The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Smallholding => Renewables => Topic started by: Moobli on August 08, 2013, 07:05:38 am

Title: Wood Burning Stove HELP
Post by: Moobli on August 08, 2013, 07:05:38 am

Can anyone please help without actually needing to see the system?


Problem:  Currently in a cottage with a woodburning stove which provides heating and hot water to the property.  It looks to my untrained eye that everything should be working properly to provide hot water, and even though the radiators got lukewarm last night (after burning wood in the stove for two hours) I had no hot water whatsoever.  Am I missing something?


(There are no instructions anywhere on how to use it btw).


Thanks for any help.  I don't fancy not being able to have a wash for a week!

Title: Re: Wood Burning Stove HELP
Post by: tweedy hill on August 08, 2013, 09:22:28 am

Hello,
i am not an expert in heating but it may be that the stove has been linked up to just do the heating and the hot water system uses something else, perhaps immersion heater. The other possibility is that in the system there is a motor valve. It looks like a t junction in the pipework normally the hot water  takes precedence and when it is heated up to thermostat setting the motor turns on the central heating water.  You can turn the valve with a wrench. It may be stuck on the heating side. You can find out where the water is running by feeling the heat in the pipe

Title: Re: Wood Burning Stove HELP
Post by: Womble on August 08, 2013, 09:37:13 am

If this is a holiday cottage you're in, look to see if the cylinder has an immersion heater, and if so, just turn that on - it'll do you for the week at least.
 
Apart from that, it's hard to advise without at least a sketch of the system to go on. Are there any motorised valves or a pump anywhere, or do you think it runs entirely on gravity circulation? 

Title: Re: Wood Burning Stove HELP
Post by: doganjo on August 08, 2013, 01:03:48 pm

Have you bled the radiators recently?  There may be an air lock.

Title: Re: Wood Burning Stove HELP
Post by: Creagan on August 09, 2013, 11:02:00 am

Domestic hot water needs to be at a higher temperature than central heating water. So maybe the system didn't get hot enough to trigger the thermostat for the DHW?

2hrs isn't necessarily a long time to have a stove on if it has a lot of work to do.

Title: Re: Wood Burning Stove HELP
Post by: Moobli on August 12, 2013, 03:12:26 pm

Thanks all.  Creagan - it appears you were spot on  :innocent:

Title: Re: Wood Burning Stove HELP
Post by: happygolucky on August 12, 2013, 03:49:57 pm

 :thumbsup:  Glad you got it sorted but I was going to add, when I have stuff with no instructions I look on you tube or the net and put the make model etc, its always come up trumps so far....we bought a lovely hand cart and the instructions were in German so I was more than happy there was a  brilliant video clip!! worth a look