Running Underfloor Heating from solid fuel?

Frowzy

Just wondering if anyone has converted an underfloor heating system to run from a solid fuel stove (either a Stanley cooker, or an industrial solid fuel boiler) and how is it working?

When we installed our system it was running off a Rayburn oil cooker as we were both working, now with a family I'm at home more and considering replacing the oil cooker with a solid fuel and putting in an oil boiler as back up. I really don't want to chase out floors and replace the UF heating with rads.

Any ideas?

F

Outkast_IRE

Frowzy wrote: »

Just wondering if anyone has converted an underfloor heating system to run from a solid fuel stove (either a Stanley cooker, or an industrial solid fuel boiler) and how is it working?

When we installed our system it was running off a Rayburn oil cooker as we were both working, now with a family I'm at home more and considering replacing the oil cooker with a solid fuel and putting in an oil boiler as back up. I really don't want to chase out floors and replace the UF heating with rads.

Any ideas?

F

Get a Buffer Tank and connect the Solid fuel and oil boiler up to it.
Obviously you must keep the solid fuel system fully open vented, and discuss with the buffer manufacturer their recommendation when solid fuel is connected up to it.

ccsolar

Hi
You would be best to fit a multi-fuel stratification tank with 2 coils.
As the solid fuel will need to be vented you can connect directly into the tank and vent into the tank in your attic.
Your underfloor is probably pressurised therefore you will need to connect to the top coil in the stratification tank.
You will use all your heating sources to heat the stratification tank 500 litre, fit some temperature stat on the stratification tank which will operate the underfloor heating and job done.
There is a bit of wiring and plumbing involved and both trades need to know how the whole system operates or it won't work, no point having the plumber telling you that's the electricians job.
We have done several of these systems and have to recommend the Stratford Eco, Inis Mor stoves for the solid fuel.
All the best
Cc

Dtp79

ccsolar wrote: »

Hi
You would be best to fit a multi-fuel stratification tank with 2 coils.
As the solid fuel will need to be vented you can connect directly into the tank and vent into the tank in your attic.
Your underfloor is probably pressurised therefore you will need to connect to the top coil in the stratification tank.
You will use all your heating sources to heat the stratification tank 500 litre, fit some temperature stat on the stratification tank which will operate the underfloor heating and job done.
There is a bit of wiring and plumbing involved and both trades need to know how the whole system operates or it won't work, no point having the plumber telling you that's the electricians job.
We have done several of these systems and have to recommend the Stratford Eco, Inis Mor stoves for the solid fuel.
All the best
Cc

I've never done this type of system cc but would love to. What way does it work in relation to the oil heating the tank?

ccsolar

Dtp79 wrote: »

I've never done this type of system cc but would love to. What way does it work in relation to the oil heating the tank?

Hi Dtp79
If the oil is pressurised you can connect it too the 2 nd coil in the tank or if its vented you just connect it directly into the stratification tank same as the solid fuel.
The top coil will always be used for the underfloor heating and the coil itself acts as a heat exchanger within the tank.
The tank itself will have upto 8 connections for heating, 4 flow and 4 returns.
The tank also has a domestic hot water coil which supplies the house with DHW.
You can also buy the stratification tank without any coils but would then have to buy heat exchangers to link the vented and pressurised systems together.
We prefer to use coils within the tank rather than heat exchangers to transfer the heat , much better job and cheaper on the homeowner.
Cc

Dtp79

ccsolar wrote: »

Hi Dtp79
If the oil is pressurised you can connect it too the 2 nd coil in the tank or if its vented you just connect it directly into the stratification tank same as the solid fuel.
The top coil will always be used for the underfloor heating and the coil itself acts as a heat exchanger within the tank.
The tank itself will have upto 8 connections for heating, 4 flow and 4 returns.
The tank also has a domestic hot water coil which supplies the house with DHW.
You can also buy the stratification tank without any coils but would then have to buy heat exchangers to link the vented and pressurised systems together.
We prefer to use coils within the tank rather than heat exchangers to transfer the heat , much better job and cheaper on the homeowner.
Cc

Great thanks for that. Would you have any drawings or sketches. Pm me if you have. Thanks very much

ccsolar

Dtp79 wrote: »

Great thanks for that. Would you have any drawings or sketches. Pm me if you have. Thanks very much

I'm on hols until the 20 Aug but will put something together when I get back
Cc

Dtp79

ccsolar wrote: »

I'm on hols until the 20 Aug but will put something together when I get back
Cc

Sound thanks

Frowzy

ccsolar wrote: »

Hi
You would be best to fit a multi-fuel stratification tank with 2 coils.
As the solid fuel will need to be vented you can connect directly into the tank and vent into the tank in your attic.
Your underfloor is probably pressurised therefore you will need to connect to the top coil in the stratification tank.
You will use all your heating sources to heat the stratification tank 500 litre, fit some temperature stat on the stratification tank which will operate the underfloor heating and job done.
There is a bit of wiring and plumbing involved and both trades need to know how the whole system operates or it won't work, no point having the plumber telling you that's the electricians job.
We have done several of these systems and have to recommend the Stratford Eco, Inis Mor stoves for the solid fuel.
All the best
Cc

The Hubby is a sparks so I'm ok there, its jet finding a plumber who knows what he's doing.
I know we have a twin coil tank already as we set the system up to eventually install geothermal, but I'm not sure now whether or not to go with that or have a solid fuel/oil system in place.

Would be interested to see the drawings/info you prepare for DTP so I can understand better.

The Rayburn Eco-Connect system looks great but I'm pretty sure I can afford to ask the price

ccsolar

Frowzy wrote: »

The Hubby is a sparks so I'm ok there, its jet finding a plumber who knows what he's doing.
I know we have a twin coil tank already as we set the system up to eventually install geothermal, but I'm not sure now whether or not to go with that or have a solid fuel/oil system in place.

Would be interested to see the drawings/info you prepare for DTP so I can understand better.

The Rayburn Eco-Connect system looks great but I'm pretty sure I can afford to ask the price

Hi
What size coils have you on your cylinder ?
I'm pretty sure your getting a bit confused on the cylinders, the twin coil that you have probably stores domestic hot water where as the multi- fuel stratification tank stores central heating hot water and has a domestic hot water coil that passes through the tank, as your domestic water passes through this coil it gets heated up arriving out of the top of the tank hot.
The 500 litre stratification tank will produce upto 600 litres of hot water through this coil before it goes cold based on the tank temperature of 60 degrees.
These tanks normally cost around the 2k mark + vat and work best when combined with solar panels.
Hope this helps
Cc

gctest50

ccsolar wrote: »

These tanks normally cost around the 2k mark + vat and work best when combined with solar panels.
Hope this helps
Cc

Bit OT-ish :
Would someone be better off going for say a 1500/2000L tank ( if possible ) ?

Reasoning :
bit more heat stored for the next day
possible to add a lot more solar in the future


http://www.ratiotherm.co.uk/en/reference-systems/single-occupancy-house/

.

ccsolar

gctest50 wrote: »

Bit OT-ish :
Would someone be better off going for say a 1500/2000L tank ( if possible ) ?

Reasoning :
bit more heat stored for the next day
possible to add a lot more solar in the future

.

Solar panels won't perform great on a 1500 litre buffer , 45-50 degrees in summer if your lucky and a pure wasted of time in winter.
However if you installed a 300 litre next to the buffer for DHW and connected the solar to this tank you could then heat dump the excess energy from the solar into the buffer.
If you take into account the cost of the 1500 litre buffer + 300 litre triple coil tank you are better off to go with the multifuel stratification tank, it's cheaper and a far superior system
Satisfaction guaranteed
Cc

hogandrew

Would it be possible to bring both pipes up and down to a buffer tank? I would like to install a boiler stove but don't want to take up flooring. Has anyone any idea of a safe system for doing this? Could I maybe put the buffer tank in the attic and connect to the underfloor from there? I have height for a header tank etc. Getting the tank up should also be possible

galwaytt

....I don't know about the plumbing side, but bear in mind my 1000L buffer weighs over 1tonne, full. You won't be putting that in any attic......