Frequently Asked Questions
Boiler
Q. Are the boilers fully automatically controlled?
A. Yes, they use a control system which allows you to regulate the temperature, fuel and automatic running of the boiler.
Q. How controllable are the boilers? Are they still efficient when ticking over?
A. Very controllable to 1°C.
Q. How far from the house can the boiler be? And what will the heat loss be?
A. The boiler can be fitted up to 100 meters from the property, and it will lose up to 5 watts per linear metre.
Q. How often do the boilers need filling?
A. This would depend on how often the boiler is used and the heat demand. The hopper could need filling anywhere between every couple of days if the demand is high to once a week if it is just ticking over. The average 3-4 bedroom house uses approx 10 kg per day.
Installation
Q. I have a gas boiler at the moment. Will it run on the existing electrical equipment?
A. Yes, most controlled systems are the same as our machines, they only need a 5 amp supply.
Q. Is installing the boiler the same as installing a wood burning stove?
A. Yes, this is a good example as the challenges are very similar, the main being finding a root for the flue and the optimum position for the boiler.
Combining Different Systems
Q. Can the boilers be combined with oil usage?
A. Yes, they can be combined with oil, gas or LPG but will not be eligible for grants.Q. Can the boilers be used in conjunction with heat pumps/solar panels?
A. Our biomass boiler will work well with solar panels & heat pumps.
Pellets
Q. If oil costs 40p per litre, how would costs compare to burning pellets or cereals?
A. Burning cereals could give you a 40% saving. Burning pellets could give you a 30% saving. Savings depend on the costs of oil, cereal and wood pellet
Q. What is the calorific value of wood pellets
A. 4.8kWh/Kg
Q. What is the economic comparison between these boilers and an oil fired boiler?
A. 1 litre of oil = 2 kg of wood pellets.
Q. What is the cost of wood pellets?
A. £3 - £4 per 15 kg bag. The cost per tonne is between £190-£250.
Q. What storage facilities are needed for the fuel?
A. The wood pellets come in 15 kg plastic bags so can be stored easily. We offer a wide range of storage from 1 tonne to 10 tonne feed hoppers. Additionally pellets can be blow straight into a silo or hopper.
Q. Where is the nearest supplier of wood pellets?
A. Bagged pellets are available at selected Countrywide stores – Bearley, Bourton on the Water, Chipping Norton, Gloucester, Ledbury, Melksham or for a bulk delivery please call 0800 328 0011.
Products
Q. What percentage does the moisture have to be in order for it to burn?A. Wood pellets need to be 10-12%.
Q. Can you burn ordinary wood?
A. No, it has to be wood pellets as the boilers burn to a very high efficiency, the fuel has to be the right size and moisture level.
Environmental Benefits
Q How much carbon will using a biomass boiler save?
A. It varies according to the size and type of the boiler but a property using 5-7 tonnes of wood pellet a year could save 4 tonnes of carbon when compared to an oil boiler of a similar size. That’s the same volume of around 23 double decker buses.
Other Questions
Q. Can you use, or adapt a wood burner to pellet?
A. No
Q. Do you have any other boilers available?
A. Yes, please see Green Energy Supplies for more details.
Q. Are Countrywide MCS accredited?
A. Countrywide are currently going through MCS accreditation and hope to be fully accredited in the next few months.
Q. Will I be able to claim the Renewable Heat Incentive if the government go ahead with this scheme?
A. Yes – in order to the claim the RHI your biomass system needs to be fitted by an MCS accredited installer and the products themselves need to also be accredited. Countrywide and all of the boilers that we offer are currently going through this process.
