woodburning stove with backboiler

[chocccie]

Is it safe/ok to use the stove without radiators?

 

if so, what do I need to do to the boiler?

Thanks

[Dave&Olive]

hi ok

 what do you exactly mean , are the rads just turned off , does it heat the hot water as well , need a bit more info

         Dave

[BIG MAC]

Hi if the question is can we spark up a fire wihich has a back boiler but it is redundant /not connected....you need to consider whether a) The tank is open to air (Other wise you may blow the side of your house out by heating a sealed vessel) open means you can pass air or water completely through open pipework without hinderance. b) The lining within the firebox is it brick lined all round? If the boiler/ heat exchanger itself is going to be exposed directly to heat without a suitable transfer into another medium ie. water or bricks which act as a heat sink then a fracture or warping may occur c) Why bother isn't it easier just to hook the thing up properly and have all that lovely heat?

 

[chocccie]

I have a small woodburner in situ which I want to replace with a larger one (which has a back boiler).  I am planning on putting rads in in the future, but time doesn't permit right now.

Cheers

[Maricopa]

There is an article in this months FPN which covers this very subject, written by an installer.  He says that to do so would damage the boiler part and invalidate the warrantee.

[Dave&Olive]

hi ok

     Most wood burners have the back boilers fitted as " Bolt on extra "  ,  you could run it then retro fit the boiler at a later date without damage

       Dave

[master of none]

Hello all, I've spent all night absorbing info. so I thought I would sign up and but in (lower the tone).  I realise this one may have gone off the boil a little by now (no pun intended (much)) but I have heard of people filling boilers with sand when not in use and disconnected, although I don't know what the long term affects would be and I'm not sure I would feel comfortable doing it.  If you remove the bolted on boiler it is very likely that you would need to replace it with fire brick or equivalent, not too expencive.

[Jo]

Don't know the technicalities of heating/plumbing, but my friend who decided to light the fire ( because it was a bit chilly and it looked nice [blink] ) but not run the boiler because it wasn't needed, now needs a new boiler as it blew up [:-))].

[powerdesal]

[quote user="chocccie"]

Is it safe/ok to use the stove without radiators?   The consensus of opinion seems to be, on the face of it, no. However its not quite as simple as that. You could, in fact should anyway, have at least one radiator connected in thermo cycle mode on ANY solid fuel CH system. That radiator should not be isolatable. Conventionally its placed in the bathroom. Its usually referred to as a 'heat leak radiator' and ensures that water can circulate through the boiler at all times and that heat is dumped safely. If no heat leak then its BIG BANG time.

 

if so, what do I need to do to the boiler? See above, connect a heat leak radiator, even if no others are connected.

Thanks

[/quote]

[BIG MAC]

Index rad in bathroom connected in this fashion, traditional but they get incredibly hot...worth remembering that if you have kids, also a reader looking at the above may be tempted to install a rad on closed loop........dont!.....there must be a means for expansion and make up........and even although open systems are frowned upon in France if you do install one dont! use a plastic F&E Tank.......unless you want a melted crisp bag and a flood ...........

[krusty]

OP Has stated he just wants to fit a woodburner with back boiler that is empty ...no pipework no rads ....I suggest keep the small one you have and make do until you have time to do full system.