types of back boilers

[TerryWaite]

hi all

this probably sounds stupid to alot of you guys but i have not really worked on back boilers at all. I have seen one type where you can see the burner tray from underneath the fire and it operates seperately from the fire, it just sits behind it, and has controls underneath accessible to the user, i.e. the fire does not need to be on to get heating or hot water.

I have also been to a customers house where it is apparent they have a back boiler behind an old parkray but you cant see any of it and this does require the fire to be on to get its heat. Does this type have a different name from the other type and what features do these ones have? Are there any controls behind the fire or is it literally just a coil behind the fire?

I know baxi do a course on thier back boilers is that worth a look into? Any other courses where I could learn more about them?

regards

 

[ecowarm]

Sounds like the first one is gas back boiler and the second is solid fuel, the solid fuel can't heat the water without the fire being lit or am I not reading your post correctly?

 

[stevetheplumber]

i would think baxi only do courses for their latest bbu which doesnt have a fire attached to be honest there isnt much to a back boiler a stat a gas valve and a burner

 

[bennygas]

i think i prob got a load of old manuals on the glow worm and baxi bbus if you want 'em. PM me if that's the case.

 

[zzzjim]

Solid fuel back-boilers , often have seals designed to fail , so bits of 1/4 " cast iron don't go grinade .

If water cannot flow ( Poor system design+ Power cut ) and a windy day boosts fire !

 

[tamz]

The Parkray is a solid fuel back boiler correctly called a room heater. Basically a cast iron or steel water jacket around a fire. The only controls are an air control knob , which may or may not be thermostatic. A dial, usually on the left which operates a lever with a plate that covers hole in the bottom left corner. More air = bigger fire and more fuel used.
Most others have a damper plate which is opened and closed just above the fire door. Opening it sends more heat around the boiler and heats the water /rads more, closing it cuts back the heat to the boiler and sends more to the room..
They take a bit of getting used to to set them right and usually the customers will know better than you how to set them best for the fuel they are burning and the heat they want.

Here is what one looks like when it is out.



This one was a freestanding model (rather than behind a fireplace), kind of like a stove, as you can see the side panels. It is the exact same boiler behind a fireplace minus the panels.
That one is also a Parkray.

 

[Puddle]

Here is what one looks like when it is out.

View attachment 6405

I know I am strange but I find this really sexy ,turned off a bit by the expandable foam round the waste pipe ! :disappointed:

There used to be a place in Brixton that stocked all the old cast iron heat exchanger sections,domestic through to industrial,gone now,used to love poking about their yard

imho

 

[dancinplumba]

i think i prob got a load of old manuals on the glow worm and baxi bbus if you want 'em. PM me if that's the case.

keep em !! they could be your pension 🙂

 

[ecowarm]

The type of back boiler i was talking about was with an [DLMURL="http://www.parkray.co.uk/assets/downloads/Para%20Inst.pdf"]open fire[/DLMURL]

 

[tamz]

We used to fit these type open fired back boilers as they had around 20% more heat output than any other.
http://www.grantengineering.ie/wp-content/themes/2009/downloads/grant-triple-pass.pdf

Still basically a water jacket around a fire.

 

[AWheating]

Solid fuel back-boilers , often have seals designed to fail , so bits of 1/4 " cast iron don't go grinade .

If water cannot flow ( Poor system design+ Power cut ) and a windy day boosts fire !

power cuts should not matter as any motorised valve should be normally open and the heat leak is always available, tho like you say system design is important.

 

[bennygas]

just had a look on baxi website - stuff on the old 552,551 and 401 etc on their discontinued products section within the installers section. it's within the partsarena bit, so they're not pdfs, but at least you can read 'em.

Discontinued products