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Frequently Asked Questions
Listed below, you will find some of the common questions we’ve heard throughout the years.
Question: Are these boilers, furnaces, stoves, fireplaces?
Answer: Technically we sell outdoor biomass boilers. Whatever makes it easier for you to remember we’ll understand to what you are referring. You will notice we use the term “furnace” throughout the page, this is to not scare people when the stereotypical image of the dirty “boiler room” comes to mind.
Question: If these are boilers, are they pressurized?
Answer: The boilers are non-pressurized which means that they can not explode since there is no pressure.
Question: How far can the boiler be from the house?
Answer: The boiler can be as far away as 600’ however pump sizing would need to be taken into consideration at that point.
Question: How close can the boiler be to the house?
Answer: The boiler can be less than 5’ from combustibles, however if any service work is ever required, working clearance could become an issue. We do not recommend being any closer than 5’ to a building.
Question: What is the typical distance boiler is from the house?
Answer: While every application is different, an average is somewhere between 35’-75’
Question: Is the pipe selection important when it comes to piping from the boiler to the house?
Answer: Yes. By using ThermoPex & the correct size pump, we have had customers who have left their ThermoPex above ground waiting for the frost to clear. They noticed 00 temperature difference in 175’ of exposed pipe during February in Northwest Montana. Per factory testing, ThermoPex is rated to loose <10 per 100’
Question: Is the boiler price strictly the cost of the boiler?
Answer: Yes. Since every application is different, we have chosen to calculate each part separately to the customer’s needs to ensure you have the size pumps & fittings that will best suit your application. Please refer to our pricing page for a Sample Parts cost breakdown. The price does include any freight incurred from the manufacturer to our office located in Kalispell, MT, two (2) chimney sections, as well as a water test kit.
Question: How often do you have to put wood in the boiler?
Answer: Typically once every 24 hours. We have had customers get longer than that as well as a couple who had poor wood quality or a huge heat load who were getting less. Construction techniques such as insulation, window placement and size are large factors in burn time. Average winter burn time is 24 hours in Northwest Montana using locally harvested wood, mostly Douglas Fir and Larch.
Question: Are they easy to maintain?
Answer: Yes. When figured in actual maintenance time spent on a boiler during a normal heating season, expect to spend an average of 5-10 minutes per month with an hour or so at the end of each season. At the beginning of each season, expect to light two or three fires but once you have a bed of coals built up, there should be no need to light a fire daily.
Question: Can I install the boiler myself or do I have to hire a professional?
Answer: Everyone’s knowledge base is different. We do offer full installation services, however roughly 1/3 of our customers choose to do some or all of the work themselves. If you choose to undertake the project yourself, we would be happy to answer question you may have along the way in addition to using the pictures shown in the diagrams section.
Question: Was this page helpful?
Answer: Please let us know so that we may make whatever corrections are necessary to better serve you and our future guests.
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