Back boiler

[Liverbnz]

I have just moved home into a house with an open fire and a back boiler. The back boiler just heats the water for all the taps but not for the radiators. Is there anyway I can change this because upstairs gets absoultely freezing in the morning and we have no timer for the oil heating.

There is tremenndous heat from the fire in the living room if we shut it off from the boiler and it is good enough even when heating the boiler. If we had a little heat upstairs constantly then it would sort the problem. I can't exactly leave the heating on all night just to be warm in the morning. So basically I just want my back boiler to heat the rads because the fire stays burns all night without be fueled. Is this expensive or even able to be done?

 

[mathepac]

... Is there anyway I can change this because upstairs gets absoultely freezing in the morning and we have no timer for the oil heating...

Yes, it can be changed, but the ease of doing this and cost will depend on how the existing heating and water system are plumbed in. You will need to get pricing from an experienced contractor based on an on-site inspection.

...
There is tremenndous heat from the fire in the living room if we shut it off from the boiler...

Not a good idea as you risk blowing your house up. The heated water needs to go somewhere.

... If we had a little heat upstairs constantly then it would sort the problem. I can't exactly leave the heating on all night just to be warm in the morning. So basically I just want my back boiler to heat the rads because the fire stays burns all night without be fueled. Is this expensive or even able to be done?

Given that the area you want to heat is upstairs (and hot water rises without the need for a pump) it may be easy to take a feed from the existing pipe-work to separate dedicated rads in the areas you want to heat.

Having said that, it might be simpler (and cheaper) to install an electronic timer on your oil-fired heating.

 

[Liverbnz]

Thanks for the help.

When I said we shut the fire off from the boiler, I meant we can direct all the heat from the fire in the room with the water not being heated so I am safe from explosion I would say.

 

[briancbyrne]

I agree with mathepac...instal a timer switch! - I installed one myself 2 weeks ago, replacing it with an old analog switch. Fantastic job and all in all cost under €60

 

[DavyJones]

There is tremenndous heat from the fire in the living room if we shut it off from the boiler and it is good enough even when heating the boiler.

How do you do that? There should be no valves on the flow and return from boiler to cylinder. mathepac is completely right. It is a very dangerous thing to do.

Easiest thing to do is fit time clock on oil.

If you are lucky a plumber may be able to tap into heating circuit in hot press.

 

[Liverbnz]

We can change the direction the heat will flow, the water will still heat, just much slower as the heat is directed mostly into the room. it can be altered from one to the other. I used to have this in my house when i was a kid as well

I have a plummer coming out to price the changng of the boiler to the rads. As I say the fire burns on all night and the heat may as well be used even if it only keeps the ads lukewam at night.