Wood Pellet Burners & Hoppers - FAQ’s

What are Wood Pellets?
Woodpellets are made from dry sawdust compressed into approximate lengths of 25mm and either 6mm or 8mm diameter. The saw dust is bound by the woods natural ‘glue’
called lignin.The fuel is extremely clean with minimal ash and little or no NO2,SO2, or CO.1 tonne of pellets has a volume of 1.8 cubic metre.

What size house will the Wood Pellet boiler heat?
To get an accurate assessment of your heat requirement one should consult their installer to calculate the average heat loss from their home. One will find that in many cases the heat loss is not that high and even though their house is of large size the average heat output required from their boiler can be as low as 10kW which equates to the average heat loss from their home.

What size hopper will I need?
It depends on the size of ones boiler house or garage, however if ones house is a new build we recommend a 3.5 tonne hopper. Three tonnes will last the average household 5-6 months. Our standard production model comes with a 300kg hopper which will hold enough pellets to last 2– 3 weeks.

What if I don’t have a Boiler House or Garage?
A Gerkros can supply a Cosyman Insulated Casing which can house your boiler and 300kg hopper if one does not have a boiler house or garage.

What kind of chimney do I need?
A standard 5” insulated chimney is recommended. A flue draught stabiliser comes as standard with the boiler and this is fitted to the chimney.

Where can I get my pellets?
Pellets can be bought in bulk (min 3 tonne ) or in bagged form. Balcas from Enniskillen are the largest Irish manufacturer at present and supply bulk pellets direct to ones home which are blown into the hopper. (Cost €155/tonne). Gerkros can supply bagged ‘Woodpecker’ pellets via your heating/builders merchant in 10kg bags a  €280/tonne. There are several other suppliers of bagged wood pellets in the Irish market. 

Are there any special plumbing considerations when I am building my house?
One’s house is plumbed the very same as if an oil boiler is being installed. Your plumber will be able to install the wood pellet boiler.We recommend a mixing valve is installed with
the boiler.

What about commissioning and is it easy to use?
A ECO-NRG registered Gerkros registered technician will commission the boiler at your house and this is included in the purchase price of the boiler. The boiler is as convenient to use as an oil boiler i.e controlled by time clock, thermostats etc and the technician will spend time with the customer ensuring he or she is able to operate the boiler.

What about Ash Removal, Cleaning and Servicing?
Ash from wood pellets is minimal with as little as 0.5% of the pellet ending up as ash. For this reason one needs to remove ash from the bottom of the boiler once every 3 - 4 weeks. Servicing is recommended once a year just as is the case with an oil boiler.

Is it much cheaper than oil?
Based on current oil prices Wood pellet heating is half the price of oil heating, particularly if one buys the pellets in bulk. E.g 2 tonne of pellets = €310 and 1,000 litres of Oil is €600. 2 tonne pellets : 1,000 litres of oil is the ratio that gives the equivalent heat output.