# Back Boiler - what's involved in installation?



## frash (19 Sep 2007)

Hi,

I grew up in a house with a back boiler where the roaring fire heated all the rads in the house.

I've just gone sale agreed on a house that has a solid fuel fire & has oil powered central heating.
What would be involved if I wanted to get a back boiler installed.

I might install a wood burning stove in the fireplace - can I use these "wood pellets" I keep hearing about in a regular stove or do I need a special type of one?

Thanks for any info!


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## sydthebeat (19 Sep 2007)

As far as i know you can have the two systems running hand-in-hand... thats the way my parents house works, the primary heating is solid fuel back boiler with an oil burner as back up......

regarding 'wood pellets' in a wood burning stove.... they are not designed for this, but you can purchase high performance 'wood heat-logs' that are more suitable for wood burning stove...
similar to this: [broken link removed]


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## colmanmc (20 Sep 2007)

You can get special wood pellet stoves with back boilers though, a few companies do them


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## xt40 (21 Sep 2007)

you can only do this without major replumbing if you dont  have a sealed heating system. if your system is sealed and the water overheats eg during a powercut - KABOOM!! 
if its sealed you will have a little red tank in your hotpress and if not you will have an extra baby water tank in the attic. newer builts tend to be sealed.


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## Pique318 (21 Sep 2007)

you'll need major work to get a back boiler installed. 

The back boiler itself is probably the easiest bit but the pipes have to go to and from the cylinder and unless you don't want them recessed it'll be lots of work.


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## Buddyboy (21 Sep 2007)

Also, some of the new stoves have waterheating elements in them.  So by getting a new stove you may kill two birds with one stone.  Just make sure to factor in the cost of plumbing the boiler element of the stove as Pique318 said.

The stoves themselves are not cheap, starting at over €1,000 iirc.


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## frash (21 Sep 2007)

Thanks pique318 - it's the answer I was looking for but sadly not the one I wanted to hear.

Thanks to everyone else who replied.


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## tosullivan (10 Dec 2011)

Just like to resurrect this and see if the OP ever got the BB installed?

I have a similar setup in my house. Oil c/h with open fire and sealed heating system. We have a rad within 6' of the fire. Can the bb system be connected to this rad or does it have to go direct to cylinder as mentioned?


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## villa 1 (12 Dec 2011)

The back boiler/ stove cannot be connected to a sealed/closed heating system. You will have to install a open dual heating system with dual coil cylinder and a 1(25mm) inch unrestricted primary gravity circuit between the solid fuel boiler and hot water cylinder.


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## Catering141 (31 Jan 2012)

2 of my neighbours got this done and we are thinking of doing the same this summer. I'll let ye know work load and costs etc.


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## glic83 (23 Mar 2012)

Any update on this ?


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## wood stove (26 Apr 2012)

Have enjoyed reading the above posts. I am at the process of replacing my open fire with a wood stove with a back boiler and have learned a lot from this forum. I will now have to replace the pressurized system with a Feed and expansion tank, Does any one know if this will affect the efficiency of the system and what are the draw backs , if any


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## S.H.S (26 Apr 2012)

The ingress of oxegen through the open vent pipe, though this can be countered by the correct dosage of inhibitor, also what is your current heat source ?? 
Most system boilers have a minimum pressure requirement of 0.5 bar, if this is not achieved the boiler simply won't run.
SYTEM BOILER pump, vessel, safety valve is incorporated within,


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