This is my first post and I have read most of the links on back boilers.
Like so many, I have moved into a house with the above system. The boiler is only eight years old and works ok. We don't want to replace it yet, due to the cost and I would be grateful for any views on the following.
I know I can't change/remove the front, because Potterton has told me so, but why? Surely if the inlet vent and the outlet vent are in place, ie, two holes in the chimney breast, what difference is there in the fire front being there?
On the assumption that it will have to stay, I may bring the chimneybreast out a bit, leaving a gap around the fire, to make it look more intergrated into the room (the room needs to be plastered anyway).
I also need to upgrade the control system. At the moment, there is no cylinder stat or room stat, so it is all controlled by the returning water temp to the boiler. As you can't have the rads on without the hot water, the rads turn off when the water in the tank is hot. The hot water system has no pump and relies on the hot water raising to the tank, the rad system is pumped. Two sets of pipes run form the boiler up the chimney breast, so I will use just the 28mm pipes to the existing tank and put a three way valve in the airing cupboard and pick up the read pipework from there.
As an aside, the entire house is piped in 15mm copper for the rads. I know this is not right, but it will have to do. I suppose it will get hot in the end. I am also going to add a rad in the living room and one in the second bathroom.
Anyway, thank you for anyone who takes time to read this and grateful for any feedback on the front fire removal.
Regards
Mike MS
Like so many, I have moved into a house with the above system. The boiler is only eight years old and works ok. We don't want to replace it yet, due to the cost and I would be grateful for any views on the following.
I know I can't change/remove the front, because Potterton has told me so, but why? Surely if the inlet vent and the outlet vent are in place, ie, two holes in the chimney breast, what difference is there in the fire front being there?
On the assumption that it will have to stay, I may bring the chimneybreast out a bit, leaving a gap around the fire, to make it look more intergrated into the room (the room needs to be plastered anyway).
I also need to upgrade the control system. At the moment, there is no cylinder stat or room stat, so it is all controlled by the returning water temp to the boiler. As you can't have the rads on without the hot water, the rads turn off when the water in the tank is hot. The hot water system has no pump and relies on the hot water raising to the tank, the rad system is pumped. Two sets of pipes run form the boiler up the chimney breast, so I will use just the 28mm pipes to the existing tank and put a three way valve in the airing cupboard and pick up the read pipework from there.
As an aside, the entire house is piped in 15mm copper for the rads. I know this is not right, but it will have to do. I suppose it will get hot in the end. I am also going to add a rad in the living room and one in the second bathroom.
Anyway, thank you for anyone who takes time to read this and grateful for any feedback on the front fire removal.
Regards
Mike MS
