Back boiler and grate position

[PullerGas]

Thank you for the kind offer, you had me at hot water and the shooting lodge in the highlands sounds fantastic for a quiet (or not so quiet ) getaway

Although as my mum used to say, be careful what you wish for

Oh your mum sounds like a very profound & intellegent woman Caroline, shame these things are not always hereditary! Oh well, if you're not interested in my offer I think I'll give Tinder a bash.

Good luck with the fire & I hope you manage to get a bath soon or people will be reluctant to stand downwind of you.

 

[AGAS]

could that second slot be damage caused by level of grate.

 

[Caroline6192]

could that second slot be damage caused by level of grate.

Not sure, it's been like that all the time I've known it and the sweep never said anything about it when he came.

I believe we have lost a bit of pointing, right hand side back but that's it.


Ok, now for the next puzzle. I've just got the old grate out but it seems to be same height as the one we've been using. Other half said this one that he'd put in was taller. So the weird thing is why isn't that one giving us the hot water that the other one was?

Picture of the three (I found another one too ). The middle one is the one that doesn't give us hot water, the straight one on the right does and I don't know about the curved one on the left.

But with the exception of the front bit the height at the back is the same for the middle and right ones (see picture). However the new one I've found is fractionally lower than both so I'm going to give that one a try.

Wish me luck.

 

[DaveHerns]

Has your man ever had a hot bath ? Get rid of the back boiler and have a modern system installed !

 

[Burnerman]

I think you are just a victim of circumstances, Caroline.....to me, all of those grates look a little on the high side but if you can get the fire drawing through that arch, you'll get hot water right enough. The passage from the arch, around the back of the boiler must be clear for this to happen-naturally, - and its not uncommon for it to be blocked with soot after sweeping, or any other debris that may have fallen from the chimney. I get in there with a vacuum cleaner hose minus nozzle to clean these areas out.
A smoke candle (available from plumbers merchants and so on) quickly shows up where the chimney is drawing, and where its not.
John

 

[Caroline6192]

Has your man ever had a hot bath ? Get rid of the back boiler and have a modern system installed !

We use the immersion heater, or he goes to his parents.

Ideally what he would have loved is a wood burning stove put in with the boiler but our landlord didn't. There have been many problems with this fire even before I came along, some were sorted, some weren't, some were made worse!! I've managed to sort some but not all yet.

And yes while it would be wonderful to do lots of work (also need to do kitchen and bathroom) it's how much do we spend when we don't know how long we'll be here for. We could be a year, a few years, decades..... It makes planning quite difficult

 

[Caroline6192]

I think you are just a victim of circumstances, Caroline.....to me, all of those grates look a little on the high side but if you can get the fire drawing through that arch, you'll get hot water right enough. The passage from the arch, around the back of the boiler must be clear for this to happen-naturally, - and its not uncommon for it to be blocked with soot after sweeping, or any other debris that may have fallen from the chimney. I get in there with a vacuum cleaner hose minus nozzle to clean these areas out.
A smoke candle (available from plumbers merchants and so on) quickly shows up where the chimney is drawing, and where its not.
John

Thanks John

I'm going to try this slightly lower (about just over 1cm lower) grate to see what happens. Then next time I'm out shopping go get a really low one (I saw one the other day ) and a smoke candle. Although I'm busy watching the smoke from the fire at the moment to see what difference opening and closing the damper makes. I must admit to not really seeing anything.

I'll see how this grate does, and the lower one when I get it, if still a problem I might get my sweep out to come and have a look.


X

 

[Burnerman]

Fingers crossed for you and the bath water
Just for info, maybe future plans, its common enough to have say a wood burning stove (with back boiler) and also another boiler fuelled by oil, say.....the two systems use a 'Dunsley Neutraliser' to do this. They are completely successful but they do need to be installed by someone who knows what they are doing.
P/Gas has forgotten more about these than I'll ever know!
Regards
John

 

[PullerGas]

Fingers crossed for you and the bath water
Just for info, maybe future plans, its common enough to have say a wood burning stove (with back boiler) and also another boiler fuelled by oil, say.....the two systems use a 'Dunsley Neutraliser' to do this. They are completely successful but they do need to be installed by someone who knows what they are doing.
P/Gas has forgotten more about these than I'll ever know!
Regards
John

Oh you're too kind BM!!
Any of these grates are too high Caroline. Take a grinder to the legs of one & reduce the height. As long as you can get a wee metal shovel in to take the ashes out from under it you'll be fine.
Check that the flue way is clear up the back, as said above. Get that slot filled in, it look like a vain attempt by someone to get hot water?! All the above advice is good......Oh, must dash I think I've got a bite on Tinder!!

 

[Caroline6192]

Oh you're too kind BM!!
Any of these grates are too high Caroline. Take a grinder to the legs of one & reduce the height. As long as you can get a wee metal shovel in to take the ashes out from under it you'll be fine.
Check that the flue way is clear up the back, as said above. Get that slot filled in, it look like a vain attempt by someone to get hot water?! All the above advice is good......Oh, must dash I think I've got a bite on Tinder!!

Thank you. Although if I was single Id be meeting you in the Highlands


Xx

 

[AGAS]

Thank you. Although if I was single Id be meeting you in the Highlands

oooh is that a promise

 

[Caroline6192]

Update for you all. We've got hot water

Other half is reluctant to accept I was right

Thank you all again

Ps Agas that would be telling

 

[Burnerman]

Nice one, cheers for the update!
Stand by to receive a queue of the great unwashed from oop North
John

 

[DaveHerns]

Her other half must be shocked to learn women do have opinions and sometimes they are the right ones! She'll be making a new man of him....

 

[Darylc992]

just seen this post, we have the same grate and it runs the hot water and 8 rads.. the fire and boiler is called a baxi burnall underfloor draught fire it all looks ok to me going by the pics, ours works very well and when lit save using the oil fired boiler its one of the best boilers and fire grates going and are still available to buy.