Back Boiler - installing a stove

FrStone

I've recently bought a house that has a back boiler and an open fire.

My neighbours swear that the back boiler is a great way to heat the house. Is it? I've tried googling how to work the thing and haven't gotten far...

I have thought about installing a boiler stove instead. Is it costly to install? Does the entire back boiler have to be ripped out and re plumbed? Or is there any advantage to already having a back boiler in place?

blackbox

The plumbing for the back boiler should be OK for the stove - i presume there is a circulation pump.

You will probably be advised to get the chimney lined for the stove because of he potential higher temperatures.

The stove will be much more efficient than the open fire.

wex96

Hi, same question, does this include pellet stoves?

cat320

Hi I'd like more feedback too, I have an old open fire/back boiler too and I was wondering can I get a multifuel boiler stove to heat the rads, it's a big old 2 story farm house. Is it possible to run an oil boiler alongside with it? I was thinking of starting off with the oil then get the stove going and turn off oil boiler. Any advice appreciated. Every store I ask about the boiler stove no one is interested in selling and i don't know why the way the price of oil is gone. Thanks. John.

cat320

Ubbquittious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118908661#Comment_118908661

Would the temperature not be lower ?

I got rid of an old stove and replaced with a newer one and the chimney doesn't get nearly as hot now. If u have an open fire then most of the heat is going up the chimney, even with backboiler

Ubbquittious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118986895#Comment_118986895

Yes several configurations are possible I don't know whats wrong with those stores they probably just don't know how to do it

blackbox

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118986895#Comment_118986895

Yes this is possible. The best way to do it is to have a hot water cylinder with two separate coils in it so that the two boiler circuits are independent. It is possible for them to share a coil but you would probably waste energy - running the oil boiler would heat the back boiler if there was no fire lit and heat would be wasted up the chimney.

cat320

Thanks for getting back. Our old back boiler is still hot when the oil boiler is on we haven't lit a fire for years.. I'm sure there is a way of turning that off there are taps etc in the press beside the fireplace but I haven't a clue about plumbing etc. There are two open fires back to back each in separate rooms does that mean we would have 2 coils then already? Who would be the best to ask or make inquiries about it? The shop or a plumber? Thank you.. very much. John.

cat320

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118999628#Comment_118999628

Hiya, yea the main reason from what im hearing is that there is little heat from the fire itself to the room, it all goes heating the boiler, that doesn't bother me one bit because that's why I'm buying it to save on oil.. especially if the oil and stove can work together, I think not everyone is aware that you can.

Ubbquittious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119002598#Comment_119002598

This is true I installed one hoping to get away with whatever kW to the room the stove itself was supposed to give but soon ended up installing a big radiator

olestoepoke

We went through this last year, did a good bit of research and here's what we found. There are three options, Systemlink heat genie, Heat Hero and NRG. We went with the heat hero as there is no need to replace the cylinder to a dual coil. It's important that you get the right KW stove for the area you are trying to heat. Too much and you'll be sitting in your jocks sweating bullets. There is a significant amount of electrical work associated with the Heat Hero as a relay needs to be installed. After our first winter with it we are happy enough. The rads in the house heat up within 10 minutes and depending on how much you feed the fire they stay warm to Luke warm for hours whilst the stove is lit.

cat320

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119002976#Comment_119002976

We have a rad in the same room the stove is going so should be OK? Thanks for the reply..

cat320

Would the setup I have for the open fire back boiler be ok? As in the plumbing. Would there be much work/cost involved in it, leaving out the price of the stove. Is it a qualified certified plumber I need to call to us to explain or see what work needs to be done? I've decided on a wood burning boiler stove.. coal won't be around for long more the way the government is going. Plus multifuel stoves eat logs like nothing I've seen.. I think they are designed more for coal, but would a wood burner get hot enough with logs to heat the rads?

slystallone

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119003008#Comment_119003008

Does the stove radiate much heat out into the room with this system or does most of the heat go into the water?

olestoepoke

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120109267#Comment_120109267

The Stove is like a big radiator, so yes the living room is nice and cosy to sometimes too warm. Rad in the living room obviously turned off as no need for it. Important to get the correct size stove for the size and set up of the room, there's online calculators.