# Gerkros wood pellet problem



## derekh (13 Jan 2008)

I have a new build 230sqm bungalow with UFH/buffer tank/30kw Gerkross boiler.
This boiler has been a disaster since it was fitted.  A fire, melted plastic hoses, buckled metal fire door and burnt out fire back to name but a few.  The company has not yet heard of "after sales service"
My main problem at the moment is excess pellet use, 2 tonnes per month.
Cause?  The boiler will not reach working temperature (max 60degC) due to a build up of black dust within the heat exchange chamber.  The flue gas temperature is 250degC.
The boiler was completely serviced 4 weeks ago, and the engineer remarked that there was a lot of dust.  I pointed out that I cleaned it 2 weeks before.  The burner spout is also cracked due to high temperatures.  He cleaned it and it was fine for about 2 weeks when the flue gas temp went up and the boiler temp went down.
Why should this dust build up so quickley and prevent heat exchange?  The pellets are bulk Balcas and no one else has this problem with their pellets.  Is it the burner?
The are coming to fit a 5 stage modulating digital control on Tuesday at €300 is it worth it?


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## ollie323 (13 Jan 2008)

Hi derekh,

I would be hesitant to accept that if its not a replacement unit. If its something not already on the boiler then, the boiler should have worked in the first place. My brother has a gerkros boiler and has had no real problems so far. He forgot to clean it once and it packed up with ash. Off the top of my head i would think that the draft regulator on the flue might be either stuck, set incorrectly (there's a little counterweight on it) or not there even! If that doesn't work, the draft gets too strong and increased pellet consumption could result. The rapid soot buildup on the heat exchanger ties in with more pellets being used too. After that, there could be a faulty electronic eye in it, giving false readings. I don't think the feed auger is faulty because the burner would choke with unburnt pellets (i think!!) I could be wrong on all this but sure have a look anyway. You never know. 

Best of luck,
ollie


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## ollie323 (13 Jan 2008)

I'm after re-reading what i wrote and am having second thoughts about the draft regulator. If that stuck closed then, true, you would have a hotter fire, but if you have set a temperature then it will simply use what pellets are in the boiler and burn out, then followed by an attempt at relighting or maybe just fill the burner with pellets. Besides, the engineer would have checked that. I hope! 
It seems like a control issue (faulty electronics, eletronic eye, etc.) I can see what gerkros are thinking with the digital control. But if it was a replacement then they shouldn't be charging you for it. If it's a new addition to the boiler then what the hell were they doing selling a boiler that didn't work without it??
Again, best of luck. I'm keen to see the outcome of this as i'll be taking the plunge in the next year or two.

ollie


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## chimpster (13 Jan 2008)

ollie323 said:


> If it's a new addition to the boiler then what the hell were they doing selling a boiler that didn't work without it??
> Again, best of luck. I'm keen to see the outcome of this as i'll be taking the plunge in the next year or two.
> 
> ollie



Exactly. Gerkros should retrofitting all their boilers with this unit for free. It should not have been sold without it in the first place. 

It sounds like your pellet feeding is set incorrect. If your burning too many pellets you should have half burned pellets in your ash pan, this causes excess heat in the boiler which can lead to damaged doors etc... Who installed this boiler? Who comissioned it?

My own take on this is that, your boiler failed to heat the house at normal pellet output so the comissioner might have increased pellet feeding to get the heat up to the required temp?


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## P.Ranks (13 Jan 2008)

Sounds like you're having a right old hard time of it.
I also have a gerkros without the digital bits, and it is running grand for the past 6 months anyway, using about a ton every two months. New build and on a fair bit.
When I was having the thing commissioned, as opposed to installed, the chap said that he would turn down the output as the house wouldn't require the boiler running at its 24(?)kw capacity, and turned it down to 14 (?)kw, ? because it could be a little different, Xmas and all that has robbed me of those particular cells.
He said that it was quite simple as the kw output is a function of the rate of delivery of pellets, if the motor goes slower and doesn't deliver the things as fast, it gives out less heat.  Thats how I understand it anywho.
So it has been tipping away, jingling for a while, then stopping, dingding.
House has UFH, and system running at 60 C, ish.
I think that it may be that the burner is receiving too much and not quite burning the lot, leading to excess ash, as such.
And having just reread your OP, its a 30kw boiler, in a 230 sq M house with UFH. My house is the same but sans buffer tank. My boiler is running as a 14kw, and haven't had any of the same problems, except for the melted cable, my bad tho, too near the burner, bad design ok, but hey should have seen it.
Only other problem was the dogs chewing on another cable, nearly fried themselves.
Unless your gaff is around 30 C inside when you've her running half the day, that excess heat output, coupled with build-up of ash, will cause lots of problems I reckon.
I only empty the ash once a week, if that, and there's no more than a pint glass full I'd say each time, with little build up on any of the internal surfaces.
I have other difficulties inside relating to the distribution of heat from the manifold, but reckon that its down to the system being improperly balanced. Where the feck did that little plastic chat for turning the valves go? Will bug me til the day I die.


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## derekh (15 Jan 2008)

Thanks for all the help.  The Gerkros engineer is here at present retrofitting the digital controller.  Incidently I note that this will make it 5 step modulating instead of 2.  I was talking to a friend who has Scotte/Dor set up which modulates up to 100 times.  This set up is €1500 less than a Gerkros.


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## embolism (4 Feb 2008)

Hi
I said this in another thread but I had an explosion in my 20kw woodpecker which knocked two plates out of place. In the 20kw the heat is supposed to go behind the fire board at the back, down to the to the ash pan and up the back. It then goes through the loose baffles above the burning chamber towards the front, up to the top at the front) and then out the back. When these plates shifted the heat was running straight up and out the top of the boiler.  We sucked through the pellets.  These plates are small, 4 inches by the width of the boiler, but they can also bend with heat (e.g. your fire). Maybe you have a similar shortcut due to moved/deformed plates?? I am not sure of the layout of the 30kw I think it has more baffles.


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## ElviswasGree (5 Feb 2009)

Hi Guys, Digital controller shouldnhave been on the boiler if bought after Oct 2007.  Maybe yours came from a merchant who had stock left over.  First point I note is the size!  Who sized the boiler?  30 kw and buffer in 230sq m.  You could have a 10kW into a buffer working perfect there, which would use 60% less pellets.  Yoiu need the boiler turned right down.  The 5 step modulation is ok.  100 step does not work at all unless there is a lamda sensor, which Scotte/Dor do not have.  In your set up your boiler can be tunred down to 10kW easy.  There is a secret menu and an enable menu in that, under P45 there is a setting, change this to zero I think then you can put the power level at 1 instead of 5.  This makes it 10kW instantly.  Leave the burner on full time feeding the buffer and make sure your time clock calls for heat direct to the buffer only.  Good idea to have a dedicated Gerkros specialist installer look at it.  There is a guy in SLigo and some guys in the north taht are mentioned on the website.  I called them before CHristmas as I needed an element and Gerkors were bust.  They helped me out and actually delivered it to Dublin and fitted it.  Got some useful advice too from the chap Ricard or something, thye knew there stuff.


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## Rathlynin (7 Feb 2009)

*Re: Gerkros wood pellet*

I have fitted 6 or so of the boilers in the last few years and I've had no bother...I try and convince my customers to put them in cos in 5 years time where will the price of oil be......Most important thing is get a guy who knows what his doing to commission the boiler...Gerkros always send a guy out to commission mine and that is the key...there's some muppets firing up oil and pellet boilers and haven't a clue...In fact on the last boiler I fitted there is a PIN Code required so I think Gerkros has realised that keep the muppets away and once a recognised technician has commissioned the boiler the work sweetly.......


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## JoelLuuk (17 Feb 2009)

Dear Woodpecker customers.

Suirvale Renewables Ltd. have been appointed as exclusive service agents for the Woodpecker range of wood pellet boilers. Shoud you require a service,telephone technical support assistance or require spears,you may contact the numbers listed below for assistance.


Contact: Joel Luuk 087 1210159 James Bourke 087 2866735

If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact us.


If there is no answer please leave your number and name and we call you back.


Yours sincerely. [broken link removed]


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