Back boiler removal

[Chris Surgenor]

I want to install a living flame fire but I am restricted for depth by the old fireplace back boiler. What is involved plumbing wise to remove it?

[Roger Mills]

If it is a conventional back boiler heated by a coal fire, it is probably a direct as opposed to indirect system. There will be 2 large pipes going to the hot water cylinder in the airing cupboard - or wherever - to permit gravity circulation.

These must be disconnected at the hot water cylinder, and the holes in the cylinder must be blanked off. You must first drain the hot water cylinder (and its associated header tank - unless there is a gate valve or stop tap in the feed pipe (the pipe which runs from the bottom of the header tank to the bottom of the hot water cylinder).

Once the pipes are disconnected at the hot water cylinder, you can disconnect the bottom ends from the back boiler. Unless there's a drain tap on the back boiler, you'll need to catch or mop up the water held in the boiler itself and in the pipes.

The boiler should be easy to remove once the pipes are disconnected.

You can leave the pipes in place - just removing a bit from each end for access or cosmetic purposes.

HTH, Roger

[Christian McArdle]

That depends if you are still using the back boiler.

Christian.

[Chris Surgenor]

I,m presuming that when I had central hearing installed 20yrs ago that they disconected the back boiler. There are no "blanks" on the tank. Would they use the back boiler connections for the CH? Thanks.

[Christian McArdle]

Unlikely. So by "back boiler", we just mean a heat exchanger for a solid fuel fire, and not a central heating boiler?

If so, it'll probably just be a case of physical removal. I'd trace the current central heating pipes to ensure that the back boiler isn't still connected to the system, though. It should be pretty obvious, particularly if the central heating is a fully pumped modern system.

Christian.