Is it possible to transform an oil boiler?

[Nuzi]

Hello

I would like to know please, if it is possible to transform an oil boiler that supplies the central heating of the whole house; in another mode of fuel!
someone said yes, by changing the burner, but that it would cost 3000 euros. for a wood pellet system.

personal; it is not my field and I know nothing about it; therefore obliged to have recourse to a pro.

What do you think ?
what other possibilities?
I can't afford the fuel. 2 X 1500 liters / year.

Thank you in advance for your assistance ;

have a good day

[Rabbit]

If it is to put logs there must see what it is like a boiler
and do not hope too much to return to fuel oil.

You have to see if it is possible to clean it every week.
Adapt an automatic air intake adjustment, etc.
I did for an old cast iron boiler (oil) before going to a
wood boiler.

The easiest way is to buy a stove / boiler or
wood boiler and put it in parallel. It will also be less
expensive to install. The prices of these used boilers start
to lower.

See what fuel you have at your disposal.

[Nuzi]

thank you Rabbit for your answer

it is a Viessmann Fuel Oil Boiler; 10 years old, immaculate condition.
the former owner had installed an electric water heater (night rate) claiming that what consumes fuel oil is the production of hot water.

the whole is in a room at the other end of the longhouse.
therefore a lot of heat and water loss, before the arrival of hot water and heating to the radiators.

a boiler at times it costs 1500 euros on average.
and that means feeding the chgaudiere all the time in logs?
and find the house cold in the early morning?

[Did67]

1) There are pellet burners (wood pellets) that fit on boilers.

Personally, I am not convinced: the combustion of the pellets releases particles which are deposited in a sort of very insulating "felting"; very quickly, except regular cleaning (every 8 or 15 days), the output drops (advanced pellet boilers are expensive, but have an automatic cleaning system).

2) You cannot adapt a combustion of "logs" on a fuel boiler. You must therefore change the boiler.

But as you have understood, once the wood fire is gone, we do not stop it, so we also need a buffer (water tank of 1 or 000 or 1 l). Your boiler is heating up the buffer, it will power the heating system - and no longer the boiler!

The cost is not reduced to the boiler.

There are documents on this issue on the forum. Search a little.

[chatelot16]

the buffer tank is not essential for a log boiler: there is another means of regulation: send all the heat from the boiler to the radiator without regulation, and rely on the inertia of the house ... and turn on the thermostat pifometric by loading wood

big fire that lasts all day when it's very cold

small fires from time to time when it is less cold

I happened to motivate an oil boiler to make a wood boiler, but the hearth is small: with wood it makes a power 2 times weaker than its original power with oil

with a pellet burner it also makes a certain reduction in power which does not matter because the oil boilers are often too big

[Did67]

the buffer tank is not essential for a log boiler: there is another means of regulation: send all the heat from the boiler to the radiator without regulation, and rely on the inertia of the house ... and turn on the thermostat pifometric by loading wood

big fire that lasts all day when it's very cold

small fires from time to time when it is less cold

Yes, in theory.

In practice :

a) generally, the focus of a log boiler will be such that the heat of an outbreak cannot be socked / dissipated in the circuit ... There is a risk of overheating, triggering the safety valve if no action is taken not very careful ...

But I agree, we can "learn" to manage the loading to avoid this.

b) I will not take up the issue of emissions if we regulate the boiler "by suffocation" (here, we are talking about costs, not "ecology") ...

d) it remains that someone is needed permanently to take care of a boiler operated in "continuous fire" (like a stove) ... So, in practice, for someone who has an activity employee, that means: no heating during the day, and except for insomnia, no heating at night ... If in addition there are children, to bring to school, to the nurses, to resume, priority to meals, priority to homework ... it quickly becomes hell!

[Nuzi]

what should i do then?
I am someone who is worried enough to take the risk of overheating or others;
and it is quite restrictive to clean the particles of the chips every week.

indeed, that's what I was offered as a system. wood chips.

I was thinking of making this room (the boiler room) an infirmary for sick animals. I run an animal shelter. but if there is a risk of poisoning fire; better not!

I am at home permanently; but if I happen to be absent one day, the system would have to be easy for my replacements.

what to do ? would leaving on new (new installation) cost the same, cost side?

[chatelot16]

overheating arrives when there is a regulation with mixing valve which takes from the boiler just the heat it takes to keep the house at 19 ° C regulatory ... if the wood fire is too hot you need a buffer tank to store the rab

but I know a lot of people who have had a wood boiler for 30 years and without any thermostat ... all the heat goes to the radiator ... if we put too much wood we make 30 ° C throughout the house but the boiler does not overheating ... with a little habit we just put the wood right: it burns a good blow and it goes out

of course i'm talking about old houses that have a big inertia ... when we make fires it heats the walls and the temperature doesn't go up much

with a modern house it is certainly not as good, the temperature will rise higher when it heats up and drop lower when it goes out: this is why the modern solution is the buffer tank

[Nuzi]

other details following the message from chatelot16 (who let me know what forum)

the house is an old stable from 1930, modified, and enlarged.
some walls are quite thick, others lined and insulated.

there is also an insert in the main room of 20 meters, which does not heat, however it is supposed to distribute heat in a room next door, and another upstairs.

instead of the living room insert, can we put a heating system, not too ugly or too bulky? I mean, not a wood stove! LOL

[Rabbit]

instead of the living room insert, can we put a heating system, not too ugly or too bulky? I mean, not a wood stove! LOL

I had a bodart and gonay insert, a large one with double ventilation. I
l have used + - 4 winters. This insert did not heat masses, but
especially he consumed incredible amounts of wood. Between a
has two wheelbarrows each day. then I placed a stove
wood which consumed 3 wheelbarrows per week. But the heat was
very badly distributed in the house. Now I have a stove / boiler
who consumes 2 wheelbarrows per week, it is 20 to 25 ° C in the
house and it heats two kettles (one for domestic water 200l 60 - 70 ° c,
the other for water (rainwater) from the washing machine + dishwasher 60 - 70 ° c)
The electrical economy is considerable. I went from 8000KW / year to
5000 KW / years)
For cold grans I have installed a wood / charcoal stove (from + -1910).
But since the installation of the stove / boiler I have not
not needed. This year the winter was however harsh.
The interest of the cooker / boiler is that whenever
makes the soup, it heats the bottles and the house with it. Only profit.
In addition the kettle on the stove allows you to make coffee in all
time for not a round apart from the price of coffee.
It’s true that a stove is ugly but when we get the
electricity bill and that we consider the quality of life improved
she (the stove) is adorned with unsuspected charms.
In addition there is nothing like it to simmer a good wild boar stew
or baked beans.