Long pipe run from backboiler

[camillitech]

The old Rutland FM 910 has been up for 20 years, the Proven WT2500 will be 4 this week, the Navitron 200w hydro turbine has just celebrated its 1st birthday along with the BP solar 50w panel. So Camillitech is at long last venturing down the solar HW route. OK, I know it's the wrong time of year but a radical overhaul of the old spring fed direct heating plumbing system is required first.

At the mo we don't have CH and our DHW comes from a Morso squirrel converted to run off oil  (don't ask) in the kitchen. It's not cheap to run but is clean and is very good for pot roasting when the wind aint strong enough for the electric ovens  so I'd like to keep it as back up. At the other end of our small detached cottage is another squirrel that runs off wood with no back boiler. There are also 3 oil filled radiators about the house that are used as AC dumps for the turbine.

The plan is to put 20 or 30 tubes on the roof, fit a special immersion heater with 4 elements that will replace the 3 radiators and fit a back boiler to the other stove or perhaps buy a larger one. The snag is that which ever end of the house I put the thermal store at it's going to be a long way from one of the stoves and siting it in the middle is not an option.

Any ideas chaps   

Cheers, Paul

[dhaslam]

I had a very long run from the boiler in the old house.  The pipe went upstairs at an angle then  about eight metres to the cylinder.   There was less than two metres rise.  The pipe was 1.5" copper.   It had a problem that the thermostat was at the top so there were problems starting up.   However the stove ran around the clock so normally started warm.  Don't tell lightfoot I said this but it might be a situation where the Laddomat would help.

[lightfoot]

Don't tell lightfoot I said this but it might be a situation where the Laddomat would help.

  ......steady on DH  


Hi Paul, if your thinking about using a thermal store, then I would generally recommend the use of a loading valve/charging unit for all but the smallest of systems (in which it's sometimes hard to justify the cost - despite the advantages).  Even though this set-up would utilise a pumped primary circuit, it's wise to still pipe-up the system to allow for gravity circulation too, ie with the pipework rising to the store, using a least 28mm copper etc (even if it would be a bit torturous), as this will help with extract any residual heat from the stove/boiler after the fire has burnt out (and the pump has been stopped by the flue temp stat) and also allow for power/pump failure.  I guess for you, the only problem with this set-up, is the availability of power when you want to run the stove.

Here's some more info/options for loading valve/charging units....

http://www.laddomat.eu/index.php?lang=en

http://infoweb.esbe.se/files/53228/Solid%20range%20for%20YOU_GB_utgC_Low%20Res.pdf

http://www.lkacaso.se/en/LK-Acaso/Products/Pre-fabricated-valve-units/Termovar-loading-unit/


Good luck,

Lightfoot.

[sleepybubble]

The old Rutland FM 910 has been up for 20 years, the Proven WT2500 will be 4 this week, the Navitron 200w hydro turbine has just celebrated its 1st birthday along with the BP solar 50w panel. So Camillitech is at long last venturing down the solar HW route. OK, I know it's the wrong time of year but a radical overhaul of the old spring fed direct heating plumbing system is required first.

At the mo we don't have CH and our DHW comes from a Morso squirrel converted to run off oil  (don't ask) in the kitchen. It's not cheap to run but is clean and is very good for pot roasting when the wind aint strong enough for the electric ovens  so I'd like to keep it as back up. At the other end of our small detached cottage is another squirrel that runs off wood with no back boiler. There are also 3 oil filled radiators about the house that are used as AC dumps for the turbine.

The plan is to put 20 or 30 tubes on the roof, fit a special immersion heater with 4 elements that will replace the 3 radiators and fit a back boiler to the other stove or perhaps buy a larger one. The snag is that which ever end of the house I put the thermal store at it's going to be a long way from one of the stoves and siting it in the middle is not an option.

Any ideas chaps   

Cheers, Paul

Well the obvious answer is to site it next to the WBS end, as the oil conversion is classified as a controlled heat source and as such could be fully pumped.
For the solar thermal panel, I'd suggest oversizing a bit. If you were thinking 20 then buy 30. I'm inagining your fairly handy and will figure stuff out for yourself, but I'm back on Skye again from weekend after next for two weeks, if it helps to have somebody else look, point and laugh. I'm more than happy to pop in.

Regards,

Mark

[Billy]

High Paul,

Greetings from the misty marshes,

I run a squirrel with boiler running in parallel with the oil boiler.  My pipe runs are horizontal with a little rise 50mm/1000mm.  It actually runs downhill at that gradient to get to the hot water tank and one of the bedroom radiators.  The gravity works on the rise in the boiler from the bottom to top outlet.  It will work downhill but no lower than the bottom of the boiler.  I have used 1 1/4" id pipe and have had no pressure build up or bangs or overheating and my longest horizontal pipe run is 9 meters.

Now I don't have to follow all the regs 'cause it's a boat but I do no that it works and works fine.  Just look at all the narrow boats that have squirrels with horizontal pipe runs to rads at the other end of the boat.  No pumps on those!  I don't think you will have a problem, but I am no heating professional mind.

 

[camillitech]

Cheers for all the input chaps,

DH, LF, I like the look of the Laddomat, how near/far from the stove could it go as it's a smallish fireplace and the walls are over 3' thick, could I mount it in the room above?

Sleepy, the WBS conversion is a simple burner pot with an adjustable float on the back, you can control it with a knob that alters the float level and there's a safety device that shuts off the oil if the flue gets too hot does that make it 'controlled' ? would much appreciate a visit, I'll PM ya

Greetings from the dreich highlands Billy, big pipes and long runs may just be the way to go, I did get my stove conversion info from the canal boat world and whilst I was running a fishing boat it was costing me nothing  but now I've converted it to heating oil and it's costing me a fortune  so I'd like to restrict its use to the odd pot roast when the wind don't blow 

Cheers, Paul