Runnig gas ch and a back boiler ????

peterdavmahoney

Hi there,
Does anyone know if I can run a my current gas central heating along side with solid fuel fire with a back boiler attached. I'm not looking forward to more €300+ gas bills this winter. The gas boiler I have is a Vokera Mynute 14 SE. Any advice/help would be appreciated.

Beruthiel

Moved to DIY

ART6

Quite normal to do what you suggest, but the back boiler will have to have it's own circulating pump and filling and vent pipes. You would also need a means of switching between the two systems so that the gas boiler is not running at the same time as the back boiler. In my system that's achieved by a switch that isolates the back boiler pump, thereby preventing the other boiler from circulating through the back one. Don't know how that would work with a pressurised system though -- I don't think back boilers will work with such, but I'm no expert on that.

311

You cannot have a pressurised system connected to a back boiler.
As far as I know ,the minute boilers only work on a pressurised system. I.E +1BAR.

copper12

I would agree with 311
However it could be done but might not be worth it
You would need a buffer tank and a heat exchanger flat plate type
The back boiler would be open vented but the gas would be sealed
They would combine at the heat exchanger

f1_jb

As 311 said you can't install a back boiler with a presurized system which is what you have with a Vokera 14se.

You could change your boiler to a boiler that can be fitted on an open vented system but you would be better off fitting a condencing boiler by the time you look at how much it will cost you to install the back boiler and then the running costs to acheive the required tempature to heat your house.

There's lots of people thinking they can save money putting in back boilers these days but if you weigh the costs up plus the hassle involved is both running the back boiler, cleaning it out, storing fuel for it and slow start up time is it really worth it?

ART6

f1_jb wrote: »

As 311 said you can't install a back boiler with a presurized system which is what you have with a Vokera 14se.

You could change your boiler to a boiler that can be fitted on an open vented system but you would be better off fitting a condencing boiler by the time you look at how much it will cost you to install the back boiler and then the running costs to acheive the required tempature to heat your house.

There's lots of people thinking they can save money putting in back boilers these days but if you weigh the costs up plus the hassle involved is both running the back boiler, cleaning it out, storing fuel for it and slow start up time is it really worth it?

That I'd agree with, having such a system. It's nice to have a coal fire in the winter, but given the price of coal and the inefficiency of the back boiler, it doesn't save any money for me and it is a lot of hassle.

peterdavmahoney

"As 311 said you can't install a back boiler with a presurized system which is what you have with a Vokera 14se.

You could change your boiler to a boiler that can be fitted on an open vented system but you would be better off fitting a condencing boiler by the time you look at how much it will cost you to install the back boiler and then the running costs to acheive the required tempature to heat your house.

There's lots of people thinking they can save money putting in back boilers these days but if you weigh the costs up plus the hassle involved is both running the back boiler, cleaning it out, storing fuel for it and slow start up time is it really worth it?"

I can lay my hands on free timber, does anyone have any idea of the costings for the change of boiler? could I pick up a second hand one for little or nothing and do I have to change my tank - sorry but I am a total novice at this type of thing.