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View the thread, titled "Stove Back Boiler Problem" which is posted in Boiler Advice Forum on UK Plumbers Forums.

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cooket3


Hi

I have just bought a house with a stove back boiler. After lighting it up and turning on the water pump, the radiators warm up to just above room temp and the hot water tank is the same or colder.

The copper pipes from the back boiler just get luke warm.

Should the water be pumped from the top of the back boiler or bottom?

Should the pump be pumping water away from the back boiler?

When the fire is on but the pump is off, the upstairs radiators get hotter and the hot water gets warm, but once the pump is on the radiators go cold and so does the hot water.

I have attached 2 images, hopefully these help abit. the pump pumps away from the stove and the pipe is connected to the bottom of the back boiler
 

Attachments

  • 20121014_170704.jpg
  • 20121014_170655.jpg
is this the only means of heating the property?
do you know if the setup has ever given enough heat?

and welcome to the forum.
 
Thanks for the welcome, ive tried other forums but they all talk in riddles and don't answer my simple questions!

Anyway! The house used to have storage heaters, but have been removed for now. There is an immersion heater, which I havent used yet.

I know nothing about if the set up has given is enough heat as the house was a vacant possession.

My mates cousin has one and heats his hot water to very hot within half an hour and radiators too, mine doesn't do this, even after hours!

Just trying to find out whats wrong with mine, winters coming shortly!!
 
could be undersized? your not using enough fuel? incorrect fuel? sludged/corrosion in the heat exchanger?

the hot water and gussing the upstairs rads are on gravity, when you turn the pump on its robbing the gravity side. Cant tell from the picture if theres an injector tee fitted? which should help with this problem.

also the heating side/pump should be controled by two pipe stats, one on the flow and one on the return. The return pipe stat is to stop the heating coming on unless the gravity side is up to a good working temp via a pipe stat on the return. and also very importantly to stop corrosion, cast iron stoves can suffer heavy corrosion inside there heat exchangers if you cause thermal shock. This happens when your heating pump pushes cold water into a hot stove.

I would consider geting a hetas registered engineer to do a system inspection, including service/flue sweep and see what problems are found.
 
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Thanks

The system was drained before I moved in. Does this eliminate sludge? When I bled the radiators the water was quite cleanish.

The stove is packed full of wood. I have a multifuel burner

From what i know it gives out 12-16kw, and i have 6 small and 1 large radiator, think there is enough kw to go around?

What does the injector look like? Near the stove there is just the water pump and thats it, so probably no injector.

I have no stats, as the stove is not electrical.

Im trying to eliminate as much as I can before I get an expensive specialist out!

Thanks
 
You need a specialist because it's a poor installation, possibly even dangerous.
 
Part of the problem is trying to burn just wood.
You need to use coal if you're going stand a chance heating the whole house.
The output will be at least 25% down using wood.

As previously suggested you need a Hetas engineer to assess if it's capable.

How big is the house,, what's the house construction, brick, stone, timber,, how well is it insulated,, double glazed??
 
The injector tee often looks like an ordinary tee. There's a lot of soldered bends on that install & the pump shouldn't be pointing upwards - all pointing to a amateur job.
 
I may be wrong but it's def a diy job, the stove looks brand new and the set of stillsons on the hearth!!!!
 
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