The Adventure Begins

Well this is going to be a couple of new experiences me.  My first blog, and my first foray into the realm of central home heating with a pellet boiler.  To set the stage a little bit, my wife and I purchased a home three years ago with an aging heating system.  A 40 year old cord wood boiler with limited water temperature control and a 25+ year old oil fired boiler  connected in series provided year round heat.  The Aroostook County, Maine winters can be harsh and using oil as the primary fuel during the winter to heat over 2100 square feet was not an economical option.  However, the cord wood boiler, albeit economical, created vast temperature swings during the day and through the night unless tended every few hours.  Thus began the Pellet Boiler Project.
We researched pellet boilers and found Europe to have several very nice products which were not available in the United States.  Those that were available either did not have the features we desired, or were so outrageously priced that the average homeowner  would have difficulty affording the unit and install.  It would take years and years to recognize a break even point on a $20,000 price tag.  As I was getting more and more frustrated I was told by a co-worker/friend that a new product was coming to the market with an attractive price point that I would be interested in.    That product was the Kedel Pellet Boiler from Interphase Energy. This boiler is designed and in use in Europe which was modified to meet the requirements of the U.S. market. The more I researched the more I decided that the Kedel was for me.  It had the efficiency and automation I was looking for with several pellet storage/supply options to fit my needs. It could be incrementally adjusted for power efficiency to optimize performance rather than the typical high/med/low of other pellet systems. My local oil company began marketing the Kedel and here is where we begin:

The first step I had to do was determine what size boiler was needed for my house.  The Kedel came in three sizes; 54, 68, and 102.  These numbers correspond the BTU's the unit could produce at 100% output. (54000, 68000, and 102000 / hour).  I contacted a professional home inspector recommended by my coworkers to visit my house and determine my heat loss and heating requirements.  Most heating companies have a person to do this and is often a free service.

My heating requirement calculations came in at slightly over 74,000 btu/hr.  The 102 was my only choice which didn't bother me as I would have the ability to turn down the boiler output to match my needs.  This also allowed me to add additional heating zones (basement, garage) in the future if desired. Now I needed to decide on a pellet storage system.  I opted for the 700 lb hopper allowing me freedom from daily trips to the hopper but still using bags of pellets.  I was surprised to find that bulk delivered pellets were more expensive than the bags.  I guess you have to pay for the convenience.  The 700 pound hopper will only require a refill every few weeks and the boiler will track pellet consumption for me. This hopper also fit nicely into the space next to my boiler.

So the selection was made.  A Kedel 102 Weekender model.  After a brief discussion and negotiation with my local oil company the boiler was ordered.