CH Log boiler, v inflexible, want to add other heating

I just wondered if anyone else has been through this and has suggestions. Sorry if it’s a bit long and waffly.
We have a log boiler, 2000l tank, for about 8 years running UF heating and hot water. It’s been great for us, cheap and we don’t mind the work of chainsawing, splitting and burning. I’m retired and have time.
Where it all falls down is the inflexibility and problems when you add other people into the equation.
We prefer to holiday in the winter, but we return to a flat tank and a house that takes 2 full days to warm up. Ie we can’t save the heat and switch it on later.
We can’t leave anyone else in the house when we aren’t there. Serious. They just don’t seem able to operate it, so are v cold, and it’s dangerous, people have left the doors to the boiler open.
We are sort of thinking of letting the property. How can we? It’s not a heating system suitable for working people. Too much effort.
What else can we plug in that would alleviate these problem? Solar? Heat pump? Oil? Everything is expensive compared with logs.
Has anyone got a log boiler and some sort of secondary backup heating you can use when you can’t burn logs? Is it plugged into the same hot water tank? Grateful for any advice, including get smarter friends!

Comments

  • DaftyDuck
    DaftyDuck Posts: 4,609
    Combo Breaker First Post First Anniversary
    Forumite
    You could do worse than search for linked systems using thermal stores.

    I can find you some links, but at the moment am on tiny tablet.

    Have you access to gas? Old or modern house? How large?
  • a1154
    a1154 Posts: 14 Forumite
    edited 1 May 2018 at 7:12AM
    Hi. No gas. 8 yo house, so modern insulation but its big, has some high ceilings, takes a lot of heating.
    Linked systems using thermal stores?
  • Towser
    Towser Posts: 1,303 Forumite
    Sorry to hijack thread but we have the same problem. We could connect to gas but how would this work? Would we have to have two boilers? one combi and the old log fired one? Are there any plumbers out there that know how it's done? Can it even be done?
  • lovesgshp
    lovesgshp Posts: 1,413
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    edited 25 September 2018 at 2:04PM
    Link up to a thermal store with a ASHP, that you can program to start a day or so prior to needs.
    Try searching for this guy who is very well up on combination systems and has moved back to the UK from Italy.
    Sagraiasolar.
    Just have his link
    www.originaltwist.com
    As Manuel says in Fawlty Towers: " I Know Nothing"
  • Moss5
    Moss5 Posts: 370
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    Forumite
    http://www.dunsleyheat.co.uk/linkupmay2013.pdf

    The mixing tank thinks it is a boiler.
    The boilers are slaves to the mixing tank.
    All forms of water heating can be slaves.
    I have an external oil boiler and an internal multi-fuel back boiler.
    They are both slaves. I never light the wood/coal fire, but I like having the option, should oil not be available.
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