A second boiler in an existing setup

[FabianPruitt]

Hi
Due to the rising cost of fuel prices in the last month and the pending rises to come in the Autumn and new year, I won't be able to pay for both gas and electricity on my pension. So I will have to cancel my gas supply and freeze to death. That said, is it possible to insert a second boiler and water pump into the system from the garden? It's a bungalow by the way and only 4 radiators.

I'm thinking of using a 45-gallon oil drum filling it with water and heat it with various heat sources, namely biogas and wood. I can guess everybody is shaking their heads and saying this is a terrible idea but under the circumstances, I'm not left with much choice.

The drum would be fitted with a safety valve so it can let off stead if it overheated at night and the whole system would be housed in a brick enclosure and insulated. The water pump is the same make as the original running on 230v. The only problem at present is getting hot water to wash with but I would put a tap in the barrel and take it from there.

Thanks a lot.

Fabian.

 

[SimonG]

Nope, no, never, definitely not.

Please put up your post code so I know you're nowhere near me!

 

[Riley]

Absolutely terrible idea. Sorry

 

[gmartine]

If you have a chimney you are half way there to be able to burn stuff and keep warm and possibly heat water. Ideally with a multi fuel stove, a back boiler and a second coil in your water cylinder (if you have one) you could heat water safely for very little fuel cost or get a fire going in the hearth and fill a bath tub with HW the old fashioned way.

 

[AWheating]

Try and find a 2nd hand solid fuel stove and install it correctly and use you're free/ cheap fuel that way.

 

[FabianPruitt]

Nope, no, never, definitely not.

Please put up your post code so I know you're nowhere near me!

Hi
Actually, I'm in Lincoln, is that far enough away from me so you won't be in the blast zone, but close enough to see the mushroom cloud? I thought putting a diesel heater on the back of my garden shed was crazy but after a year it turned out to be a great idea (not so much around the 18th and 19th of July) but definitely keeps me warm through the winter months.

That's a better Idea. I'll take the diesel heater from the back of my shed and fix it to my sitting room wall (outside of course) in November and drill a hole in the wall. Hope the price of RED diesel doesn't go up as much as the premium has.

Thanks for the reply.

Fabian,

 

[gmartine]

Nothing crazy about a diesel heater, they're usually designed to kept indoors though.

 

[FabianPruitt]

Nothing crazy about a diesel heater, they're usually designed to kept indoors though.

Hi
I built a box enclosure for the shed heater even though I've seen these heaters on the back of people's boats without any cover at all. Been giving this idea a lot more thought than the oil drum heater (no big bangs) may even buy another one for the sitting room's outer wall. You know, these machines can be run on biodiesel as well as red which would definitely keep the price down dramatically.

I'll come back later in the year and let you know how things are progressing.

Fabian.

 

[gmartine]

Unless you have access to genuine 100% biodiesel it's normally blended with petro diesel. I assume then you must have access to 100% biodiesel in modest quantities, what's it taxed at or the price per litre?