Central heating boilers with wood chip auger – the basics

Central heating boilers running on a wood chip are a cost-effective and ecological source of heat. Wood chip required to fuel them is cheaper and often more efficient than pellet. Modern wood chip boilers are also fully automatic and independent, saving you on operating costs.

The specs of central heating boilers with a wood chip auger

Wood chip Boilers have a dedicated screw feeder and enlarged fuel tank. They differ from pellet boilers, which are more compact. In addition, wood chips have less calorific value than pellets. Therefore, construction elements of the boiler like auger, burner and hopper are larger and allow to obtain the right parameters and power range of the furnace.

How to choose the right boiler and wood chip?

Wood chips have different origins: branch wood, waste wood, sawmill wood, carpenter’s wood. The wood chip calorific value is directly affected by its moisture content. Ensure that you choose a trusted supplier that can provide the right type of wood chip for your boiler.

A boiler with a wood chip auger is made of high-quality steel, because wood chips are larger than pellets, have an irregular shape and a higher transportation resistance. They are usually less calorific, so you will need more to produce a similar value of heat energy compared to pellets. Wood chip boilers also require larger fuel tanks.

Wood chip burner maintenance

For optimal boiler operation, you should avoid using typical branch chippings as fuel. They can be contaminated and moist. As a result of using low-quality wood chips, you may damage the boiler, and it may produce less heating energy.

Wood chip boilers with an auger require regular maintenance. They must have service access to the auger to allow removal of any blockage that may occur. Access to the fuel hopper must also be possible from all sides, as the hopper may need to be emptied.

Wood chip auger boiler prices

The price of a wood chip boiler with an auger is slightly higher than pellet boilers’ price. However, the wood chip boiler is more robust than a pellet stove and will last much longer – even more than ten years without repair.