Connect back boiler to tank via attic?

DrPhilG

Excuse my complete ignorance of this topic...

We have an open fire but we're considering switching to a stove.

We would like the stove to heat our rads too but we don't have a back boiler. My understanding is that we would need to plumb a back boiler to the tank in the hotpress in order to do this, but we don't fancy ripping up our hall tiles to do it!

Someone suggested to me that because we live in a bungalow, we could take that plumbing up and across rather than down and across.

Is that possible?

Walter Becket

DrPhilG wrote: »

Excuse my complete ignorance of this topic...

We have an open fire but we're considering switching to a stove.

We would like the stove to heat our rads too but we don't have a back boiler. My understanding is that we would need to plumb a back boiler to the tank in the hotpress in order to do this, but we don't fancy ripping up our hall tiles to do it!

Someone suggested to me that because we live in a bungalow, we could take that plumbing up and across rather than down and across.

Is that possible?

Add your reply here.

In a bungalow the hot (flow) should go up across, the attic and down onto the hot press. The cold (return) pipe should go down into the floor across to below the hot press and up into it. Unless the hot press is near enough that the pipes can go at the height they leave the back boiler sloping up to the hot cylinder. The cylinder must be higher than the back boiler.

DrPhilG

I think I'm probably screwed.

I'll try to add a diagram to explain, but basically there probably isn't any way to do that without digging up floors.

Walter Becket

DrPhilG wrote: »

I think I'm probably screwed.

I'll try to add a diagram to explain, but basically there probably isn't any way to do that without digging up floors.

Well no there are options that can avoid kangoing up the floor but they are expensive.
1. You can move the copper cylinder into the attic.
2. There's a supplier in Bunclody calls himself taps who imports a stainless steel tank with a heat exchanger that allows great flexibility.

hatchman

DrPhilG wrote:

I think I'm probably screwed.

I know nothing about the heat genie other than seeing their website, but i am sure some one on here will advise if they are any good but guessing it could be an option in your case ? Here's the link without the http.... systemlink.ie/products-59/heat-genie.html

DrPhilG

Thanks folks.

I think I'll need to get a local stove installer to come and have a look, see what the options are.

Avoiding pulling up floors may make it more expensive, the cost, dirt and hassle of ripping up a hall way full of porcelain tiles is not fun wither.

thesteve

I have a dormer bungalow with the hot press on the ground floor and we have a stove with a back boiler. The pipe comes out the side of the chimney, up the wall, into the crawl space upstairs, along the crawl space and then down into the hot press and into the tank.

It was all done while the house was being built / finished off.

Walter Becket

thesteve wrote: »

I have a dormer bungalow with the hot press on the ground floor and we have a stove with a back boiler. The pipe comes out the side of the chimney, up the wall, into the crawl space upstairs, along the crawl space and then down into the hot press and into the tank.

It was all done while the house was being built / finished off.

Without seeing your system I wouldn't like to say it's not safe but I know of no way what you describe can be done safely.

thesteve

Walter Becket wrote: »

Without seeing your system I wouldn't like to say it's not safe but I know of no way what you describe can be done safely.

Out of interest, what would be unsafe about it?

Dtp1979

thesteve wrote: »

Out of interest, what would be unsafe about it?

Are both pipes rising up the wall?

thesteve

Dtp1979 wrote: »

Are both pipes rising up the wall?

There's one insulated hot water pipe coming from the stove, out the side of the chimney and up the side of it in a kango'd grove up into the ceiling. We then wrapped the chimney in stone so you don't see it.

The other pipe goes under the floor iirc.

Dtp1979

thesteve wrote: »

There's one insulated hot water pipe coming from the stove, out the side of the chimney and up the side of it in a kango'd grove up into the ceiling. We then wrapped the chimney in stone so you don't see it.

The other pipe goes under the floor iirc.

That should be ok once your cylinder base is higher than the top of the stove and the distance from the stove to the cylinder isn't too far. And of course the pipe in the attic is rising all the way

thesteve

Dtp1979 wrote: »

That should be ok once your cylinder base is higher than the top of the stove and the distance from the stove to the cylinder isn't too far. And of course the pipe in the attic is rising all the way

Yeah, that's the case. I asked the plumber could they not drop the pipe in the attic so it didn't take up space in the crawl space but he said it needed to raise up.

Walter Becket

thesteve wrote: »

Walter Becket wrote: »

Without seeing your system I wouldn't like to say it's not safe but I know of no way what you describe can be done safely.

Out of interest, what would be unsafe about it?

Add your reply here.
Sorry man I thought you ment both pipes went to the attic.

thesteve

Walter Becket wrote: »

Sorry man I thought you ment both pipes went to the attic.

No problemo!

DrPhilG

Been talking to a few installers and all agreed that going up and over is not a good idea. Technically possible but not advisable.

One guy has suggested a Defro slack boiler. Can be installed in the garage right beside the oil burner, so no ripping up of floors etc.

Burns 24/7 and has an automatic hopper so only needs filled once a week or so. I called to a plumbing supplies place today to see theirs in action and it seems very good.

Would probably cost only slightly less in slack than I currently spend on oil but the difference is I currently only run the oil about 3 hours a day whereas the slack would provide constant heat day and night.

I'm tempted.