Advice please on how to remove a Cast Iron Back Boiler

[Gary]

Hi,

For the past few days I have been trying to remove an old backboiler from my fireplace. I have removed the fireplace, surrounds, hearth etc but I just can't get anywhere with the backboiler !! I don't really want to knock holes in the wall to get around the back of the boiler and would prefer just to break it up and remove it that way. I suspect that there are at least 2 pipes going into the rear of the boiler, which are probably the main reason why it wont move at the moment as they will be cemented in.

I don't need to keep the boiler, so I am happy to smash it up - although this would appear easier said than done !!!! I have tried whacking it with a sledge-hammer, pick, and cutting at it with an angle grinder. The grinder does make some progress - although it is VERY slow, and so far I have gone through 3 metal cutting wheels to make only 4 cuts of less than 20cms !!! I thought this might have been enough to weaken it, so I tried whacking it again with the hammer - but alas, it is still solid !!

I am not sure what make the boiler is - it is basically inserted inside the fireplace, and a 'hollow' cast iron structure.

Any advice on an easy way to get this out would be much appreciated. Perhaps I need a heavier hammer?

Thanks in advance,

Gary

[Sacramento Dave]

Are you sure it's cast iron, Hit with the sledge were you cut it if it's cast it should break.

>

[Gary]

Well, I'm guessing that it is cast iron - based on the fact that the areas where I cut cannot be bent with a crowbar.

I am in the UK and I think the boiler was installed in the late 50's or

60's. From what I have read, cast iron was a popular choice for back-boilers at these times.

I have tried hitting the places I made the cuts, but they seem to be acting like a sort of 'spring' and the hammer bounces back. Tomorrow I will try to get hold of a heavier hammer, and see if I can make any progress.

Thanks for your quick reply :)

[HeyBub]

If it doesn't break, it's probably not cast iron. Cast iron is extremely brittle.

Can you just paint over it?

[Gary]

Hi,

Well, the problem is that I am doing away with the 'natural fire' and using an electric fire. It won't fit in neatly with the backboiler still in place, hence the reason for having to remove it.

I have just recently moved into the house, so unfortunately I can't find my camera yet to take a pic of the boiler, which might allow you to see of it was cast iron or not. I'm not really up on what cast iron would look like. When I cut it with the grinder it is very shiny silver inside. This made me think at first it might have been steel, but I wasn't sure if they make steel back-boilers, so I opted for the cast iron guess :)

[Gary]

Hi,

Well, the problem is that I am doing away with the 'natural fire' and using an electric fire. It won't fit in neatly with the backboiler still in place, hence the reason for having to remove it.

I have just recently moved into the house, so unfortunately I can't find my camera yet to take a pic of the boiler, which might allow you to see of it was cast iron or not. I'm not really up on what cast iron would look like. When I cut it with the grinder it is very shiny silver inside. This made me think at first it might have been steel, but I wasn't sure if they make steel back-boilers, so I opted for the cast iron guess :)

[Gary]

Hi,

Well, the problem is that I am doing away with the 'natural fire' and using an electric fire. It won't fit in neatly with the backboiler still in place, hence the reason for having to remove it.

I have just recently moved into the house, so unfortunately I can't find my camera yet to take a pic of the boiler, which might allow you to see of it was cast iron or not. I'm not really up on what cast iron would look like. When I cut it with the grinder it is very shiny silver inside. This made me think at first it might have been steel, but I wasn't sure if they make steel back-boilers, so I opted for the cast iron guess :)

[Gary]

Hi,

Well, the problem is that I am doing away with the 'natural fire' and using an electric fire. It won't fit in neatly with the backboiler still in place, hence the reason for having to remove it.

I have just recently moved into the house, so unfortunately I can't find my camera yet to take a pic of the boiler, which might allow you to see of it was cast iron or not. I'm not really up on what cast iron would look like. When I cut it with the grinder it is very shiny silver inside. This made me think at first it might have been steel, but I wasn't sure if they make steel back-boilers, so I opted for the cast iron guess :)

[Gary]

Hi,

Well, the problem is that I am doing away with the 'natural fire' and using an electric fire. It won't fit in neatly with the backboiler still in place, hence the reason for having to remove it.

I have just recently moved into the house, so unfortunately I can't find my camera yet to take a pic of the boiler, which might allow you to see of it was cast iron or not. I'm not really up on what cast iron would look like. When I cut it with the grinder it is very shiny silver inside. This made me think at first it might have been steel, but I wasn't sure if they make steel back-boilers, so I opted for the cast iron guess :)

[Gary]

Hi,

Well, the problem is that I am doing away with the 'natural fire' and using an electric fire. It won't fit in neatly with the backboiler still in place, hence the reason for having to remove it.

I have just recently moved into the house, so unfortunately I can't find my camera yet to take a pic of the boiler, which might allow you to see of it was cast iron or not. I'm not really up on what cast iron would look like. When I cut it with the grinder it is very shiny silver inside. This made me think at first it might have been steel, but I wasn't sure if they make steel back-boilers, so I opted for the cast iron guess :)

[Gary]

Hi,

Well, the problem is that I am doing away with the 'natural fire' and using an electric fire. It won't fit in neatly with the backboiler still in place, hence the reason for having to remove it.

I have just recently moved into the house, so unfortunately I can't find my camera yet to take a pic of the boiler, which might allow you to see of it was cast iron or not. I'm not really up on what cast iron would look like. When I cut it with the grinder it is very shiny silver inside. This made me think at first it might have been steel, but I wasn't sure if they make steel back-boilers, so I opted for the cast iron guess :)

[nicksanspam]

Cold might help, eg a CO2 fire extinguisher, to reach the ductile-to-brittle temperature. MIT students shatter Kryptonite bike locks with liquid nitrogen. Titanic steel had too much sulphur and became brittle at 32 F.

Nick

[Steve Kraus]

I say we blast.

"And remember, dynamite always blows down." -- Moe

"Hey Moe, maybe I could just take my shoes off." -- Curly

[Bennett Price]