Combining oil boiler with wood stove(s)

DaftyDuck

I've just bought an old farmhouse, and it's in need of a complete new heating system. The old one really has had its day; radiators leak along seams, pipework a mixture of imperial & metric, with endless dead-legs and flux-burned copper, several radiators run from a single 15mm feed, oil boiler is under rated, old, rusty and unmaintained - but still working for now. As we have three (currently) open fireplaces downstairs, and will install solid fuel stoves in some or all of them, we're wondering if it's worth combining these with the heating system.

We've no access to gas, so oil will be the primary source. We do have land with the house, with some woodland, so wood fuel will be available in copious quantity. The property is fairly large (6 bed, 4 reception, 2 bathroom), currently poorly insulated (single glazed, no loft insulation, solid wall construction). We'll add loft insulation as a priority, and then add secondary double glazing.

I know we can combine the output of the oil boiler with boiler stoves - but is it worth it? We'll need a total heat of about 45kW or more as I - and a couple of oil heating engineers, and one HETAS solid guy, have calculated. I've a couple more coming in the next few days, and haven't got full workups or quotes from those two yet, and I'm just trying to find more about the options.

One chap (HETAS) has extolled the virtues of having a heatstore, one (OFTEC) of using one of the Heating Innovations H2 systems. The third oily guy says that, although you can do it (and he will if asked), it's just not really worth it...

We do have a huge south-facing roof, and I would have planned to add solar PV and solar hot water... the cuts mean I'll never get the house up to a "D" rating in time to get any useful FIT, so it'd just be solar water... which I suspect isn't worth adding. That'd mean a complex system might still be of benefit in winter (when it's getting the benefit from the stove(s), but it might be a millstone in summer, without solar input... I can see the summer waste in having a heatstore of several hundred litres needing to be heated for just a bit of hot water. Despite the property size, there are only 2 adults living there (work space for much of it).

Any clues, pointers, ideas? It does seem a shame to just use the wood in a stove that just heats a single point. Equally, it seems a shame to have a heatstore in the summer months...

Off to investigate Dunsley neutralisers... I know so little of this stuff!

modsandmockers

The words that spring to my mind are 'trial' and 'error'! I'm sorry to be of so little assistance...

DaftyDuck

In my case it's normally my error that leads to endless trials!

Cheers!

Smiley_Dan

Of I expected to live there for a long time I would be insulating properly so the fuel choice becomes an non issue.

Cardew

DaftyDuck wrote: »

Off to investigate Dunsley neutralisers... I know so little of this stuff!

That is the 'normal' solution. However personally I doubt if your set-up warrants the expense.


I had a similar set-up(not a Dunsley) with my house, albeit with an open Baxi fire and it was more trouble than it was worth. I eventually had it disconnected.

DaftyDuck

So, you'd suggest not connecting the different heat sources? Or use something other than Dunsley/H2/thermal store?

Steep learning curve!

Cardew

I understand that the Dunsley will work OK if properly installed, but am questioning if it is worth the expense.

Jackthedog

Have a look at air or geothermal heat exchanger systems... They should stack up well against burning oil.

Richie-from-the-Boro

DaftyDuck wrote: »

In my case it's normally my error that leads to endless trials!

Cheers!

Show me the man that's never made a mistake - and I will show you the village idiot - is an old and true saying. We all learn by our mistakes, making them is our learning experience. While you are thinking things through, things you can do which are never a mistake and never lose money, are insulation, draft proofing and more south facing insulated glazing which gives a significant flow of solar heat transfer into the house on sunny winter’s days. 3 open fireplaces without being balloon[ed] will of itself lose more heat than your input on cold winter days.