Converting a wood burner to a boiler stove?

[Stew]

Does anyone know if it is viable to convert an existing wood burner to a boiler stove or does it need to be a dedicated boiler stove from the off?

Thinking on the spread of heat in my house and potentially having a second central heating loop separate to the existing gas system.

Information is sparse on the idea!

 

[MrEd]

Don’t know but would be interested to find out.

I just had our wood burner replaced 18 months ago and if I knew then what I know now I would have got one with a boiler in it. but I didn’t and I ripped out the old, got new and also upgraded the boiler from oil to gas!

Still glad i have it though, if needs must I can go down to single room heating and solely use the wood burner for our heat with just the occasional hot water for showers (gas combi boiler)

A friend in his yurt gets his hot water by running cold water into a copper coil that’s around the flue of the wood burner and it comes out hot that the other end!

 

[Kadushu]

I bought a stove without a boiler with the intention of fitting one later on if I thought it necessary. It's on my to-do list.

 

[grizzlyj]

You can have a back boiler built into the hearth of an open fireplace so maybe one nearby to a stove would get some benefit too?

 

[Stew]

Don’t know but would be interested to find out.

I just had our wood burner replaced 18 months ago and if I knew then what I know now I would have got one with a boiler in it. but I didn’t and I ripped out the old, got new and also upgraded the boiler from oil to gas!

Still glad i have it though, if needs must I can go down to single room heating and solely use the wood burner for our heat with just the occasional hot water for showers (gas combi boiler)

A friend in his yurt gets his hot water by running cold water into a copper coil that’s around the flue of the wood burner and it comes out hot that the other end!

My house is a bungalow that’s been extended sideways so the lounge is quite disjointed in terms of spread to the whole area - it makes sense to benefit from the heat across more of the house if practical.

 

[Decacraft]

The only concern would be whether the output of the stove would be able to provide enough heat to the back-burner and through the house.

It can be done, and designed so that the priority will be to the water, and once that's upto temperature it will then supply to the radiators.

It will be worth it, especially during the colder months when the fire is on more and its not like its going to use any more fuel than it currently does, its just another benefit that's currently not exploited from your current setup.

 

[Dogoak]

It can be done Stew, I’ve seen a couple, years ago though, both DIY, but very professionally finished.
Basically a tank fastened to the back, as long as there’s enough clearance!
I remember seeing a retro fit option from one maker years ago but can’t for the life of me remember who!

It may be cheaper to just get a used or new stove with a boiler fitted and swap it over?

IIRC it about 1Kw for small rads, 1.5Kw for medium and 2Kw for larger and about 3Kw? for a tank. I’m sure all the calculations are available online.

Good luck!

 

[swyn]

Some years ago I had an Efel wood-burner no back boiler.
My friends in Wales had the exact same wood-burner with a back boiler and four radiators.
Similar sized house.
My fire was v quick to heat my living room and if the door was left open the heat sneaked upstairs too.
My friends unit took ages to warm the living room but eventually warmed the house as in time it circulated warm water to the radiators. Three hours time FYI.
Personally I preferred the quick warm-up
Horses for courses.
S

 

[wickerman]

I had an open fire with back boiler connected to water tank working on a heat convection so no header tank or pump warmed water up a bit but not hot but did not need electric on for so long

 

[demographic]

Its absolutely got to be a vented system that if it boils vents pressure to atmosphere. Like old backboilers.
Also with large ebough diameter pipe that will thermosyphon without the need for a pump.
I've worked on pressurised steam boilers and trust me on this one, you don't want to be anywhere near one that goes pop.