rather weak in the conditions of sharp temperature changes, but in real life such a dangerous situation almost never happens. If you operate the system correctly, you can have no doubt in the long service life.
Kind of work
How to choose a solid fuel boiler? It is necessary to consider different options such as fuel combustion. The demand for pyrolysis systems is quite large, the work of which is based on the decomposition of incoming raw materials into waste and gas. There are continuous burning systems, devices that operate due to natural traction and complemented by a standard thermostat. There are also heating systems in which a fan is installed, providing additional traction power.
Many people believe that continuous burning boilers are the most reliable and profitable option. There are very inexpensive systems that are safe to operate, there are expensive models that can heat impressive homes. Even small heating boilers are designed with a built-in automatic adjustment system, which means that you will have to spend a minimum of time and effort on monitoring the operation of the device.
Application subtleties
When analyzing how to choose a solid fuel boiler, it is worth considering that long-burning models are more economical than those designed for quick combustion of fuel. So that the boiler does not disappoint, it is necessary not only to thoroughly choose the device itself, but also to take responsibility for the selection of other elements of the heating system: pumps, pipes.
Are there any options?
It is difficult to even calculate how many manufacturers of solid fuel boilers are. How to choose an option from this abundance of offers is unlikely to be unambiguous even by a specialist. It is necessary to focus not only on the reliability of the brand, but also the availability of its product in a particular region, as well as the ability to seek technical support during installation and during the operation of the model.
The following manufacturers have a good reputation:
Of course, the most popular and well-known models, presented by manufacturers, have long been on the market, are more expensive than brand new products that have only recently begun their careers. Is it worth it to save and take risks, working with the "dark horse", it is up to the specific customer only.
Important parameters
Understanding how to choose a solid fuel boiler, it becomes clear that the variety of models on the market makes sense to analyze the main parameters: the efficiency of the work process, safety for the environment, the level of heat transfer. They recommend giving preference to multifunctional models that can work with different forms of fuel. These are affordable devices that guarantee that it will be warm at any time. On the other hand, many such products are inertial, and they will not immediately stop functioning, and the raw materials for fire must be prepared in advance.
Determining which chimney to choose for a solid fuel boiler, which pump to install, whether to install an automatic control system, it is necessary to analyze what the boiler is chosen for and what type will stand. For example, for heating on artificial draft, a completely different version of the smoke removal device is needed than for pyrolysis. In order not to be mistaken, you can seek help from an experienced specialist in the installation of heating systems. He will help you choose the best option among the variety of models on the market, help to complement it with the necessary elements, and then mount everything.
Suggest and help
There are many reviews of solid fuel boilers. How to choose from the variety of market offers - many owners of private buildings faced this question sooner or later, so there really are a lot of opinions and responses. Examining the responses about the model you liked, you can find out how it behaves in reality, how much it meets the expectations and promises of the manufacturer.
As can be concluded from the reviews, users are usually satisfied if they purchase Lemax boilers: they are cheap enough, and at the same time fully justify their price, guaranteeing reliable and safe heating of the house. Good feedback can be found on Bosch manufacturer systems. The company has come to the domestic market a long time ago, it offers a wide variety of equipment, and the Solid 2000 boiler can be called one of the most successful models.