Solid fuel system with no hot water

[Milligan]

I have recently had a stove fitted with a back boiler.
the oil system I have does water and rads ok but stove heats rads but won't heat water.(it's only tepid.)I have a pipe stat which I moved on to return pipe to stove.stat set to 40 degrees rads are good but no hot water. Would a tee injector solve this problem.i don't know much about plumbing but guy that fitted stat put it on pipe coming out of top of stove and set it to 80 degrees and it never worked. Ideas or suggestions please.

 

[AWheating]

if it was an old style set up then the stove should meet the current requirements and the hot water should be controled by a cylinder stat and normally open zone valve, the cylinder should also have a temp relief valve and discharge. there should also be pipe stats fitted on both the boilers flow and return to control the pump on the heating side. does the hot water work when the heatings not on? if so then its likely the heating taking away heat from the gravity hot water side.

how has the two heat sources been linked together?

 

[Milligan]

Not sure about cylinder and don't know what you mean by does water heat when heating isn't on.when oil heating is on my water heats and pump at stove runs also.only one stat at return pipe to stove?

 

[AWheating]

what i ment was when you use the stove alone without the heating on does the hot water get warm?

it sounds like the two systems have not been linked together very well? take some pictures of the installation showing pipework, controls, etc... so we can try to understand how the system/s have been piped up together as its hard to give advise otherwise.

 

[Milligan]

Water is only tepid when oil heating isn't on.sorry can't send pics for about 10 days.pump at stove comes on when heating is on and stove isn't.igong away for 10 days tomorrow will follow up then.thanks

 

[Dannypipe]

This will be interesting. I'm keen to learn a bit more about intergration of solid fuel systems myself. I did lots of research a few years ago. Including systems where if the system over heated, a solenoid valve would open and fill the system with cool mains water!

Do we have any resident experts in this field?

 

[SimonG]

It's been set up wrong. Should heat hot water first and then switch to htg once tank satisfied. Sounds like it's trying to do both at the same time.

 

[Gray0689]

It's been set up wrong. Should heat hot water first and then switch to htg once tank satisfied. Sounds like it's trying to do both at the same time.

Agree
This should have priority to hot water first then when pipe stat at cylinder hits say 40c then the pump should come on sending heat to radiators

 

[Gray0689]

Where is the pipe stat
Ideally it should be at cylinder on return pipe
Where is the pump for the BB
And how many pipes connected to stove
2-3or 4

 

[Gray0689]

Just re read am I right in thinking your pipe stat is at the stove?
Who fitted this
Are you in NI

 

[Best]

Agree. Pipe stat should be on return at cylinder as it would be too slow at turning the pump on if it was fitted on return at stove & it could plump up a bit.

 

[peteheat]

This will be interesting. I'm keen to learn a bit more about intergration of solid fuel systems myself. I did lots of research a few years ago. Including systems where if the system over heated, a solenoid valve would open and fill the system with cool mains water!

Do we have any resident experts in this field?

Don't be tempted by those systems, they may suit continental jobs where they have high pressure mains supply that is guaranteed to work in all temperatures, what they are trying to do is get all the advantages of a sealed system using solid fuel.

We sold them but always as open vent systems, had one supplier argue how safe they were and fitted one in a one off house, everything worked until a power cut, boiler pump could not work and neither could the well pump so no replacement water, the valve opened and emptied the system but he was left to replace one very warped stove complete with decorating costs.

I will stay with our own stone age methods F+E until someone proves to me the alternative is safer.

 

[Dannypipe]

Thanks Pete, interesting. Yes I can see the benefits of keeping everything vented to atmosphere. I'm interested in the subject and I think it is a market that will grow over the next few years.. More so in rural areas.

 

[Milligan]

 

[Milligan]

please see pipework for stove and heating the two on the right are ast the stove

 

[Milligan]

Yep the stat is at the return to the stove I put it there.the guy that did the stove put it at the outlet from the stove.there are only two pipes from the stove.see pics

 

[Milligan]

Yes I live in NI!

 

[Best]

Seems to be a gate valve on the 28mm return to stove. Shouldn't be there & has no purpose. The proper injector tee is fitted.

 

[Gray0689]

That's not new pipe work !

 

[Milligan]

The pipe work was already there but the guy just took out my old back boiler and hooked up the stove.

 

[Gray0689]

Did the back boiler ever heat the water properly

 

[Milligan]

I suspect that there is no stat at the cylinder because I have put pipe stat up to 60 and water is really hot and I'm now waiting to see if rads work with only stove on.

 

[Milligan]

Don't know I never used it before but I have just set pipe stat to 60 and water is roasting but rads have still to work at that setting.only stove heating at the moment to test it out.

 

[Milligan]

All, system is working good now. I just played about with the stat till it heated both the water and the rads. Many thanks for your help.

 

[Gray0689]

That's good mate
Thanks for update