should I install woodstove with boiler bypass or not?

[stevethejoiner]

First thanks for all your help on my last post and I am now running the pipework for this installation and wonder if I really need to have a pump and bypass as per the attached drawing and layout that has been recommended.

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• stevethejoiner
• 13 Jan 2012
• 1

The reason I question it is;
Lack of space for a pump and valves (I will have to box it all in which is a shame) and possible pump noise in my lounge.

Also we have had wood stoves with boilers gravity fed to the cylinders without valves and pumps in 3 properties over 30years and can honestly say we have never had corrosion or boiler failure.

Thanks.

 

[Agile]

Who has recommended this?

 

[stevethejoiner]

Who has recommended this?

Heating engineer friend. Why? Is is bad?

I looked into it and this is what "STOVES ON LINE" say
VTC thermostatic valves are 3-way thermostatic valves. Installed close to the boiler stove or log gasifiyer the load valve protects the boiler from low return temperatures, improves efficiency and accumulator loading. When the water in the stove boiler is still cool the valve directs the water straight back to the stove. This means that the volume of water which the stove initially has to heat up is small and so it heats it up quickly.

When the water hits 60ºC the valve starts to open and lets a little of the water from the central heating return pipe into the boiler circuit, which of course lets a little hot water out into the central heating flow pipe. The valve gradually opens until by the time the water has reached 70ºC it is fully open and all the water is pumped into the central heating circuit. So in this way using a VTC series thermostatic valve gets the stove boiler up to temperature fast and keeps it there. This prolonges the life of the boiler, makes the stove work more efficiently, and reduces unnecessary mixing in accumulator tanks - because on hot water is allowed out into the main heating loop.

 

[Agile]

Well if your heating friend recommended it then I am surprised you dont want to fit it.

Furthermore, with the other advice to support what he says then that seems a very compelling recommendation!

I am not an expert and have only ever fitted two wood stoves and both of them just had a thermostatically controlled pump which would have pretty much done the same thing but just not so elequently.

Perhaps some others here will have comments to make?

Tony

 

[stevethejoiner]

Well if your heating friend recommended it then I am surprised you dont want to fit it.

Furthermore, with the other advice to support what he says then that seems a very compelling recommendation!

I am not an expert and have only ever fitted two wood stoves and both of them just had a thermostatically controlled pump which would have pretty much done the same thing but just not so elequently.

Perhaps some others here will have comments to make?

Tony

I have designed and built this house so far and I like the theory of the bypass pump.
The house is bursting with new technology, GSHP, Heat recovery, Solar DHW, U/F heating, multiple runs ofCat5e everywhere for home automation, central vacuum etc.
But I just lack the space near the stove for this install. It will spoil the aesthetics, and I am worried about any pump noise, however well it's fitted, as it's so close to our lounge sofa.

 

[Agile]

I dont see any compelling reason why it needs to be very close to the stove.

The only essential is that the flow has a low resistance route to the vent!

Tony

 

[stevethejoiner]

I dont see any compelling reason why it needs to be very close to the stove.

The only essential is that the flow has a low resistance route to the vent!

Tony

Thanks Tony