here you go mcmoonter 😉 :

got bored of running the boiler on 10Kg bags of pellets. They come delivered 2x tonne pallets at a time. Unfortunately the delivery company cant get them on the pallet straight into the store, so I have to manhandle them 50yrds. Then I move 400-500Kg at a time into the boiler room 6yrds away. The “week”* hopper takes 18 bags at a time. There’s also a lot of plastic waste that cant be recycled.
* a hopper can last between 4 and 25 days depending on the season.

So Ive decided to modify the pellet/log store into a 2+tonne pellet tank My supplier can blow pellets the 30yrds or so from the front to the tank in a 4″ pipe. And I cant fill 30Kg buckets and move 60Kg on a sack truck into the hopper at a time – so 3x trips for each fill. Shouldnt take more than 10 minutes.

So from this:

via this:

and this

with this

to this
[img]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-i0Kvgv2tX08/T3CnDbmK0RI/AAAAAAAABMs/343cV-QDf2Q/s400/P1010485.JPG[/img]

Big thanks to maccruiskeen for the metal working tips. Patience and some new high tpi blades for the jigsaw worked a treat. Metal work is not something I have much experience of so really useful info, ta.

and another thanks to MrOvershoot for the tips on the Storz Couplings. The websites out there are useless for any guidance on how to install them.

Bloody expensive bits though – £150. But with another £100 for wood, it’s still much cheaper than a commercial tank which are well into the £1,000s. (Check it out, Bear!)

What the hell do you do for a job? You seem to have loads of time to be doing these proje ts around the house and plenty of spare cash to do them 😀

If I told you, Id have to kill you…by boring you to death 😉

But Monday’s one of my fettlin’ days.

Awesome – and as a bonus prize you get to build a new log store! Win – Win 8)

Doing something a bit different mcm:

I reckon I can store about 13m3 against my yard wall to season.

Whoah. Be careful with pellets blown that distance. You can damage the pellets. Usually reckon on 25m at a push best kept to 20m. Have you got a strike mat installed?

strike mat installed

would that be a rubber pad in the area of the back wall where the stream of pellets would hit?

Easy to sort out unless there’s anything special about it.

The pipe run will be about 20-25m

Nice work stoner as always! My only thought would be do the pellets “run” freely! Are you gonna end up with even distribution to your hopper slots as you blow in??

Cheers wrighty, I asked my delivery guy and he said that they would blow to the far side of the tank without any problem, so the tank would fill from the far end first.

The 30deg pitch of the floor of the tank is based on some experimenting with some pellets and bit of ply. The 4x hatches are evenly spread so that I shoul dbe able to empty over 90% of the tank without having to open the access hatch and rack rake the last few Kgs of pellets.

What would you need to convert from a condensing boiler? What’s the running costs? You have me intruiged

Just curious – do you need to vent a lot of dusty air from the hopper?

the one thing I havent yet installed is a 100mm2 vent to one of the panel doors. You can just make out a perspex hatch Ive put in. Ill also put a closeable vent there too for when the tanker is loading.

wors – if you’re on mains gas, dont bother. If you’re on oil, then it might be a viable option if your boiler is due for replacement sometime soon. Ask Bear, he’s the pro installer round here 😉

Lamest thread ever 😆

Stoner you better be a hitman or something interesting for your job

Just curious – do you need to vent a lot of dusty air from the hopper?

THat is potentially a very good point, you may end up with a flammabble/explosive atmosphere in the hopper during filling, and i’d imagine that firing pellets down a tube will generate a fair but of static, is the connector earthed at all?

I’d expect the pipe/tanker to be bonded and earthed, but it wouldn’t hurt to earth your connector, and maybe put a blow off panel on the hopper, just in case.

Ahh all good then!! Must have missed your original post about the project! I have had a fair few dealings with silos and such the like. Those fittings for the hoses are never gonna be cheap!!

Stoner, that’s an interesting way to store wood.

I’ve got a notion to build a breezeway between two buildings and line the sides with logs.

I know the folks at Gleneagles in Perthshire. The original Gleneagles. You can just make out on the right their arcaded breezeway which links the other half of the house. They store their logs against the wall perhaps 2 feet deep so the air can get to them. The wall has a doorway through into their walled garden.

I figure if breezeway were lined with logs they’d be dried from both sides and it would be both functional and decorative.

sobriety, Im aware of the combustion issue.
There’s stuff here on page 8 http://www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/PRACTICAL/INSTALLING%20BIOMASS%20SYSTEMS/ISSUES%20FOR%20INSTALLING%20BIOMASS%20SYSTEMS/37821_FOR_BIOMASS_2_LR.PDF

and here s35
http://www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/PRACTICAL/INSTALLING%20BIOMASS%20SYSTEMS/BEC%20FAQ%20V1%20JUNE%2009.PDF

The fittings are forged aluminium and only contact the pellets for about 3″. The delivery pipe is dead straight from the tanker to the tank fitting and any dust build up will vent to the outside and disperse/settle out over the neighbour’s washingline 😉

mcm – in theory I could go for 2x deep logs against the wall and still get enough air flow. Id have to be much more careful about cutting all my logs to the same length though 🙂

Bear, how “yielding” does the impact baffle need to be? Play mat foam or softer, like a hanging cloth?

Looks good that stoner. Have you looked into using olive stones in the pellet boiler?
I was reading about olive bars made from olive waste, for use in multifuel stoves, but it was mentioned that olive stones could be used as a direct alternative to pellets. Sounds interesting.

Stoner – you NEED two Storz couplings, one to deliver the other at high level to suck out the dust. All the tankers I know are two hosed. And yes rubber mat near the back to protect pellets again.

Day 1 done, four more to go! was early start, 4.45 alarm call was not funny!

Last summer I build a wall of logs ate the end of my garden… They dried up a treat… tried to insert a pic but failed. Last year the wall was one row of 10inch logs… this year I want to try 2 rows… hope it will work.

Sorry for the hijack btw.

And what’s the price difference between loose and 10kg bagged pellets?

geoff – very little normally..

Bear – I checked with my delivery man and he says I can use a vent rather than a return extract.

Day 1 done, four more to go! was early start, 4.45 alarm call was not funny!

you’re not commuting are you?!?! 😯

this week is it? Id forgotten. Very jealous, have a good one. Any juicy knowledge to pass on already? This is the place to do it. Emsz is beside herself with interest!

And what’s the price difference between loose and 10kg bagged pellets?

about 10% saving. So for me about £50 a load. Not a huge number, but it was more the man-handling of the 200x bags twice and the plastic waste that annoyed me, rather than any higher cost.

Olive stones you say?
Bet the smoke smells ace!

geoff:
The Specification of the Product are: * 1 kg Olive Stone have Combustion Power 4.500 Calories. * 23% Humidity * 80 gr Ashes after Combustion of 1 kg Olive Stone * 0% Sulphup At the Present I have not Price for any CIF, but the EX-Factory (Local Price its Sold) is about 150 EUROS per 1.000 Kg The Product is Available in Big Bags of 1.000 Kg Each. Minimum Order 20.000 Kg Delivery Ability = 200-300 ton/month

WOW!
Thats about twice the energy density as wood. The local price being about half the price of here too, but I dont imagine delivered loads would be that cheap to the UK.

If it really is around 10kW/Kg then it could make sense at up to £500 a ton.

Any excuse eh! 😉

How is the solar contributing , Stoner? It’s nice and sunny this week so the solar hot water heater is providing for all our needs a bit further south.

I turned my boiler off on friday as the suns been out and the solar’s been fine. I keep an eye on it. Its a tricky balance at the moment, because the boiler wants to fire in the morning when the tank has 56degs water in it, but I know a sunny day will top it up fine. But if it’s 56degs in the evening then I ought to let the boiler fire up to top up for the evening showers/baths.

I need to find a way of adding a time/season controller that stops the boiler firing, without turning it off (turning off can be a problem)

A few weeks ago in another sunny spell, Id left the solar pump set to pos 1 (instead of 3, doh!), and it boiled the solar water making a right mess 🙂 fortunately I needed to drain it down anyway to fit some service valves so I could add some auto air vents to the circuit. Now it’s all running fine, but I do need to get some more solar fluid.

EDIT – bit post that Ed, proper roofing and all!

No way. 3 hour drive pretty much. Staying in a nice village called Corsham.
Today was all about building regs. More about boilers for next 4 days. And you know as much as I do!
I just need to be qualified because it is my business. That is why I have a interest in working with wind hager and in working the wind hager way because they have a proven record and a great product. It comes at a price though.
Hence my interest in your system as something different. Ecobuild was ok but struggle to find competitors to them ok okofen and frolein for instance.

and in working the wind hager way because they have a proven record and a great product

marketing man, Go! 😉

My neighbour has an Okofen.
If you came up here, youd have two very interesting systems to check out! Bring bike clothes.

I missed ecobuild this year. No great loss. I found there were too many “expensive” brands last year. Not enough yoghut knitting.

(so rubber play mats are OK you reckon? Bit of gripfill, stick em up kind of thing? I would have thought a hanging sheet would do the job a bit better. Wonder if theres a reason they dont use them?)

That’s hotter water than we’re getting. Very encouraging as we’re only just past the equinox.

Has it got okofen written on it? Suspect not! How far from Chippenham are you?
No real marketing there are lots out there most will work fine. Level of controls will differ.
The one thing that I do know is sizing boiler is very important. Can’t do the typical plumbers trick of find boiler size and add 50% as you run the risk of short cycling. If you use buffer or store sizing that very important too. I’m learning and think I have chosen a good company to help me so only fair I reward them too! Although in fairness they are putting work my way too.
Not all my customers will have Windhager money so need to look for alternatives otherwise may lose some of them.

Has it got okofen written on it? Suspect not!

How so? Pretty sure it has okofen (umlauts n all) on it.
Its like a bloody space station.

Id be interested to find a brand thats cheaper than windhager/okofen, but has a bit more automation than mine (I love mine, but if I want to advise people Im not sure mine will suit more than 1 in 10 of them)

Think they are sold nder a different name in the uk.
Whereas I can get a whager system to fit everyone……..

nope, proper okofen.
comes with a masters degree.

If you had a Windhager your store controls and solar would talk to each other and work in harmony!

id also be skint 😉
Id also not be nearly as enthusiastic about his stuff. Being so far removed from the thinking is great for a quiet life, but no fun if you are interested in the whole process.

Skint I can see removed from the process I’m not so sure about. But if you were doing it commercially then the tinkering you have to do would bankrupt me!

Ecobuild – I’d hate to be in solar PV right now – at least 50 companies all showing near-as-dammit the same things. Not nearly enough interesting things but worth it to ‘place myself’ in that world. I thought SustainabilityLive at the NEC had more things of interest to the realist.