Open fire back boiler

[scots_firey]

Hi,

having just oust moved into a new house which has an open fire in the lounge, as such we'd like to make use of the fire from time to time. We've had the chimney swept and smoke tested the issue is that the fire, a Baxi Burnall 16", has a back boiler which is still fully piped into the hot water system.

There is a gas boiler in the house which supplies hot water and central heating systems with a vented cylinder in the airing cupboard and two tanks in the loft. The pipes are still connected to the back boiler and can be traced to the airing cupboard and from the tank in the loft to the boiler. It would appear that the water supply to the boiler from the tank in the loft is turned off at valve in the pipe up in the loft.

My question is, in order to ensure it's safe to use the fire, not wanting to have an open fire heating an unvented back boiler, is the solution as simple as just turning the water supply back on at the valve? Or is it more complicated than that?

Thanks

 

[Simon F]

hi Scot.
without the ability to see what you describe it would be difficult to be sure.
pictures might help, or probably best to get someone to have a look.

is the gas boiler open vented and linked in with the back boiler?
were the previous owners using the fire?
the fill pipe from the f+E tank should not have a tap fitted to it.
as you say you don't want an unvented back boiler, that would be a potential bomb

 

[stevetheplumber]

if its there and working id keep it free hot water is a bonus if its been drained and you dont want to use it it needs holes drilling in it to stop it being pressured up

 

[lame plumber]

cut pipes close to fire and drill the back boiler, or better still rip it out and use a nice grate instead