ᐅ Which Heating System to Choose After Replacing a Heating Unit After 30 Years?
Created on: 25 May 2016 14:33
8
86bibo
Our newly acquired property currently has an oil heating system installed. It must be replaced by the end of 2017, as it will then be 30 years old. The tanks are in excellent condition, so only the heating system needs to be replaced. We have two floors plus a basement and an insulated attic. The ground floor has underfloor heating and convectors; the basement (with a basement bar and bathroom) also has convectors, as does the upper floor. The ground floor is designed to be very open, so a lot of heat spreads throughout the house (and thus to the upper floor). The living area is 220m² (2,368 square feet).
The first (and still most favored) idea is to install a new oil heating system. Gas would theoretically be interesting but is unfortunately not available. Heat pumps are out of the question because the insulation is probably not sufficient for that. Since we have a well-oriented roof surface, I considered solar thermal with heating support, but that also depends on the costs, as it usually only just breaks even.
I wonder whether I should seriously consider a pellet heating system. Of course, I am put off by the high investment costs (25,000€ compared to 8,000€ for oil, or 14–15,000€ for oil/solar), and I question whether it will actually pay off over time.
The previous owners’ energy consumption was not good (final energy consumption 143 kWh/m² [42.0 kBtu/ft²]), but they also heated a lot with wood, apparently of low calorific value. Therefore, I think that if one were to heat purely with oil, the energy demand would be somewhat lower. I suspect that with a new pure oil heating system without “wood support,” I will reach 110–120 kWh/m² (32.3–35.3 kBtu/ft²), and with solar thermal may approach 100 kWh/m² (29.4 kBtu/ft²). Is it even worth switching to a pellet heating system in this case?
The first (and still most favored) idea is to install a new oil heating system. Gas would theoretically be interesting but is unfortunately not available. Heat pumps are out of the question because the insulation is probably not sufficient for that. Since we have a well-oriented roof surface, I considered solar thermal with heating support, but that also depends on the costs, as it usually only just breaks even.
I wonder whether I should seriously consider a pellet heating system. Of course, I am put off by the high investment costs (25,000€ compared to 8,000€ for oil, or 14–15,000€ for oil/solar), and I question whether it will actually pay off over time.
The previous owners’ energy consumption was not good (final energy consumption 143 kWh/m² [42.0 kBtu/ft²]), but they also heated a lot with wood, apparently of low calorific value. Therefore, I think that if one were to heat purely with oil, the energy demand would be somewhat lower. I suspect that with a new pure oil heating system without “wood support,” I will reach 110–120 kWh/m² (32.3–35.3 kBtu/ft²), and with solar thermal may approach 100 kWh/m² (29.4 kBtu/ft²). Is it even worth switching to a pellet heating system in this case?
Aren't the Atmos and the pellet heating systems mentioned by me and the original poster actually somewhat different things?
I haven’t looked at the device in detail, but all the units you find in various online reviews typically cost at least €8,000 (plus storage system, feeding system, buffer tank, etc.).
As I mentioned above, I don’t think you can get everything together for significantly less than €15,000 (before deducting any available subsidies).
It’s hard to say whether the storage space mentioned above (originally for 6,000 liters (1,585 gallons) of oil) would be sufficient. Based on the information about floor area and energy consumption, the annual demand is around 30,000 kWh, which corresponds roughly to 6,000 kg (13,227 lbs) of pellets. That requires a fairly large storage room. There are also online calculators that can help estimate the necessary storage size based on the heating load.
I haven’t looked at the device in detail, but all the units you find in various online reviews typically cost at least €8,000 (plus storage system, feeding system, buffer tank, etc.).
As I mentioned above, I don’t think you can get everything together for significantly less than €15,000 (before deducting any available subsidies).
It’s hard to say whether the storage space mentioned above (originally for 6,000 liters (1,585 gallons) of oil) would be sufficient. Based on the information about floor area and energy consumption, the annual demand is around 30,000 kWh, which corresponds roughly to 6,000 kg (13,227 lbs) of pellets. That requires a fairly large storage room. There are also online calculators that can help estimate the necessary storage size based on the heating load.
Hmm, I can’t really agree with that. Just because some testers only review high-end models doesn’t mean affordable options aren’t available on the market. Sure, expensive devices may have certain technical refinements, but whether you need those and are willing to pay three to four times more is a personal decision. If you only want to get from point A to point B, a basic model costing around 8000 euros (about $8800) new might be enough, but you can also spend 60,000 euros (about $66,000) on a car.
As I said, the Atmos boiler with a small buffer tank and feed system is available for around 4000 euros (about $4400) before any incentives. If you want a simple additional buffer tank (just for heating water), that could add another 500 euros (about $550). Installation with small parts is roughly 1500 euros (about $1650). That adds up to about 6000 euros (about $6600) minus the 3500 euro (about $3850) subsidy.
That’s definitely doable; everything else is luxury. You need to consider whether you actually need those extras or want to spend more. But the idea that you can’t get it under 15,000 euros (about $16,500) is nonsense.
As I said, the Atmos boiler with a small buffer tank and feed system is available for around 4000 euros (about $4400) before any incentives. If you want a simple additional buffer tank (just for heating water), that could add another 500 euros (about $550). Installation with small parts is roughly 1500 euros (about $1650). That adds up to about 6000 euros (about $6600) minus the 3500 euro (about $3850) subsidy.
That’s definitely doable; everything else is luxury. You need to consider whether you actually need those extras or want to spend more. But the idea that you can’t get it under 15,000 euros (about $16,500) is nonsense.
If I could get a total amount of around 13,000 to 14,000 euros with subsidies, then a pellet heating system would definitely be interesting. Your estimate of 30,000 kWh/year is also about right. What I still don’t quite understand is the difference between the cheap and the expensive pellet stoves. Even though I am aware of the laws of the market economy, a price difference of 100% has to have a reason somewhere.
The tank room should theoretically be about 5 m² (54 ft²) in size. If I could fill it up to a height of 2 m (6.6 ft), that would be 10 m³ (353 ft³). I think that will be tight for 6 tons of pellets. Of course, it is unfortunate that the storage space is located behind the house.
The tank room should theoretically be about 5 m² (54 ft²) in size. If I could fill it up to a height of 2 m (6.6 ft), that would be 10 m³ (353 ft³). I think that will be tight for 6 tons of pellets. Of course, it is unfortunate that the storage space is located behind the house.
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