How to choose a pellet boiler for your home?

Type of pellet boiler and its fuel limitations

Contrary to appearances, not all pellet boilers only accept pellets as fuel. There are also models on the market that can burn wood as well - so it's worth considering before purchasing a boiler. If we have access to our own wood or cheaper material, it can be a very attractive additional option.

Boiler size in relation to the size of the boiler room

This is a fairly mundane matter, but it often thwarts our plans when we want to replace a boiler in an existing building. At the planning and construction stage of a new home, if our choice is pellet heating, it's worth paying attention to this. It may be necessary to enlarge the boiler room, as in ready-made plans, which we buy from designers, boiler rooms are often quite small (this is related to the common assumption of gas heating, and as we know, a gas boiler is very compact).

Boiler power in relation to the area

The most common question salespeople of pellet boilers hear - how many kW per X square meters? The conversion rate of 10kW to 150 square meters is most often encountered - for new construction, with insulated buildings. However, this rate may not be sufficient for older buildings, which, as we know, have greater heat losses. Similarly, if the building has an old, unmodernized installation. In such situations, it is often worth using a conversion rate of even 10kW to 100 m², although such a need is rare. Many professionals, not without reason, advise, instead of buying a much larger boiler, to think about proper insulation, modernizing the installation (e.g., replacing old cast iron radiators with new panel radiators), replacing windows, etc., although this is of course a completely different cost calculation.

Plate Heat Exchanger NORDIC Ba-12-30 3/4" 65kW

NT Ba-12-30

74,99 €

In den Warenkorb

Odpływ liniowy AZTEK 60cm

NT Ba-16-26

119,99 €

In den Warenkorb

Odpływ liniowy AZTEK 60cm

NT Ba-12-40

89,99 €

In den Warenkorb

Can a pellet boiler be oversized? Is it beneficial?

Today's pellet boilers are fully automated, i.e., they have appropriate temperature sensors and when the apartment is heated - the boiler will turn off. This is a mechanism that protects the system from further heating and ensures pellet savings. A boiler larger than we need should not be a problem... unless it is significantly oversized.

It's not just that by buying a boiler that is too large we overpay. The point here is that a significantly oversized boiler heats the installation very quickly and has to switch off in very short intervals. This may not necessarily be healthy for temperature sensors and for the boiler itself.

In summary - it's worth staying within the conversion rates specified by the manufacturers - and it's best to consult the selection of the boiler with a specialist or salesperson.

Should a pellet boiler be separated from the installation using a heat exchanger?

In new buildings, where the installation is new and not contaminated - there is really no need for this. In the case where we want to connect something to such an installation, e.g., a fireplace with a water jacket, it is worth considering separating it with a heat exchanger. However, in this case, the pellet boiler most often works in the same system as the installation.

However, a different situation occurs in older buildings, with a worn-out installation, where we expect certain pollutants and scale. In this case, to protect the new boiler, it can be separated from the system using a heat exchanger, most often plate type. Such a solution not only protects the boiler circuit but also (provided that the exchanger is correctly selected) ensures us proper balanced operation without overheating the system and without constant switching on and off of the pellet boiler. However, correct selection of the heat exchanger is very important here, as a too small model will cause the opposite situation, including overheating of the system.

For pellet boilers up to 20kW, a very good choice is the NORDIC Tec Ba-32-20 plate heat exchanger, which ensures the appropriate heating exchange area and appropriate heat transfer. This guarantees the safety of the boiler, as well as efficient heating without heat loss. Thanks to 1" connections, the problem of pressure losses or weaker flow is practically eliminated.

For smaller boilers, you can also use a slightly smaller counterpart - namely the Nordic Tec Ba-32-15 plate heat exchanger, a 15-plate version, also based on 1" connections.