Replacing an oil boiler with biomass

mavii

Hi all

I've just bought a barn conversion that is not on mains gas and currently has an oil boiler.

We're looking at green options and sadly we can't get a ground source heat pump as we don't have 3 phase power.

So the next option we're considering is a biomass boiler. While I'm not entirely convinced it's the best (given other polution etc) it seems better than burning more oil!

I've had a quote for £23k to install a new biomass boiler, but struggling to find alternative people to offer other quotes so wondering if others have had quotes recently and how that compares?

Quote is for Windhager 21kW system.

Thanks in advance!

Mavii

Reed_Richards

I replaced my oil boiler with an Air Source Heat Pump.  Its a 12 kW model and does not require 3 phase power.  However given the cost of biomass quote, perhaps the cost of a three phase power upgrade would be relatively insignificant.  You can also get oil/ASHP hybrid boilers if you want to go a bit more green but not totally.  

mavii

Reed_Richards said:

I replaced my oil boiler with an Air Source Heat Pump.  Its a 12 kW model and does not require 3 phase power.  However given the cost of biomass quote, perhaps the cost of a three phase power upgrade would be relatively insignificant.  You can also get oil/ASHP hybrid boilers if you want to go a bit more green but not totally.  

Thanks. The average cost of 3 phase power is £9k on website and I don't see it being done in time to make March cut off for RHI.

Looked at oil/ashp mix but prefer looking to get away from oil entirely if we can

tacpot12

If I were you, I would grab this bargin on eBay and pay someone to fit it:

Windhager Biowin 2 | eBay  (The Buyit now price is £3500) 

Reed_Richards

tacpot12 said:

If I were you, I would grab this bargin on eBay ...

But you have to wonder why the previous owner wants rid of it.

Meatballs

mavii said:

Reed_Richards said:

I replaced my oil boiler with an Air Source Heat Pump.  Its a 12 kW model and does not require 3 phase power.  However given the cost of biomass quote, perhaps the cost of a three phase power upgrade would be relatively insignificant.  You can also get oil/ASHP hybrid boilers if you want to go a bit more green but not totally.  

Thanks. The average cost of 3 phase power is £9k on website and I don't see it being done in time to make March cut off for RHI.

Looked at oil/ashp mix but prefer looking to get away from oil entirely if we can

Quoted27k for three phase here and it wasn't even that far 🤣

maisie_cat

We have a 23kw Klover smart 80 biomass stove, it replaced a 1950s/1960s oil Rayburn, mainly because it sits in the same spot and has a traditional look about it.
The system cost £14k and the RHI is £1600 a year, the pellets should be around £750 a year to replace the £1125 worth of oil consumed last year.
The only downside so far is that the conservatory is full of bagged pellets at the moment as we haven't yet built a store.

tacpot12

Reed_Richards said:

tacpot12 said:

If I were you, I would grab this bargin on eBay ...

But you have to wonder why the previous owner wants rid of it.

The advert explains that it has turned out to be too large for their property. Presumably it won't modulate down any further.  It was intially installed as a 25kW until but modulated down to 21kW by Windhager.  

ispookie666

I briefly looked into this, the need to have a swimming pool size storage area for pellets was a non starter for us.  Replaced our 40 yr old myson velair oil boiler with a new firebird oil boiler. 
I looked into ASHP, GSHP, i gave up after looking at the cost of installs.  Recently had two Aircons(air to air heat pump) installed, they are great for heating up the area.  Will add a bigger unit for downstairs.    

maisie_cat

ispookie666 said:

I briefly looked into this, the need to have a swimming pool size storage area for pellets was a non starter for us.     

How big a system were you after? ours is 3-4 tonnes a year so roughly 3-4 cubic metres if we have them all in one go

ispookie666

That is interesting, maybe my math was way off. 
It's a 4 bed 🏠, 2000sq ft. Okish air tightness. 
I do go through quiet a bit of oil, 2000l a year.