Solid fuel boilers
gregs - 20/12/09 at 08:15 AM
Hi all,
If everything goes to plan, we will be completing on our 'new' house in Jan.
Question is, has anybody got any experience of solid fuel (gravity fed) boilers?. The house has an old one of these as primary heating.
I will be fitting a log burner before moving in, but don't know whether to plan to remove the boiler.
Property has elec and drains but no gas. Reluctant to go Calor or Oil as we will be planning to chop the house about quite significantly in the next 5
yrs.
Thoughts are:
1. Keep the boiler, have it serviced (who services solid fuel boillers?) and change it when we develop, and live with the faf and cost short term
2. Fit night storage in the bedrooms and live with the cost.
Any thoughts appreciated.
Paradoxia0 - 20/12/09 at 08:47 AM
My dad used to have a solid fuel boiler. From memory (about 20 years ago) it was really reliable. All you needed to do was make sure it had plenty of
coal in it (can't remember how often) and take the ash out of the bottom. About a 10min job in total.
Cant ever remember it breaking down so it was really reliable too!
Don't know if that helps at all
Mark
JoelP - 20/12/09 at 08:49 AM
we were working in a gaff the other week where the chap had a log burning stove as primary, with a seperate oil burner to top it up if it ran cold
overnight. He'd bought 17 tonnes of logs for £600 or similar, so was well sorted for fuel! You can find solid fuel engineer anywhere, as its
increasing in popularity. Im thinking of getting one because i have so much waste wood from work.
ISTR there is an equvilent org to corgi/gassafe and oftec, cant remember the name of it though.
richardlee237 - 20/12/09 at 08:53 AM
I had a Trianco solid fuel boiler, albeit 35 years ago. It was very good without a lot of mess.
Filled hopper and emptied ash once per day.
Vital you get the right size of coal.
The only real problem is that you must have one radiator working all the time to provide a little base load
907 - 20/12/09 at 08:53 AM
Hi Gregs
I ran solid fuel for many years, Thorn boiler then a Worcester Hoppermat, in a 3 bed semi.
Fill once a day, 2 pulls on the ash ejector, and every 2nd day empty the ash pan.
Cost? 2.5 to 3 bags a week at £10.80 a bag of anthracite grains.
It ran like a dream but dirty to fill (boiler in the kitchen) and semi controllable with the rads on a time switched pump.
Last Dec I changed to oil.
Advice?
Check flue for obstructions. Check fan comes on. Clean out slots in the water jacket with the "special tool".
Check water pump works, and fire it up.
They either work or not so don't worry about servicing.
When pissed off with it change to oil. 
U2U me or phone if you need to know more.
HTH
Cheers
Paul G
Wadders - 20/12/09 at 10:57 AM
If your looking for an engineeer to service it, HETAS is the solid fuel governing body.
If i was thinking of replacing my heating system now, i would look at electric heat pumps and solar technology.
Al.
gregs - 20/12/09 at 11:20 AM
thanks all - really helpful info, 907 in particular!
Any idea what difference is between Bean and grain quality anthracite?
Will probably be looking at ground heat pump when we renovate.
madrallysport - 20/12/09 at 12:23 PM
sorry for hijacking this post.
I'm looking for a suitable heating system for my garage, was thinking of old type waist oil burner or solid fule burner but stand alone unit, is
there any thing locost out there. Its really to keep the damp out of the garage.
Benzine - 20/12/09 at 12:31 PM
quote:
Originally posted by madrallysport
is there any thing locost out there. Its really to keep the damp out of the garage.
solid fuel-wise, gas bottle burners are simple to make.
or something like this:
http://www.jarkman.co.uk/catalog/furnitur/jhrstove.htm
I made my own wood burning stove from scratch which has an oven and water boiler, toasty cosy warm in winter with 3 gallons of hot water on tap ^_^
ashg - 20/12/09 at 12:42 PM
i have got 5 dimplex storage heaters that i am about to stick on ebay. they are about 3-5 years old and are in good condition.
contribution towards me being out of work fund is all i am looking for.
pm me if you are interested.
[Edited on 20/12/09 by ashg]
907 - 20/12/09 at 01:05 PM
quote:
Originally posted by gregs
thanks all - really helpful info, 907 in particular!
Any idea what difference is between Bean and grain quality anthracite?
Will probably be looking at ground heat pump when we renovate.
Your more than welcome.
No difference apart from size. Beans are a little bigger.
Welsh anthracite is best. It has a shiny appearance. The imported stuff is dull and sooty to look at and doesn't burn as hot.
There will be an adjustable plate in the hopper that can be fitted to suit the fuel size.
I used to run mine from September to April and during the summer use the immersion for hot water. I would have to relight
it maybe twice a year to clean out any clinker that formed, but more often if I used the sooty stuff.
HTH
Paul G
fazerruss - 20/12/09 at 05:28 PM
A bit of advice people have missed..... Get yourself a gas poker cos solid fuel boilers can be a pain in the ars3 to light with paper and sticks ect.
You wont need it very often but you will be glad you had it! Or do what I do and use the oxy accet torch. Lights in minutes with a quick squirt of
pure oxygen!