Back boiler and grate position

[Caroline6192]

hi all

I've recently moved in with my other half and we're having problems with the hot water/back boiler and I was hoping someone on here would be able to help as I've tried googling but can't find the info I need and I'm getting different information from different people.

I don't know the make of the boiler other than being told by our chimney sweep that it's a good one. It only heats our hot water, no radiators (no central heating at all brrr)

When I first met him he said that's as hot as the water gets, you need to turn the immersion heater on. It was tepid and that was about it.

I asked when he'd last had the chimneys swept, about 2 years so I got them done anyway. The sweep found half a brick blocking the hole at the back, removed it and hey presto the water was suddenly hot, and I really do mean hot.

However, other half has it in his head that the grate has to be above the hole at the back to draw the flames and heat down to heat the boiler. He has changed the grate to another one which is taller than the previous one but still doesn't cover the hole. However since doing this the water isn't heating up properly again and we're back to having to use the immersion heater.

I've been told by some people that it depends upon the position and type/make of the boiler as to whether the grate needs to be above or below the hole.

Other half won't have it and says it has to be above and says it's possible that the boiler has been installed too high.

But my thinking is if the lower grate that we had before was managing to heat the water and heat it well and this new grate (which is taller but not tall enough according to other half) is barely heating it at all (tepid) then it would seem that for ours we need a low grate.

Having spoken to someone today who has one, her grate is about 1 inch tall, even lower than our old one and that does all her water and several radiators.

Help please as I'm getting fed up of cold baths.

Many thanks
X

 

[Burnerman]

Maybe a picture of the damper arrangements could help us here Caroline, but the hot gases from your fire are usually directed under the back boiler in your fireplace......that's the only way the water will properly heat.
The damper levers are often either just in the chimney itself or to either side of the fireplace.
John

 

[Caroline6192]

Hi John

Thank you for your reply. I'll be the first to admit that I don't really know anything about them other than the fire heats up the water and we get hot water haha.

Ok, now I'm on my phone so not sure how to upload photos onto here so apologies if I do it wrong.

Hopefully this will work, this is the lever that we use, pull it forward (it's in the forward position) for the fire to heat the boiler, back to close.

I couldn't really get any closer photos as it's currently lit.

 

[Caroline6192]

I'll try to get a photo of it in the morning when it's cold.

 

[Burnerman]

On the right track, I think.....if you completely empty the fire grate, you should find a slot at the back of the fire that will be blocked solid with ash and crap. This needs to be cleaned out so that hot gas and flames can pass under the boiler and around the back, heating the water as it goes.
You can check the operation of the damper with a smoke match or a fag.....one way, the draw should be under the boiler, the other just up the front.
Enjoy
John

 

[Nige F]

hi all



However, other half has it in his head that the grate has to be above the hole at the back to draw the flames and heat down to heat the boiler. He has changed the grate to another one which is taller than the previous one but still doesn't cover the hole. However since doing this the water isn't heating up properly again and we're back to having to use the immersion heater.

'
Other half won't have it and says it has to be above and says it's possible that the boiler has been installed too high.

But my thinking is if the lower grate that we had before was managing to heat the water and heat it well and this new grate (which is taller but not tall enough according to other half) is barely heating it at all (tepid) then it would seem that for ours we need a low grate.

Having spoken to someone today who has one, her grate is about 1 inch tall, even lower than our old one and that does all her water and several radiators.

Help please as I'm getting fed up of cold baths.

Many thanks
X

It's quite simple - the grate should be below or level with the bottom of the hole in the back boiler- Your other half is wrong . Trust me I lived in a house with just the water heated,a back boiler like yours/ no central heating. And I remember the winter of '63 there. That was cold.

 

[Caroline6192]

Morning

Ok so I've taken another photo so you can see the hole and the back of the grate.

Excuse the mess I haven't cleaned it yet.

Thanks

 

[Phill Peck]

Fook me I was expecting to see a warning at the bottom to say this post is 40years old.
I'm amazed this stuff still exists let alone as a primary heat source

 

[Burnerman]

Have you managed to uncover the channel under the boiler yet, Caroline?
Nige is absolutely correct regarding the grate.
John

 

[Caroline6192]

Err, channel under the boiler???

Is that that arch at the back?

Sorry, I told you I know nothing about these things

 

[Caroline6192]

So in a way was I right in that we need a low grate not a high grate? Woohoo, other half will suffer tonight

 

[Caroline6192]

Fook me I was expecting to see a warning at the bottom to say this post is 40years old.
I'm amazed this stuff still exists let alone as a primary heat source

Welcome to the back of beyond, well the junction of two motorways anyway (I live on a farm)

I'll admit, I miss my central heating

 

[DaveHerns]

I think you need to work on him to get a few home improvements !

 

[Burnerman]

I can only generalise here, but usually there's a passage at the bottom of the boiler which allows hot gases to pass around the back.
If you can give us a pic of the thing cleared out, and grate out of the way?
John

 

[PullerGas]

OK, see if this helps. Though it's not a elevated grate like yours you can see the dimensions from the photo.
There's a flue way behind the back boiler & a damper at the top of the flue way. The bottom of the back boiler sits about 50-70mm above the grate.

Milner did at one time manufacture a one piece fire back with a cut-out for a back boiler.