Whether to remove a coal fire back-boiler

Shona Honeyman

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Jul 21, 2004, 10:18:07 AM7/21/04

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Opinions please

I am having a full new central heating system installed, replacing a
traditional system with a condensing-combi boiler.

Part of the old system includes a back boiler within a Parkray coal fire
which boosts the hot water tank, but not the radiators. Anyway, obviously
the back boiler has to be removed from the new system. My question is, can
I leave a drained back boiler in place, simply venting hot air into the
loft, or will it burn through creating a fire risk?

David

Set Square

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Jul 21, 2004, 10:26:30 AM7/21/04

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In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Shona Honeyman <shona.h...@ntlworld.com> wrote:

The usual trick with redundant back boilers (assuming you still want to use
the coal fire) is to fill them with sand and blank off the connections. They
then become akin to a solid bit of masonry - and are not considered to be
fire hazards.

--
Cheers,
Set Square
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Lurch

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Jul 21, 2004, 10:58:33 AM7/21/04

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On Wed, 21 Jul 2004 14:18:07 GMT, "Shona Honeyman"
<shona.h...@ntlworld.com> strung together this:

>Part of the old system includes a back boiler within a Parkray coal fire
>which boosts the hot water tank, but not the radiators. Anyway, obviously
>the back boiler has to be removed from the new system. My question is, can
>I leave a drained back boiler in place, simply venting hot air into the
>loft, or will it burn through creating a fire risk?
>

I've recently had this dilemma and the only 2 options are;

1) Remove the boiler completely.

2) Run a load on the F&R from the boiler, either a radiator somewhere,
or towel rails. In my case I used the HW cylinder as the load but
obviously yours is going, unless you decide to replace it, as it may
be cheaper to add a tank of HW into the system with suitable controls
for not emptying cold water into the system for less than it would
cost to remove the boiler.
--

SJW
A.C.S. Ltd

PeterMcC

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Jul 21, 2004, 12:18:56 PM7/21/04

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Lurch wrote in
<hs0tf01irfni77lhd...@4ax.com>

I've recently dealt with one by leaving it in place but filling it with kiln
dried sand. Although all the pipe work had been disconnected, I was
concerned that, with the right combination of circumstances (someone lights
fire, somehow the water jacket pipe stubs have become sealed) that it might
become a fragmentation bomb.

--
PeterMcC
If you feel that any of the above is incorrect,
inappropriate or offensive in any way,
please ignore it and accept my apologies.

Lurch

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Jul 21, 2004, 1:38:16 PM7/21/04

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On Wed, 21 Jul 2004 17:18:56 +0100, "PeterMcC" <pe...@mccourt.org.uk>
strung together this:

>I've recently dealt with one by leaving it in place but filling it with kiln
>dried sand.

Well, that suggestion was never suggested(!) to me at the time, if it
works then that would probably be a better idea than mine.
--

SJW
A.C.S. Ltd

Shona Honeyman

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Jul 22, 2004, 5:38:07 PM7/22/04

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Many thanks for all your help.

You have convinced me that if possible the back boiler's to come out - but
I'll remember the smart kiln-dried sand trick in case the price proves to be
silly.

Cheers

"Shona Honeyman" <shona.h...@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:zWuLc.142$sx5...@newsfe3-gui.ntli.net...