Can you still get a Back Boiler for an open fire?

My parents live in a relativly old Bungalow which has a Boiler built into the open fire. When the fire is alight, it will also heat the water in the hot water tank which in turn can be used to heat other rooms in the house. Can you still get these boilers and if so does anyone know who might be able to Supply/Install them? Our house is under 10 years old and the Oil fired boiler is in a little extension of the Chimney breast so I can't see it being a massive job to tap into the pipework.

Many thanks.

Colin
Live, Love & Laugh A Lot!
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Comments

  • dan2002
    dan2002 Posts: 535 Forumite
    hi I got a open fire back boiler installed last year so you can still get them ,we got ours from aerocrete on shore road around the whitewell area around the £300 I think but try them anyway ,ours will also heat up to 7 rads as well
  • dan2002 wrote:
    hi I got a open fire back boiler installed last year so you can still get them ,we got ours from aerocrete on shore road around the whitewell area around the £300 I think but try them anyway ,ours will also heat up to 7 rads as well

    Have been thinking about doing this as well, either back boiler or wood burning stove. Curious as to how much labour would cost though.
  • woofwoofwoof
    woofwoofwoof Posts: 244 Forumite
    I know I'm resurrecting an old thread but has anyone installed a back boiler recently? With the price of oil we were thinking of installing a back boiler off the fire in the living room - does it take up much space or does it fit into the side of the chimney breast - and if it does how do you get it serviced, do you have to leave a little door or something?
    :hello:
  • BOBS
    BOBS Posts: 2,871 Forumite
    Hope someone can help on this .... with the price of oil we have been wondering if this is feasible..... our house is up 11 years and I think they had stopped putting in back boilers because of the oil heating
    [FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica][/FONT]
  • Colin_Kee
    Colin_Kee Posts: 235 Forumite
    I've been looking into this a bit more and from what I can gather, yes you can still get them (don't know where though over here in Norn Iron) but they are not very efficient less than 25% (apparently) so not very good if you are buying Coal or sticks!!
    An alternative I've been looking at is to take out the fire grate, (And possibly do some modifications to the surround) and install a Stove type unit with integral water Boiler. They seem to be a lot more readily available and a lot more efficient. There can be some complications though as these systems are Vented and most modern oil & gas systems are pressurised I believe so they need some extra kit to make them compatible. Haven't got anything priced up just yet as still looking at my options.. with oil prices as they are and no sign of them lowering at the moment, I think it really is worth looking at all options...
    Live, Love & Laugh A Lot!
  • we had a back boiler put in a couple of years ago
    used a local plumber cost about £1000 altogether as had to put in new fireplace as cast iron one broke/ was too small maybe?
    be prepared for lots of mess as chimney brace wall has to be replastered/ floorboards lifted upstairs etc
    thought it was awful at the time but am glad we did it now as hardly ever use oil and we used to light the fire anyway
  • gehngus_2
    gehngus_2 Posts: 67 Forumite
    Hi.
    I have just taken an old back boiler out of our open fire so that i could replace the whole lot with a log burner.

    This one is made from copper (or some copper alloy) and plumbs straight into a direct vented cylinder.

    It is a very simple setup and was just tucked behind the fire at the height of the grate. the front was flush with the pot thing that all fireplaces seem to have (don't know the name, but i see them at the builders yards)

    I think there was enough room for air flow under, but if there was it was always blocked with ash.

    The boiler gave us far too much hot water just for baths etc so i had to decide weather to link in rads (which meant changing the boiler to a vented indirect cylinder system) or to do the wife's preferred upgrade and a major rebuild to get this wood burner in.

    I was wondering what to do with it so it seems i have another bit to go on ebay :). just a case of getting around to it.
  • absoluteutopia
    absoluteutopia Posts: 1,656 Forumite
    Scrap value is skyhigh, get it to the scrapyard and sell it
  • ballyblack
    ballyblack Posts: 5,058
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    I don't think the installing a back boiler is worth the hassle and expense. Its very inefficient and will take the radiant heat out of the open fire in the room. I disconnected mine.
  • suki1964
    suki1964 Posts: 14,313
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    ballyblack wrote: »
    I don't think the installing a back boiler is worth the hassle and expense. Its very inefficient and will take the radiant heat out of the open fire in the room. I disconnected mine.


    And theres me that would give my right arm for a back boiler:D
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