Decommission Solid fuel Range cooker boiler

[nande2000uk]

Hi,
I have a 21 yr old Stanley Superstar 60 SF range cooker that was converted to run off oil 13 years ago. Im going to install a new boiler, but want convert the Stanley back to SF, disconnect the boiler from the CH and DHW and use it 'dry' (just for cooking and room heating). one plumber has advised me that the boiler will probably go soon after I convert back to SF as most of the heat load will have been in one spot from the oil burner. He advised the best thing to do to keep it going for a few years is to pour Silica sand into the boiler to give it support and protection from heat withought water, and also to leave the flow and return pipes vented.

Anyone got any experience if this works or is potentially dangerous ?

 

[aqualogic7]

I work in france for ten years and filling boiler units with sand is common practice so cooker can be still used

 

[nande2000uk]

I work in france for ten years and filling boiler units with sand is common practice so cooker can be still used

Is it best to drill a hole in the boiler also ?

 

[WHPES]

If you take it to bits I would expect you should be able to remove the boiler altogether, but never looked at one myself.

 

[nande2000uk]

If you take it to bits I would expect you should be able to remove the boiler altogether, but never looked at one myself.

Not an option with a Stanley as the boiler is integral to the cooker (remove it and you will have a great hole in the back of it).

I would much prefer to keep it with the boiler attached to the CH via a thermal store, but from what Ive been told if its been converted to run off an oil burner that hits the boiler at an angle of 45 degrees then the boiler will have been weakened and will probably fail a year or so into being used as a solid fuel cooker.

 

[peteheat]

Is it best to drill a hole in the boiler also ?

The reason some people drill a hole in the boiler is to prevent someone from connecting it up again often to a now sealed / pressurised heating system, if you are in full control there shouldn't be a need to.

Make sure the sand is dry and you will need a small heat to dry out the boiler, it must be a slow heat or you can have a blast of steam coming out.

 

[nande2000uk]

The reason some people drill a hole in the boiler is to prevent someone from connecting it up again often to a now sealed / pressurised heating system, if you are in full control there shouldn't be a need to.

Make sure the sand is dry and you will need a small heat to dry out the boiler, it must be a slow heat or you can have a blast of steam coming out.

I was actually thinking that the hole would make it easier to fill the boiler with sand too; then i can plug with stove cement after. if I fill using the pipes it may not completely fill the boiler as part of the boiler is above where the pipes enter it; maybe silica sand is fluid enough to move and completely fill it, but ill have no way of knowing.

 

[peteheat]

I was actually thinking that the hole would make it easier to fill the boiler with sand too; then i can plug with stove cement after. if I fill using the pipes it may not completely fill the boiler as part of the boiler is above where the pipes enter it; maybe silica sand is fluid enough to move and completely fill it, but ill have no way of knowing.

Boiler steel expands and contracts with heat so fire cement will not move with the boiler and be constantly falling out.

A long time since I played with a Stanley maybe you can make the hole at the top of the boiler, make sure the sand is completely dry and it should flow for you, no harm giving the boiler a few taps of a piece of wood to compact the sand and help it fill the corners.

 

[nande2000uk]

Boiler steel expands and contracts with heat so fire cement will not move with the boiler and be constantly falling out.

A long time since I played with a Stanley maybe you can make the hole at the top of the boiler, make sure the sand is completely dry and it should flow for you, no harm giving the boiler a few taps of a piece of wood to compact the sand and help it fill the corners.

Yep. Or I could take a risk and convert back to SF and leave the boiler connected up to the CH and see how long it is before it leaks.

Decisions decisions.