Solid fuel boiler equipment is traditionally used for heating residential buildings in the private sector. It is not inferior in popularity to gas units equipped with a gas holder, and even surpasses them in terms of operational safety. Therefore, it is important for many owners of country houses to understand what a pellet boiler is and how it works.
What is a pellet boiler
At its core, a pellet boiler is a type of solid fuel unit designed for a special type of fuel (wood briquettes) and characterized by partial or full automation of the work process. The fundamental difference between this equipment and other samples is the autonomy of action - the ability to function almost without the intervention of the owner. A feature of this class of units is their higher efficiency, achieved due to the high heat transfer of fuel briquettes and due to the design features.
On the domestic market, pellet boilers are presented in several versions:
- models designed only for pellets and not able to work for a long time from other types of fuel;
- combined units, which are loaded with both firewood and coal;
- samples that work well on almost any kind of biomass.
Modern pellet boilers are reliable and safe units that are in constant demand among owners of suburban farms.
Features of the device and principle of operation
A typical design of a pellet boiler for heating a private house consists of the following main components:
- combustion module;
- convective zone;
- ash pan.
In addition, the system contains a special mechanism for feeding wood pellets into the combustion chamber, as well as a hopper for storing them. In most models, the procedure for adding fuel does not involve a person and involves their automatic supply to the place of use.
The screw method for refueling pellets for boilers, together with the ignition mechanism, ensures their fast combustion. This allows us to classify pellet heating equipment as technologically advanced.
The system includes a built-in fan that forcibly blows air into the combustion zone. Its presence significantly increases the efficiency of solid fuel utilization, and also accelerates heat exchange processes. For reliable ignition of the unit, it is required that the stove is pre-ignited well. After that, the unit enters the operating mode, during which hot gases are formed, which are removed through the chimney to the outside.
Another feature of the equipment is large losses in the waste product outlet channel (up to 95 percent). This is considered a flaw in the design used.
In the boiler itself, the intensity of the air flow is automatically regulated, taking into account the optimal parameters of its functioning. If necessary, it is possible to manually control the operation of the system from a remote control located at a considerable distance from the firebox.
A distinctive feature of the pellet unit is the continuity of the fuel supply until a certain moment, until the maximum temperature in the system is reached.If it is interrupted, it is possible to resume the operating mode only after the temperature in the circuit has dropped to an acceptable value.
Advantages and disadvantages
To get a complete picture of the operation of solid fuel heating boilers, it is not enough to know their principle of operation and design. To do this, you will need to familiarize yourself with the advantages and disadvantages. The positive aspects include the following characteristic features:
- increased efficiency rate, eliminating the need to create large stocks of firewood or coal;
- high efficiency, which can be achieved only when operating gas boiler equipment;
- high calorific value of the starting material;
- the cost of solid fuel is rather low in comparison with the thermal effect;
- absolute safety of operation of this type of equipment;
- the ability to fully automate the workflow;
- the ability to dispense with monitoring the state of the system without human intervention, since the built-in automation controls the fuel supply and the temperature regime of the system;
- durability and reliability of the equipment as a whole.
The advantages of the systems include the absence of unpleasant odors and corrosive smoke harmful to human health. According to a number of features, pellet-type structures are classified as environmentally friendly and attractive to the modern user.
Units of this class have disadvantages that must be taken into account when choosing a specific sample of heating equipment:
- the high cost of components manufactured specifically for the repair of do-it-yourself units;
- difficulty with the purchase of combustible fuel (pellets), explained by the poorly adjusted process for the production of wood pellets;
- high power consumption associated with additional electricity costs for process automation.
A feature of the equipment operation is the need for a new adjustment of the heating system after its forced shutdown for more than 10 hours. The complexities of handling pellet boilers include the constant concern of the user about the continuity of the power supply from the power source. In order not to be affected by unexpected power outages, it is recommended to install a stand-alone generator.
What to look for when choosing
A modern pellet boiler is a cast iron or steel structure equipped with a sufficiently large hopper - up to 500 liters. The specified dimensions of the pellet storage are found only for samples with a power of more than 50 kW.
When choosing a suitable boiler model, its price is usually taken as the main reference point. Heating equipment of this class costs at least 200 thousand rubles. This indicator varies depending on characteristics such as power, functionality, as well as the characteristics of a particular sample.
Taking into account the capacity declared by the manufacturers will help to choose the right copy of boiler equipment, it is reduced to a unit area of premises, expressed in sq. m. With its increase, the dimensions of the loading hopper, as well as the dimensions of the entire device, increase. Due attention is paid to the quality of the metal from which it is made when choosing a suitable sample of the product.
Home-made boilers are inferior to factory-made installations in terms of efficiency, but they surpass them in cheapness and reliability of operation. This is achieved by increasing the thickness of the metal structural elements.
It is important to remember about the total weight of the unit so that the prepared base can withstand it.
Pellet boiler options
It is possible to get acquainted with the options for the manufacture of pellet boilers in more detail if we consider the rating of several models that have received high ratings from an ordinary buyer.
The product "Sunsystem V2 25KW / PLB25-P" refers to high-tech and fully automated equipment. It is equipped with a water circuit and is intended for heating private buildings with a small usable area. The well-built model has a removable hopper with connectors that allow it to be attached from different sides. It features a modern design and has an auxiliary self-cleaning option and a built-in timer.
The Pelletron 40 KT model is characterized by simplicity and versatility in operation and maintenance. Understood control allows people who are not at all familiar with this type of heating technology to use it. Radiators and boilers included in the kit, as well as underfloor heating elements, can be installed in other heating systems.
The considered models are capable of working at least 24 hours on one load. To supply pellets and air to the combustion site, they have two controllable mechanisms. To clean the storage tanks, the moment is chosen that comes immediately after the burning of the next load. Electric heating elements are used as heating elements in these samples. They are distinguished by a relatively high efficiency and an increased level of heat transfer. The negative sides of the models include the ability to work only on special, "white" pellets.
The third place is occupied by the fully automated Kupper Ok 20 product with a pellet burner. It has an attractive price without losing the quality of workmanship. Users are attracted by the increased productivity, which allows servicing living spaces up to 250 m2.
