Specifications
Delivery and Access
As with all solid and liquid fuels, where on-site storage is normally required, wood systems require storage
areas for the fuels. Deliveries can range from self-collection of bags to bulk delivery by lorry. Bagged pellets
do not usually cause any delivery or access problems in the case of self collection. But if you buying large
quantities of bagged pellets that are delivered by lorry, talk to your supplier rst about the size of the delivery
lorry and ensure that the lorry can get to within a sensible distance of the storage location.
Note on bulk delivery:
Bulk delivery requires careful consideration. Delivery vehicles are typically 10–15 tonne lorries that need to
be able to get to within a reasonable distance of the fuel store, for example within 15–30 meters so the fuel
can be “blown in”. Blown deliveries are common for bulk pellets. Tipped deliveries are preferred for chips but
blown deliveries are still possible but less common. Suppliers might prefer to tip both chip and pellet fuels
as this is quicker than blowing and they may give a better price on this basis. In some mainland European
countries, for example Austria, it is common place for houses to have basements and this facilitates tipped
deliveries. In Ireland basements are a rarity and add additional construction costs. For this reason, blown
deliveries are far more common. If you are designing a house it is worth giving consideration to a basement
boiler room and store as it is a very tidy solution. It is also worth taking advantage of site topography in some
cases, for example where the slope of the site facilitates ramping to the store.
Equipment Specications - Checklist
The boiler should be registered as assumed t for purpose for the purposes of Building Regulations Part
L 2008. Cross-check for boiler listing on the HARP database– for Building Energy Ratings?
Find out how “hands-on” the boiler system will be. i.e. does the boiler have an automatic cleaning and
ash gathering function? If not or if partially automatic, then how often should it be cleaned? What
should be cleaned and what is the correct method of cleaning (heat exchanger and combustion
chamber are usually the main concerns)? How often should the ash pan be emptied?
Boilers should have a minimum warranty of two years. Ask your supplier about the recommended
maintenance (servicing)
For newer airtight dwellings, ask your supplier if a dedicated air supply can be routed to the boiler from
outside.
Also, remember that if the boiler can burn fuels other than wood, then it will not qualify as a renewable
heating product which can be used to meet the renewable requirement of Part L 2008 of the building
regulations.