Using CH Rad as heat leak for woodburners occasional use.

[andytw]

Purely speculative, just thinking aloud really.

I have a wood-burner, with back boiler, that is connected via gravity flow to an upstairs hot water cylinder. The cylinder will get completely hot and the back boiler will start to sing.
I realise that there needs to be a radiator also connected to the gravity circuit to bleed off excess heat.

On the upstairs landing is a radiator which is part of the central heating system. It backs onto a cupboard which could be useful.

I am considering my options to be able to use this radiator on the wood burner, when lit in winter, and on the CH system when the wood-burner is not lit.

I would re-plumb the rad to be top feed and bottom exit, but need to contrive some changeover mechanism. I think using motorised valves is too complex and bulky and hand valves would be good.

Any thoughts, re 4 gate valves, lever valves, anything else or give up on the idea.
If I need to install controls then the cupboard behind the rad would be a good place.

Both systems are well inhibited so exchange of water should not be an issue.

andytw

 

[mcmoby69]

Rules and regulations exist for this kind of work, you need a hetas installer unless you can carry the work out yourself and then get building control in.