Wood burner - temporary installation

[Johnny Redgate]

I'm considering installing a wood burner for some temporary heat. It has a back boiler but I would not plan to connect it up to the water supply at this stage. Does anyone know if this is likely to lead to damage to the boiler? Thanks for any help.

[Johnny Redgate]

I'm told this is a bad idea, so please ignore this thread.

[muldonach]

Originally Posted by Johnny Redgate

I'm considering installing a wood burner for some temporary heat. It has a back boiler but I would not plan to connect it up to the water supply at this stage. Does anyone know if this is likely to lead to damage to the boiler? Thanks for any help.

It is a seriously bad idea - a woodburner with a back boiler depends in part on the water jacket to control the stove temperature and avoid structural damage

You risk meltdown of the stove and will need to keep a real eye on the volume and temperature of the fire. Normal practice with a unwanted boiler is to fill it with an inert insulator such as sand

If your stove is not connected to the water circuit I would have thought this would not be difficult to do and would be fully reversible -suitable plug in the bottom connections would allow the sand to be drained in the future if so desired

Cheers
mac

[Johnny Redgate]

Thanks Mac - I was going to bid on nice little stove on ebay but decided against it. Sand as an insulator is an interesting idea though.

[werdnal]

From what I have read on another forum I use - specifically about Woodburners, sand can be used, but only of you never want to use it as a functioning B/boiler again. Not really advisable as you have already been told.

[Burdy]

It appears you've already decided against it but, why not attach it to your main supply? If not only to keep it topped up with water. Distance from the mains?

[Johnny Redgate]

In a nutshell: I'm cold, it was cheap, I didn't want to plumb it in as it would be a long way from the supply and the whole system needs renewing this year