angiescarr

It might seem a strange thread to start in the middle of summer. But anyone know if pellet stoves are really getting an uptake in Spain and what the running costs might be. I know the stoves are more expensive (I'd be looking at the back-boiler type) but does it then get cheaper to use the pellets? Seems like a good idea but if it's a passing fad I don't want to be the one holding a Betamax when VHS takes off, metaphorically speaking.

bil

I saw one in LM and nearly weed myself. 2,400 euros. We paid 800 for a good quality stove that burns wood. We therefore can burn any old bit of wood from the garden etc. I reckon that just to heat the house, on a bad winter, 300 euros. How much will pellets save? To know that I'd need to know weight for weight the difference in price. Think about it tho, if you save a third, it will take 16 years to amortise that. If it halves your fuel bill, ten years.

That's a hell of a payback time IMO. I accept that if you can get hot water, the saving is greater, but I look at the plumbing I would need to install, and my heart sinks.

twistedmelon

A friend of mine (a plumber) looked into it and decided against it. One issue was getting hold of the pellets.
Unless you live in the north, cooler climate, I can't see how they would ever earn their keep, yes the pellets are eco friendly ( as such ) but that would make them a life style choice rather than a sensible room/water heating unit here in Spain.
Solar would seem a better option for water, much depends on your location, just my opinion.

Guardamar4me

Our neighbours bought one last year - asbolutely fantastic, no better word to describe it. Yes they do seem expensive, but in my opinion, well worth it. If we stayed for long periods in the winter, we would without doubt buy one.

The pellets are cheap and seem very economical. They light easily and leave little mess. The big plus for me is that they vent straight through the wall, so no hideous silver chimneys.

bil

Weight for weight how do pellets compare in price?

As for no hideous chimney. Having a metal flue inside the living room gives more heat than you would believe possible. Unless there is a condenser in the pellet stove, what you describe as venting thru the wall could be very, very wasteful, negating a big chunk of your savings.

Guardamar4me

Weight for weight how do pellets compare in price?

No idea. I havent got one, I was just passing an opinion. I do know my neighbours were well satisfied with the cost and amount used.

As for no hideous chimney. Having a metal flue inside the living room gives more heat than you would believe possible. Unless there is a condenser in the pellet stove, what you describe as venting thru the wall could be very, very wasteful, negating a big chunk of your savings.

The silver chimney I was referring to is outside - The only interior 'chimneys' Ive seen are black. I accept your point re potential heat loss and heat emitted by an interior portion of chimney, but even then, heat still disappears up the chimney.

Domino

Don't laugh - but I felt the same way about stereo, didn't want to find all my lovely mono platters were "useless" and wasn't sure this new technology would take off.
Whilst in the long term I was proved wrong and it did stay, the early stereo records were music in the left channel and voice in the right channel and was changed as they got the technology right over the next few years.

bil

The exterior flues here are a joke. External flues are supposed to be insulated. As for heat up the chimney, the only appliances that don't, are condensing units.

Pellets need to be as cheap as chips and readily sourced to merit such a horrific outlay. In the UK, know they have to lend the customer money to buy the stove, then there's a payback which is guaranteed never to be more than the savings. Now that to me suggests that the technology isn't really worth all the trouble. If it were, people would be queuing up to buy. With a wood burner, there is also the sight of burning logs, which is worth something in most people's opinion.

angiescarr

All interesting opinions and all valid. Thanks very much. Well, except for the mono discs 'cos they don't burn. Only joking. Did make me laugh
For me there are also a few more factors which are leaning me towards a pellet stove. The problem of moving and storing wood, as my house has no side/back entrance so everything goes through the (long) house. Also stoking a woodburner. Constantly going upstairs from my workshop(ours is an upside down house) to stoke the stove in the living room to keep a central heating system running is an issue. And as I still work, time wasted as well as shredding and dirtying my hands (I work with polymer clay) makes another plus for a feed system.
Anyone know any suppliers of pellets. I think we could bring a stove over from somewhere cheaper, but availability of pellets would be very important.
I think we have a supplier locally but I'd also need to know that the use of pellets is increasing and not decreasing before I decided.
I've never seen a multi-stove which burns both logs and pellets for a backboiler.

bil

I think that the reason you don't see a combined stove is that the grates etc are radically different. It's either or.

Domino

I did some research on stoves last year and although I havent had to buy one yet the following uk companies seem to have some interesting products with, what I felt at the time were good prices.
http://www.ukstoves.co.uk/product-ca...ti-Fuel_Stoves

http://www.stovesonline.co.uk/wood_b...et-Stoves.htmlalso have a delivery service to Spain and other parts of Europe.

didnt look at the supply of fuel at the time so would be interested in what you find out about the pellet availability

rgds

paquita

Depends where in spain you are.There are suppliers in Almeria.All info is in this link:

http://www.era2007.com/index.html

searcher48

We bought a hergom stove with internal chimney, which has been brill and now dont bother to put on our gas central heating. Light it around 6 pm and add log every 2 hours +/- at midnight close it right down and it stays walm all night. Only needs ash emptying every 10 days. Can burn any old wood found by the bins or in the woods!
I believe one advantage of the pellet system is that you can put it on a timer/thermostat to come on etc

Rotor

Bit of info here on pellet stoves ...http://www.euroheat.co.uk/WoodPelletsfuel.php

Cazzy1

We had a pellet burner put in a fortnight ago. It's great!! You just set the timer and let it dot's stuff. The only thing I find slightly annoying is that it is quite noisy. We paid 1800 euro, but it heats the whole house. Our pellets cost us 3 euro for a 15kg bag.