What is a pellet boiler
Pellet boilers are truly innovative devices that exploit the strength of the combustion process to feed the radiators through very hot fumes which carry the heat to a fluid liquid.
In most cases, this fluid is made up of water. As the name suggests, pellet boilers are fed by pellets. Pellets are a wood considered a real natural fuel which is obtained from virgin wood or the whole trunk of the tree, or the waste from the manufacturing of factories and carpenters.
The so-called pellet shavings are obtained by applying strong pressure to small pieces of wood through a considerable source of heat (at a pressure of about 300 bar). Pellet shavings look like small pieces of granular wood with sawdust and other similar products and derivatives from wood processing on the inside.
This type of production, which goes beyond any use of products or chemical and polluting substances, makes the pellet a fuel completely environmentally friendly.
Unlike the pellet stoves which are installed inside homes and end up becoming an integral part of home furnishings, pellet boilers are installed externally.
Pellet boilers can be powered by two different methods: screw or pneumatic.
Conveyor feeding gives the pellet boiler a structure formed by numerous compartments and ducts inside which a screw is moved (a sort of hydraulic machine) that works thanks to the thrust of an electric motor.
This electric motor can pump the electricity needed by the system according to the user’s request (once the temperature has been set, its job is to make sure that the thrust is sufficient to allow the conveyor to work correctly).
Pneumatic feed uses the vacuum created inside the ducts of the pellet boiler to produce mechanical energy necessary to heat the room.
Maintenance of the pellet boiler
Maintenance must be carried out professionally for both pellet-fired pellet boilers and pneumatic-fueled boilers.
In fact, for both types of pellet boilers they must necessarily provide for well tested and approved safety systems to avoid the so-called backfiring or the creation of harmful dust inside the ducts.
The combustion chamber of a pellet boiler undergoes great and continuous stress from the combustion primer, for this reason, it must be built with materials resistant to such types of intense stress.
The materials most used in the construction of pellet boilers are stainless steel and refractory clay. A material is defined as refractory if it can withstand extremely high temperatures for large periods without reacting chemically with the materials it is in contact with.
How is a pellet boiler fuelled?
Given that, as we have said, pellets are the raw material for feeding a pellet boiler, it is crucial to pay attention to how the pellets should be inserted inside the boiler.
There are three methods for feeding a pellet boiler:
- top-feeding;
- side-feeding;
- bottom-feeding.
Boilers with top-feeding have the same conformation as pellet stoves: the pellet is poured directly into the burner through a sort of slide, generating the primary air (characterised by the absence of oxygen) and the flame is born and develops in height, pushing the hot air secondary to rise to the top.
In boilers with side-feeding, the pellet is accompanied on one side of the burner thanks to an auger. In this way, the primary air rises from below and the secondary air, which allows effective and concrete combustion, descends from above.
In boilers with bottom-feeding, the burner is powered directly by an auger that is positioned below the burner itself.
The boiler’s body is made up of a series of tubes where the heat exchange process between the hot fumes and the heat transfer fluid (liquid capable of accumulating and transporting heat) takes place.
During this process, there may be losses of combustion material that generate ash which must be removed.
Some of the most innovative pellet boilers have an integrated scraping system and cleaning of the ashes, nevertheless, it is still a process that can be carried out manually through the openings designed on the boiler body (usually of porthole-shaped windows) and the special collection drawer.
What are the advantages of a pellet boiler
Recently, the demand for pellet boilers has increased considerably especially among the so-called domestic and private users.
A pellet boiler is eco-friendly because pellets are a natural fuel and the fumes produced by its combustion are more ecological than the gases of traditional heating.
The installation of a pellet boiler also entitles you to incentives and tax breaks promoted directly by the government. With a pellet boiler (also called biomass) you can take advantage of a deduction of 65% of total expenditure up to a maximum deductible threshold of EURO 30 thousand.
How much does it cost to buy a pellet boiler?
If you intend to buy a pellet boiler to heat your home, it is important to know first of all that you need to have a specific place to place the boiler and store the pellets.
This should be thought out correctly to avoid any type of damage that would create little machine efficiency.
Pellets are usually sold in large quantities inside plastic bags which must be protected from any flint sparks and humidity. On the market, there are small and comfortable prefabricated wooden warehouses used for the maintenance and conservation of the bags of pellets.
A pellet boiler for domestic heating has price variables based on the brand you rely on, but generally speaking, the average cost fluctuates between EURO 3,000 and 4,000.
The main characteristics of the boiler that can make are also to be taken into consideration important fluctuations at the final cost. If you buy a pellet boiler with a manual feed (in a nutshell, the owner load sit) or semi-manual it will certainly cost less than a pellet boiler that automatically reloads according to its needs.
On the other hand, a pellet boiler with a manual feed could be impractical in the long run because it requires greater attention and effort on the part of the user compared to an automatic process that does not require external interventions.
Besides this, there are self-cleaning pellet boilers equipped with extremely effective integrated cleaning systems that make external cleaning or pellet boilers that have to be cleaned manually almost unnecessary.
The more technological the components the more the price could vary and conform to the product’s quality.
There are also pellet boilers with a unique and original design and pellet boilers equipped with a very practical system touch screen to be able to programme them like smartphones.
What are the most representative and performing brands in pellet boiler’s sales?
Some of the major brands of manufacturers and retailers of pellet boilers operating throughout the national, international and global territory.
For each brand, one of the most sponsored and proposed products will also be exhibited to offer a complete general overview of the world of ecological and high-performance pellet heating.
2020 also marks a great milestone for the intelligent heating sector because it is the year of Progetto Fuoco. This project aims to bring together all the most representative brands in a single huge Veronese heat fair that will compare the biggest brands of boilers and wood and pellet stoves from all over the country.
The project will be organised in Verona from 19 to 22 February 2020. Let’s see which brands we are talking about in detail:
Viessmann Group
The Viessmann Group is one of the producers and international distributors of the most representative heating systems. The company headquarters is in Allendorf in Germany, but the group has at least 23 factories and management and production departments in 11 different countries.
Viessmann products are exported to over 70 countries and the company is branching out into 32 branches and 120 commercial resources worldwide. One of Viessmann’s pellet boilers is the Vitoligno 300-C. model.
This slim design boiler is very easy to install and guarantees a very low level of harmful dust emissions thanks to an improved and innovative combustion technique.
The Vitoligno boiler is completely automatic and offers the possibility of combining it with a solar thermal panel to make the most of the pure and natural energy of the sun’s rays and at the same time reducing consumption and emissions.
Furthermore, this boiler has the peculiarity of cleaning independently at need the combustion chamber via a stainless steel louvre grate.
The consequence of this process of self-cleaning is that the ash box has to be emptied very rarely (only once or twice a year is sufficient).
Thanks to the addition of the solar panel, the Vitoligno boiler has a heat yield up to 95.3% and a reduced and almost non-existent creation of dust.
Pellet feeding takes place manually, but the yield is so large that it does not constitute an obstacle or an excessive weight.
Viessman Group also guarantees total assistance and maintenance with a rapid response. The group will participate and exhibit its products at the most important and largest world trade show on biomass heating systems better known as the Progettofuoco (Fire Project) which will be held from 19 to 22 February in Verona.
Laminox idro
Another important brand that produces and sells pellet boilers is undoubtedly Laminox.
In addition to the high quality of products, Laminox offers a refined design and the sophisticated combustion methods and always in step with the times and new technologies.
The company was founded in 1964 in Macerata at the foot of the Apennines of the Marche region and since then has always known how to stand out and bring its brand to a level above each new vintage.
One of the most successful models proposed by Laminox is the TERMOBOILER OMNIA 32 matic.
This compact design pellet boiler is studied in the smallest details to promote at the same time a maximum yield with the least use of resources.
Pellet consumption is limited and allows significant savings both in economic terms and in terms of cleaning because, in addition to self-cleaning, it produces minimum waste of materials.
The TERMOBOILER OMNIA 32 boiler is equipped with the Circular Combustion System brazier and includes an automatic rotating cleaner which makes manual cleaning unnecessary.
The ash box, on the other hand, must be emptied regularly (about once a month) to avoid dangerous accumulations of harmful agents.
Maintenance of the boiler is however very simple and does not require excessive technical skills. In any case, Laminox professionals are always available to the customer if anomalies are noticed in the management of the boiler or its the installed safety systems.
Laminox will also be present at the Progettoofuoco 2020 in Verona.
3) Piazzetta Group
Alongside the brands shown above there is also the Venetian company Piazzetta founded in Asolo in the province of Treviso.
The Piazzetta catalogue of pellet boilers is full of quick and effective solutions to install the best pellet boiler that meets every need.
The quality of the products of the Piazzetta Group is recognised all over the world and its brand has for years hours of many consumers.
Piazzetta boilers are also fully digitalised and controllable via a convenient screen.
Each product sold can independently identify if a part of the gears is defective and report the problem via a message on the screen already proposing useful and effective methods to stem and resolve the anomaly.
Many of the models produced are equipped with the Integrated ACS system which, through a plate exchanger, allows the instantaneous production of hot water for sanitary use.
One of the most commercialised models is the CP-32 Thermo Boiler, Energy Class A+ pellet boiler.
The CP-32 boiler is equipped with a hearth, brazier, steel conveyor and it is self-cleaning using its circular and rotating components.
Interestingly designed, it has an external reversible steel door, insulated and can be opened via a comfortable handle.
Piazzetta pellet boilers also offer the possibility to be operated and programmed remotely (therefore even if you are away from home) via the handy Piazzetta App or by sending a text to the operations centre.
Thermorossi
One of the most Italian companies known for their growing technological innovation and the established brand is Thermorossi based in the Veneto Arsiero in the province of Vicenza. For over 50 years, Thermorossi has been active in the pellet heating sector and manufactures a large number of models.
One of the most purchased models is the Thermorossi compact Matic 32 pellet boiler, testing to the limits of excellence and with the very useful addition of an automatic ash extraction system.
The boiler also has a self-cleaning function the tubers and the brazier and this allows you to perform minimum maintenance of the components (more than 4 months).
Thermorossi independently patented a burner system called Pellet Power which is capable of burning up to 7 kilos of pellets per hour.
Given the innovation of this burner, Thermorossi makes available on the market Pellet Power in series so that it can be purchased by anyone at a modest price and so that it can be adapted to almost any type of pellet boiler.
This high-performance system is equipped with a motorised brush which keeps the mixing between the primary and secondary air of the boiler perfectly consistent.
The residues of the combustion process are also disposed of independently by the boiler as they are pushed directly into the ash drawer using an internal mechanism.
Thermorossi will also present its products and company at Progetto Fuoco 2020 in Verona.
Edilkamin
Edilkamin has been one of the most over 55 years cornerstones of wood and pellet heating methods. This company is particularly attentive to environmental impact of its products which are among the most ecological on the market.
The company’s headquarters is in Lainate (near Milan), but it consists of various other plants throughout the national territory and is the head of a dense and production line of export in over 35 other countries all over the world.
Edilkamin also uses a TAC network (Technical Assistance Centres authorised by Ministerial Decree no. 37/08) that’s well established nationally and employs technicians and professionals in the sector updated and in step with any news and always ready to meet any need.
One of the models mainly produced by Edilkamin is the Laguna2 P24.
Equipped with a steel hearth, a side tank with a capacity of about 100 kilos and the rear smoke outlet turns out to be a boiler with a strong and captivating design. Furthermore, it is fully digitalised and can be operated via the colour touchscreen.
The expulsion of ashes and the cleaning of the brazier also take place automatically, making maintenance of the components almost superfluous.
Edilkamin will also participate in the very important meeting on heating to be held in Verona through the Progetto Fuoco.
Ravelli Group
Another leading company for over 20 years in the production of heat is Ravelli Group from Brescia. Founded in Palazzolo sull’Oglio, it currently exports to over 40 European and countries such as South Africa, China, New Zealand and Japan.
The quality of the Ravelli Group boilers is highly specialised and perfected down to the smallest detail to ensure the highest possible standard.
The main objective of the Ravelli Group technicians is to produce boilers capable of distributing heat homogeneously and uniformly in all environments and at the same time produce hot water immediately.
One of the most sponsored products is the HR EVØ 350 SMART pellet boiler. With a higher heat output, the Ravelli Group boiler is equipped with a convenient self-cleaning brazier and a semi-cylindrical combustion chamber.
Furthermore, the inversion of fumes takes place through a process that remains completely in contact with liquid agents so that any danger of backfire and self-combustion is prevented. Very attractive, it has painted steel sides in various colours.
Ravelli Group will also exhibit its products at the heating trade fair in Verona at the Progetto Fuoco.
La Nordica
La Nordica is an Italian company founded in Montecchio Precalcino in the province of Vicenza. The all-Italian products are equipped with huge technical innovations and technological and are high performing in the field of ecological pellet heating.
One of the most recommended pellet boilers is the captivating red HP30 EVO. Equipped with a drawer for ash, a self-cleaning brazier in cast iron with a thickness of 12 mm, a heat exchanger with an automatic cleaning system, a safety thermostat, a very useful predisposition for an external thermostat, a weekly chrono thermostat, a touch screen console with a new user-friendly graphic interface, a circulation pump, an expansion tank, a safety valve with a pressure of 3 bar and an automatic partial cleaning of the brazier, this boiler is complete with every element necessary for optimal private and domestic heating.
Particular attention should be paid to the peculiar fire door with air cooling system which allows for greater thermal efficiency thanks to the decrease in heat losses.
La Nordica will also be present at the Verona 2020 Progetto Fuoco to raise brand awareness and to let you touch its products with your own hands.
Famiglia Palazzetti
This Friulian company from Porcia in the province of Pordenone was created from a family tradition that has been carrying on its surname for three generations for a total of over 60 years of career.
The cardinal goal of this family’s mission is to give real and new home comfort to people. Palazzetti is synonymous with efficiency, effectiveness, ease of management, customisation and sustainability.
Palazzetti’s pellet boilers have proven energy performance that minimizes levels of toxic emissions.
These boilers are all compliant with European safety standards and in particular to UNI EN 303-5 and are classified by the world quality associations with the highest functional class of all.
All Palazzetti pellet boilers are equipped with a large and practical tank and an integrated hydraulic unit formed by the closed expansion tank, the class A circulator, the safety valve, the pressure gauge and the anti-condensation valve. The enhanced models are also equipped with a system for the production of domestic hot water instantly if the boiler is turned on.
Palazzetti Family’s flagship is the CT PRO 24T water pellet boiler.
This pellet boiler is equipped with a very practical self-cleaning rotating brazier, a large drawer for collecting ash, Combustion Dynamic Control an innovative safety system, a digital display with touch screen controls from which it is possible to program time slots operating on a daily and weekly basis, the integrated hydraulic unit consisting of a class A circulator, safety valve, closed expansion tank and pressure gauge and the anti-condensation valve included in the price of the basic skeleton of the boiler.
Only the latter valve has a commercial value of over EURO 160.
Palazzetti Family will also be present at the worldwide meeting of the Progetto Fuoco in Verona.