Wood burning stove with back boiler

[Newkidontheblock]

I would be grateful if anyone could offer their advice or thoughts on the following:-

We bought a house which had a Dunsley Highlander 8 stove with central heating boiler fitted. This was connected to a series of pipes and a hot water cylinder.

My question is, can I use this stove not connected to a heating system so in effect as a stand alone wood burner? If so is this a matter of refitting or does the boiler need to be deactivated in any way and how can this be done?

In its current state the stove has 4 protruding pipes to the rear.

Thanks
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[Blagard]

The manual is on their Web Site
http://www.dunsleyheat.co.uk/dunsley downloads.html

There is a contact number for questions 01484 682635

Your best bet is simply to give them a ring!

 

[Madrab]

Looking at their MI, I would say no, it can't be disconnected and only used as a stove, given the boiler characteristics but I'm not a stove expert. Happy to be corrected by a expert in these systems.

 

[mogget]

That would be my interpretation of the manual too - couldn't copy and paste but note the part that says it is essential to have a permanent means of dissipating heat from the boiler. If the boiler was empty this would not be the case.

Again, not a stove expert though.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

I would suspect using an appliance such as this without the correct water content would be dangerous. It relies on the water in the system to dissipate heat, if insufficient water is available then the heat produced cannot be effectively removed from the appliance.

At best it could cause the appliance to crack or split, at worst shatter or explode. (As an example, running with insufficient coolant (or overheating) an internal combustion engine with a cast cylinder head usually results in a scrap head due to cracking.....)

For certainty check with Dunsley, but I suspect they'll echo what has been already said. Is there a reason you do not wish to use the output from the stove for the CH and/or HW systems?

 

[MrTherm]

The Dunsley Highlander 8 solid fuel stove has the option of a boiler for hot water, which can be either purchased with the stove or retrofitted at a later date.
- - -

If the H/W boiler can be retrofitted to the stove, then it should be possible to also revert.

However, any necessary parts or blanking plates, seals, etc' would have to be replaced and fitted correctly then tested by a HETAS competent installer, suggest contact the manufacturer and obtain advice on parts and purchase cost for the reversion kit.

 

[Norcon]

I would be grateful if anyone could offer their advice or thoughts on the following:-

We bought a house which had a Dunsley Highlander 8 stove with central heating boiler fitted. This was connected to a series of pipes and a hot water cylinder.

My question is, can I use this stove not connected to a heating system so in effect as a stand alone wood burner? If so is this a matter of refitting or does the boiler need to be deactivated in any way and how can this be done?

In its current state the stove has 4 protruding pipes to the rear.

Thanks

The Highlander 8 Woodburning Multifuel CH stove is fitted with a "FULLY INTEGRAL" boiler for central heating, capable of running up to eight average sized radiators, plus domestic hot water.

The "eight radiators" is misleading though.
You'll heat about three average sized rooms plus of course the room where the stove is located with this boiler.
About 65sq/M with average insulation.
And that means running it flat out for the initial warm up period which will require coal along with wood for the boost.

Think of it as a steam train approaching a steep hill. Unless you get the shovel out you just won't get over that hill.


Even if the boiler was not integral and could be disconnected it would be just plain stupid to do so.

Sounds like its probably set up with the wrong controls so not performing as well as it should (running cool) and the interlink (if fitted) is probably all wrong too. Not uncommon!

One of the problems with a four pipe set up is that the return stat (if fitted at all?) will be fitted to the gravity circuit.
That's fine for turning the pump on but not for turning it off as it cannot detect cold glugs of water returning to the boiler and turn the pump off.
For that reason I'm not a fan of the four pipe set up.


Best way to fit a boiler stove is on its own separate system (two pipe with injector T) with space saving vertical radiators or standard radiators where ufh is installed.
If you have a two storey home and the main bedroom is above the room where the stove is located then that's the ideal set up.

Even in a power failure you have two rooms heated plus hot water.