Wood burning stove.

[Kate600]

Thanks I will, but I still want rid of the Rayburn.
The original plan had been to get rid of my wee gas cooker and use the Rayburn for cooking, and possibly have an additional electric hob in the new kitchen.
I have only used it a couple of times for cooking, but when i have to use it regularly the oil bill will go up again, and it seems silly to have 2 cookers, the wee gas one was given to us and has been brill during the summers when we didn't run the old Rayburn, but it is slowly dying as I now use it all of the time.
If I get an electric cooker instead of the Rayburn and electric hob, it is only one appliance, and I eventually want to get pv cells too. In the meantime an electric cooker will still be cheaper to run than the Rayburn and gas cooker combined.
The Rayburn also sits on a wooden floor which is fixed to battens and then a concrete slab. when it fires up, the sound is magnified and it is so noisy it wakes me up (I sleep in the room upstairs) when we had a tv in that room you had to double the volume when it was firing to hear it.
And yes, I'm sure I could sort this out by moving the Rayburn, casting more concrete or putting slabs down under it and then putting the Rayburn back again, sorting the electrics and then linking in a log burner, and having a hob as well as the Rayburn for cooking......
Or... Get rid of the Rayburn, put in an electric cooker, log burner and at a later date link in another boiler......
Really wish we had just put a normal boiler in in the first place, but I loved my solid fuel Rayburn, and I was really looking forward to a more economical, controllable useable upgrade.

 

[algas]

Kate, I would advise you get a competant heating engineer to look at the rayburn & the wiring, the room stat when satisfied should shut down the pump so no heat to rads also a cylinder stat can be fitted so when the cylinder is hot enough the boiler does not fire, if the rayburn is fairly new with a pressure jet burner it may be possible to down rate the burner with a smaller nozzle & lower pressure but an experienced heating engineer is required to do such adjustments.

alan

 

[Kate600]

There is already a cylinder stat fitted. Smething is switching the burner on and off somewhere as it doesn't fire continuously during the period it is timed to be on, not sure if it is this though, I have it set at 60degrees, but haven't tested what temp the water actually gets to, but having turned the boiler output up a wee bit during the snow last week, the water was definatly hotter, I suspect it is not the tank stat that is controlling it.
I'm not sure how old the Rayburn is, we bought it second hand about 2 1/2 years ago, it has been fitted and running for about 18months. It is a 499K model in a lovely red

 

[Agile]

Kate, why do you want PV cells?

A larger installation cost about £11,000 and gave a return on capital of about 14%.

Now that the FIT has been halved the return on capital is presumably less than 7%. Still better than a bank but it assumes no maintenance or repair issues for 20 years!

Do you have large areas of south facing roof? And a lot of capital to spend?

Tony

 

[Burnerman]

The 499k was fitted with one of two types of burner - one by Nu Way and I'm not sure about the other one.
The Nu Way one was a complete nightmare (most parts are available though) and has a soft starting sequence.
The burners won't be running continuously when the stat calls for heat, but the circulating pump will.....I seem to recall there's actually a wiring diagram behind one of the left hand doors.
John

 

[Kate600]

Agile, I think it is that Eco green inner self rearing it's head actually. I haen't looked at all of the data to see if it is worth my while financially or ecologically putting in pv cells. I have had a couple of quotes, at present I do not have the capital required, but may in the future. I do have lots of un-shaded south facing roof space, so practically it is feasible, just shelved for now.

Burnerman, what does the soft start mean? When mine is firing it clicks, then makes a kind wooshy swooshy noise for a little while before it roars.... Does this sound like it? And yes, there is a wiring diagram, but it lost me. A long time since I did A level physics!

Now I am all uncertain again of wether to get rid or not Could I link a wood burner to it? I am likely to use a wood burner/fire in the living room anyway, seems silly not to make the mos of it.....

 

[Burnerman]

With this Rayburn design Kate, the heating burner starts at low pressure (100 psi) and then after 20 sec or so, clicks onto high pressure (145 psi) and continues like this until it closes down again. This is to prevent firebrick materials from cracking in the internal firebox.
The system does work well enough, but not many people know how to set them up.....including Nu Way.
Anyway, the internal baffles must be cleaned yearly (a pig to shift, usually) and the flueway tends to block on the horizontal run just below the stovepipe on the right hand side.
The baffles (should you be brave enough to bribe someone to remove them) are below the solid steel hatch below the L/H lid, and beneath a smaller plate to the left. Two stacks, 5 baffles in each.
You've certainly stirred up some interest, haven't you?
John

 

[Corgigrouch]

I'm really not feeling the love between Kate and her Rayburn here....

 

[Kate600]

Lol indeed

It reminds me of middle child....
Threatens to deafen me and bankrupt me, but looks gorgeous!

Maybe..... I could ...
A) get it looked at by a proper engineer type person
B) link in a boiler stove (see still not letting this one go!)
C) if it still proves to be ridiculously expensive and noisy get rid of it, and replace it with a different boiler...


Need to decide coz Dad is coming to help fit the new kitchen around the new electric cooker space....or not....after Christmas.

 

[Burnerman]

Kate, for long term reliability for central heating and hot water I'd happily scrap the Rayburn and install an appropriately sized Grant oil boiler, and choose your cooking preference from either electricity or propane.
Only my opinion, obviously......you could always advertise the Rayburn for sale, with the stipulation 'buyer collects'
Be lucky
John

 

[Kate600]

Ahh, you see the ex got the completed renovation with appropriately sized grant combi boiler.

I got the half finished project, dodgy Rayburn and assorted animals and children. Still think I got the better deal

Maybe I should go take some pics for eBay..... Of the Rayburn, not the children!