Insert Stove or Stove with Back Boiler.

Belongamick

Folks,

Need insights - as the title suggests we are considering installing a stove into a 2006 built house, 2200 sq ft. The kitchen/living room/sun room is open plan and idea is to heat this area where the kids will be doing their homework etc.
We have oil fired central heating with all the advantages of quick heat but the cost is getting out of bounds.
The debate in the house is around a stove with or without a back boiler. What have been peoples experience of a stove with a back boiler?
Does the heat of the room area suffer from the water being heated?
Do you need a small coal mine to heat both water and room area?
Does it depend on the make of the stove?

Any help welcome.
Mick.

phatmanwc

Well, my parents replaced their open fireplace with a back-boiler connected stove before Christmas. I'm a little sketchy on the details, but of the two output ratings for that particular model, they went with the higher one.

While it's doing a pretty good job of heating the rest of the house, and hot water, cutting down on the central heating/immersion usage, they've been a little disappointed with the warmth of the room itself, and they miss the direct heat of the open fire. Even though it's a small living room, depending on the wind direction, which seems to affect the draught and performance of the stove, it can be less than toasty in there, and it can take a long time for the stove to get going (they light it much earlier than they would have lit the fire).

Point to note is that they have a large supply of their own timber at home. Now, it would be interesting to ask them if they've noticed a difference through the winter, as the timber has dried out, because I'm pretty sure the moisture content of what they were using back along would have been pretty high. There's a supply inside in their shed drying out for next year, so fingers crossed. Also, they use a bed of coal in the stove, Athracite I believe, which they wouldn't have used with the open fire, so that's an added consideration.

I've been in rooms with stand-alone units, and they seem to do almost too good a job in heating the room, without the back-boiler connection. So, I'm not sure if you'll get the performance you're looking for, trying to fulfil both objectives, especially with a bigger open-plan space like you described. However, someone else might know more than I do! Let me know if you'd like me to find out any info on the specs etc.

Vittu

Belongamick wrote: »

Folks,

Need insights - as the title suggests we are considering installing a stove into a 2006 built house, 2200 sq ft. The kitchen/living room/sun room is open plan and idea is to heat this area where the kids will be doing their homework etc.
We have oil fired central heating with all the advantages of quick heat but the cost is getting out of bounds.
The debate in the house is around a stove with or without a back boiler. What have been peoples experience of a stove with a back boiler?
Does the heat of the room area suffer from the water being heated?
Do you need a small coal mine to heat both water and room area?
Does it depend on the make of the stove?

Any help welcome.
Mick.

Hi,
How did you get on with this. I am in the exact same boat regarding house size and design layout. Any info greatly appreciated.

ggsolar ireland

Vittu wrote: »

Hi,
How did you get on with this. I am in the exact same boat regarding house size and design layout. Any info greatly appreciated.

I would go 3 routes stove with back boiler solar batteries and Wind turbine. If new build I would definitely install ground source heating underfloor heating, too

Vittu

I went the back boiler stove route. It's a 30kw inset stove I ordered from Romania as it was over €500 cheaper than the same model in Ireland, €250 to transport. Just has to be installed now. It's a windy spot so would love to find out about the economics of a windmill.

ggsolar ireland

The windmill would be best with a solar system and batteries. Depending where you live the right conditions for a micro turbine could be used side by side with battery charging and solar panels. Solar panels provide hot water and electricity during the good days with a back up of wind turbine to supplement battery charging and hot water. If that all makes sense.....

The irish legislation on micro turbines is any turbine at 10m or under may not need planning permission, however some county councils would need to be advised on this first.

Vittu

Thanks for that, costwise how much would a medium spec windmill cost (purchase & installation & maintenance), is there a grant available?

olestoepoke

Hey guys looking for advice on a back boiler stove installation. Ive been told that a system link heat genie needs to be installed with it. Ive contacted a few plumbers and none of them seemed confident about installing it. Or are there other options apart from the system link? Any reccomendations on companies or plumbers that a experienced in installing stoves with back boiler via system link? Thanks and PM me of course as per the rules.