Solid fuel back boiler removal advice needed

[Cclaire03]

Hi,
I have just removed a 1950s concrete fireplace and found a back boiler & damper behind. Can I remove this myself? It looks easy enough to remove the bricks etc. I dont want to fit a stove or anything. I would just like it to be opened up. Any advice appreciated. Picture attached of the fireplace. Thank you.

 

[Ryler]

Nice project for a stove. This is what you could have..

 

[Cclaire03]

That looks lovely but I dont want a stove. Just want an open fire. Hoping to do as much myself as possible so need rid of back boiler.

 

[Ryler]

Just want an open fire

Had one for years. Horrid inefficient things. And dangerous.

 

[Cclaire03]

Oh really? We have one in our other living room and love it!

 

[Ryler]

I have a stove now. Similar set up to that image above.
You would have to pay me a considerable amount of money to go back to an open fire. The installation would have to be free and I'd need a large cash payment.
But each to their own.

Open fires are typically only around 20% efficient. ... In other words you can get around 4 times as much heat from a log burnt on a modern wood stove than from an open fire.

 

[JimCrow]

Hi,
I have just removed a 1950s concrete fireplace and found a back boiler & damper behind. Can I remove this myself? It looks easy enough to remove the bricks etc. I dont want to fit a stove or anything. I would just like it to be opened up. Any advice appreciated. Picture attached of the fireplace. Thank you.

Easy enough to do, you will need to drain the back boiler down first and cap the pipes, do you have a hot water cylinder in a cupboard directly above?, pics??.

 

[Stadan20]

I had an old bbu unit , I had fun with a sds chisel drill , made good around , didn’t need to cap pipes , fitted a wood burner and I’m here with toastie feeet

 

[Cclaire03]

Easy enough to do, you will need to drain the back boiler down first and cap the pipes, do you have a hot water cylinder in a cupboard directly above?, pics??.

No cylinder directly above. It is in the bathroom above but quite a way from the chimney. It is not connected to anything now as pipes are sawn off so must have already been drained down I guess. Thanks for the reassurance. I will have a good go at it next weekend.

 

[ianmcd]

might still have some filthy black water in so be careful when taking outside

 

[padstar]

Nice project for a stove. This is what you could have..

Ryler did you do this yourself? I am about to move onto my 2nd room of teh house in which there is a bricked up fireplace. I hope when it is finished that it will look exactly like this image. If you did do it yourself do you have any advise and photos of the restoration?

 

[Ryler]

I had images on imageshack but lost the password. As I said, that's not my work but mine is similar.
The images just show a lot of rubble on the floor anyway.

Its important if you have flue liners to secure them. Usually involves drilling straight through the flue from the front and pushing in re bar.
My flue liners are these...

The risk if you don't is collapsing the entire flue stack.
Also depending on the chimney breast construction that might need secured also.

 

[Cclaire03]

Update: back boiler gone! There was about a bucket full of water still in the pipes. Wasn't a hassle at all. Had a go at it with sds drill and grinder to cut the pipes. Now to get the grate out...

 

[NewhouseOldhouse]

Cclaire03, how did this project end up?