Wood boilers are the most traditional and economical form of heating. They are sometimes referred to as solid fuel boilers, as they are designed for firing with wood, coal or briquettes.
Heating boilers can be manufactured from steel or cast iron. A steel heating boiler has a long flue gas path where heat from the combustion process is transferred to the heating system, thereby providing a high efficiency coefficient and saving fuel. Cast iron heating boilers will have a service life many times longer than steel heating boilers, but in steel boilers the fuel burns with higher efficiency. A steel wood boiler will be easier to clean, thanks to its straight boiler walls.
An important factor when choosing a wood boiler is also its construction – how large the boiler capacity is, what the permissible log length is, how the heat exchangers are arranged, etc. The efficiency of the heating boiler will depend on these parameters. For practically any wood heating boiler, it is possible to install a pellet burner in the future, thereby obtaining a practically automated form of heating (combined heating boiler).