I have have been saying that I couldn't wait for heating season to arrive so I can put the Kedel through it's paces and get it fine tuned. Well, now that it is here I'm longing for a few more warm days to prepare for the long Northern Maine winters. The temperature has been below freezing every night this week and the days have been very chilly. The Kedel is running very well and I am still very pleased and convinced I made the right choice. As expected, pellet consumption has increased ad the Kedel is running pretty much constantly, at a low power level, through the night and only shuts down a couple times during sunny days with solar gain from my large windows. This is right where we want it as the start/stop cycles lower the efficiency of the unit, much like starting a car takes more gas and energy than letting it idle. I watch the power level and output readings and really enjoy the fact that the unit keeps itself at the lowest power level needed and will ramp itself up as the temperature drops. The house remains a consistent temperature of between 68 to 70 although it may not appear that way if you have been watching the data graphs. The temperature sensor reads in tenths of a degree where my thermostat reads in whole degrees. You can almost tell when we let the dog out by the drop of a couple tenths of a degree on the graph.
As for the pellet consumption, it is in keeping with my expectation based on the square footage I am heating, age of the windows and home insulation. I compared the pellet consumption per square foot of other Kedels heating around the clock and I'm right there with them. At this moment I am using .034 lbs/sq.ft./day. I will gain additional efficiency when I swap the windows out for newer, more efficient ones (next year?). I have consumed just under a ton of pellets at this point and found that with the pellets I am using, the ash bin will hold the ash of almost the whole ton. I have no intention of letting it get filled all way again. Emptying the ash bin every three to four weeks is more than acceptable. I may try a new brand with my next purchase just to see how it will effect performance and ash production.
The cost savings is still very obvious over the oil boiler. I still the oil connected to the system although I have no intention of throwing the on switch any time soon. Perhaps it's the 6 months I spent in the Boy Scouts or the episodes of 'Doomsday Prepper' I've watched that tell me "keep the backup."
I'll gather additional data over the next few weeks then post my cost savings data of pellets over oil. At that point I'll also be able to more accurately look at the BTU output of the Kedel and compare it to the Heat Load calculations I had done prior to selecting the size of a boiler.
Thanks for this blog! Please keep the info coming! We're building a new home in central Maine and thinking of going with a kedel as our only source of heat and hot water. Is it loud when it runs? Do you have the compressor hooked up to it? How's your electric bill if it's running all the time?
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the new home. They are a lot of work but well worth it in the end. The Kedel is a very quiet unit that gives off a slight hum as it runs. I'd compare it to a refrigerator but I think my fridge is actually louder. The light plink of falling pellets is the loudest sound you'll hear (which isn't much).
ReplyDeleteI do have the compressor connected to my unit. It cleans the burner at the end of every cycle and after 75 lbs of continuous burning. The compressor motor is significantly quieter than the average air compressor but it is louder than the Kedel itself. That being said, it is not loud enough to bother us, wake us up or cause even a mild annoyance. My oil burner is louder and more annoying (or at least it used to be).
I can't say that I have seen any significant increase in the electric bill but that is something that I will be watching. I'll need a few more months to see. I ran a dehumidifier and fans last year to dry the firewood so I'll need to get into the winter where I discontinued using those to get a clearer picture. I don't anticipate any significant increase due to the Kedel though.
There are several companies in central Maine that are handling Kedels. The Kedel Boilers website can also help you locate one in your area. The folks at Kedel have been easy to deal with and will be able help you out.as well.
If you have any additional question please feel free to ask.
I had a Kedel installed to replace my oil boiler right before Christmas and my electric bill has spiked. Has this been your experience? One other possibility for us is that our aging dishwasher and clothes dryer are losing their efficiency. I HOPE it's not because of our new Kedel, which we're otherwise happy with.
ReplyDeleteKarl, Congrats on the Kedel purchase. I am very pleased with mine. As for the electrical bill, we have not experienced a significant increase. Our bill has gone up slightly, but we also put in a second freezer for a steer we slaughtered. If you'd like additional info let me know.
DeleteHi, now that it is April I was wondering if you could post a summary of your experience over the winter? Did you have to clean it much or did you rely on the compressor feature? Anything you would do different? I was at the Biomass convention yesterday and saw all brands of pellet boilers and the Kedel was the most impressive.
DeleteBill
Bill, I have started updating the blog with information from the winter. If you don't see an answer to a question you have I'll be happy to answer it. I am still very happy with the Kedel. I may consider a bulk storage option in the future, however, right now bagged pellets are 20% cheaper thank bulk in my region.
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