Unusual Heating System - Expert Advice needed

[Jmines54]

You seem intent on sorting this out yourself.
Why add too the bodgework?

My advice is to employ a competent plumber before the place is blown up.

Is this actually your own installation?
If not then were you aware the certificate of compliance was not completed when you acquired the property?

Hetas wrote

If the HETAS Ltd Certificate of Compliance is not provided, is not completed correctly or the Certificate is returned late then there will be no notification of the work to the Local Authority by HETAS. This would in fact mean that the law has not been complied with and can cause difficulties when selling a property and potentially void a household insurance policy.

It's an overseas property and the main issue is that the 6-year old house is intended to have an oil-fired boiler fitted downstairs between the hot and cold manifolds. I'm trying to understand what needs to be done for me to use a stove instead and hopefully avoid putting in a load of new pipes. Of course I would employ a qualified person to do this, but I like to understand what's going on!

 

[Jmines54]

First thing it needs is a feed, expansion and open safety vent arrangement as per BS 6700.

That is the main problem. That alone would be reason not to use the system until you have rectified it.

If you've bought the house recently, the apparent lack of installation documentation by a competent (HETAS) installer should have been noticed in a survey. The installation might be illegal, meaning there are other dangerous details (fresh air supply, flue, hearth, lack of a heat dump radiator with a gravity primary circuit, etc..) which you haven't noticed yet.

IMHO, I don't understand how it could work properly since there will always be circulation through the stove. This will cause a big heat loss up the chimney when the boiler is working.

The radiators on your sketch seem to be fitted with reverse return pipework, an unusual detail that might suggest the work was done by someone who knew something about it. Could you have missed some of the installation or misunderstood the arrangement?

Thank you (and all others who have posted comments) - I think the best way forward would be for a qualified HETAS person to go through this with me (what is already there and what is needed etc) and come up with a solution that I can get a Greek plumber to install. I would be happy to pay for this service. Greeks don't generally use back boilers on their stoves and there is no such thing as HETAS! Any takers to do this work for me please?

 

[Agile]

Better to offer a free holiday to someone suitable from the UK.

 

[Jmines54]

Better to offer a free holiday to someone suitable from the UK.

Thanks everyone for your comments. Some were a lot more helpful than others. I'm not sure exactly how this site works, as I am completely new to it. If there are "experts" who can help and if it is OK to charge on the back of this site, then feel free to contact me. It surely must be possible to (a) go through existing plumbing in my house (b) suggest a layout that will work and any extra plumbing that may be required. I really don't need any more "smart" comments about how I'm going to blow myself up or what an idiot I am!! Thanks again.

 

[joe-90]

I really don't need any more "smart" comments about how I'm going to blow myself up or what an idiot I am!! Thanks again.

I'd ask for a refund if I were you, paying for all that advice.

 

[Jmines54]

I really don't need any more "smart" comments about how I'm going to blow myself up or what an idiot I am!! Thanks again.

I'd ask for a refund if I were you, paying for all that advice.

I don't understand. You mean that I would be crazy to pay for the advice received so far , which I clearly didn't? Let's face it, nobody has commented on whether a stove can be higher than a set of radiators or tried to actually suggest a practical way forward apart from some kind of "expert". When I actually say that I would do the decent thing and pay for some proper advice, I get...... absolutely nothing.

 

[joe-90]

That's just it, if you don't pay for something then you have no right whatsoever to complain. It's a forum and they can say what they like. If you don't like that, well I'm afraid that's tough titties.

 

[Jmines54]

That's just it, if you don't pay for something then you have no right whatsoever to complain. It's a forum and they can say what they like. If you don't like that, well I'm afraid that's tough ****.

Well, 24 hours of membership to this forum and what an incredible experience it has been! No real help and quite a lot of rude and unhelpful comments. It's easy to hide behind a screen and say what you like - of course it is. I don't like or dislike it, but I do find it all rather unhelpful and not a great use of my time. It probably isn't a great use of yours, either. As I said, lots of unhelpful comments, but when I ask for some practical help that I would pay for, not a link or useful suggestion at all!! Ironically, I have suggested I will pay for some help, but it all goes very quiet......

 

[joe-90]

Maybe what you are asking makes no sense. The guys give out free advice all year round. Does your solicitor or accountant do that? They aren't hiding behind a screen - grow up ffs. If you don't like their advice then move on. You've paid nothing and lost nothing.

 

[Norcon]

Zorba the greek probably thought he had a real class job done here.
I pity any decent plumber who has to follow behind his work.

 

[Jmines54]

Zorba the greek probably thought he had a real class job done here.
I pity any decent plumber who has to follow behind his work.

Yes, very funny and just a little bit racist. I have now got some proper help from someone who knows what they are talking about. Thanks for the contributions.

 

[Onetap]

No real help and quite a lot of rude and unhelpful comments.

You did get some useful information.

You didn't initially mention that it wasn't in the UK. I assumed it was in Berks.

Have a look at the Dunsley Neutraliser site, which shows the recommended pipework arrangements for linking solid fuel to gas/oil appliances.

http://www.dunsleyheat.co.uk/neutralizer layouts.html

The neutraliser provides hydraulic separation, i.e., the flow and return pipes of the heat producing devices and heat emitters are connected to it and this avoids nuisance circulation where you don't want it. You could use a heat store or a low loss header for this, but the Dunsley site has useful diagrams.

I'd be very cautious of getting someone to diagnose the problems from the UK; they'd be reliant on your survey, you would quite likely overlook details that are relevant and there will be a language hurdle in getting a local to rectify it.

In the UK, the solid fuel burner should operate by gravity circulation (no pump needed; still works if the power fails) so it would usually be on the ground floor, with a metal feed & expansion cistern in the loft. There are very few solid fuel appliances that can be pressurized and they have elaborate safety devices to dissipate excess heat. The few on the market that are mostly recent EU imports; I'd check the specification of your stove carefully.

 

[Jmines54]

No real help and quite a lot of rude and unhelpful comments.

You did get some useful information.

You didn't initially mention that it wasn't in the UK. I assumed it was in Berks.

Have a look at the Dunsley Neutraliser site, which shows the recommended pipework arrangements for linking solid fuel to gas/oil appliances.

http://www.dunsleyheat.co.uk/neutralizer layouts.html

The neutraliser provides hydraulic separation, i.e., the flow and return pipes of the heat producing devices and heat emitters are connected to it and this avoids nuisance circulation where you don't want it. You could use a heat store or a low loss header for this, but the Dunsley site has useful diagrams.

I'd be very cautious of getting someone to diagnose the problems from the UK; they'd be reliant on your survey, you would quite likely overlook details that are relevant and there will be a language hurdle in getting a local to rectify it.

In the UK, the solid fuel burner should operate by gravity circulation (no pump needed; still works if the power fails) so it would usually be on the ground floor, with a metal feed & expansion cistern in the loft. There are very few solid fuel appliances that can be pressurized and they have elaborate safety devices to dissipate excess heat. The few on the market that are mostly recent EU imports; I'd check the specification of your stove carefully.

Thank you very much for this advice. I really appreciate it. Yes, I think I should have done a better job describing the system and where it was installed. The advice from my stove supplier is to use a vented system. I haven't added an oil boiler, but I did think of using an air-source heater and have been made aware of devices to integrate safely and efficiently. I'll look at the website you suggest and thanks again for the useful and constructive advice. One thing I need to focus on is making sure it'll circulate without the pump - something of a challenge, I reckon!