Morso squirrel back boiler safety help

[Richf]

Hello there. I have a morso squirrel on my boat and wonder if there is a way to safely use it whilst not using the central heating system (I need to do some work on that which is going to cost a few quid). So I was wondering if there is a way to make my back boiler safe so I can use my fire?

 

Any help will be very gratefully received as it is getting chilly!

 

Rich.

[Beaker]

If you're draining the system, I would think you'd be OK running the stove, just make sure the boiler's empty so the boat doesn't fill up with steam!

 

 

ETA Welcome to the forum, BTW.

Edited November 10, 2013 by Beaker

[Nickhlx]

I would say wait for someone familiar with these as overheating the water path might cause problems.

 

I am not familar with these boilers myself, but e.g. if there are solder joints within, these could / would melt rendering future water heating duties needing some work or replacement parts if melted / distorted.

 

Nick

[BEngo]

Hello there. I have a morso squirrel on my boat and wonder if there is a way to safely use it whilst not using the central heating system (I need to do some work on that which is going to cost a few quid). So I was wondering if there is a way to make my back boiler safe so I can use my fire?

 

Any help will be very gratefully received as it is getting chilly!

 

Rich.

The standard mild steel boiler is "glass" lined, the later stainless boilers are not. If you have a mild steel one then provided you don't get it so hot the lining melts you should be OK, but you might distort the boiler. The SS one will be similar but there's only the risk of distorting the boiler.

 

I have heard that filling it with dry sand works, but I can't see why and I would not do it myself.

 

If you are good at origami and rubiks cube you can undo the two big nuts on the outlet pipes that hold the boiler in and, with the firebricks, moving grate and grate support out, the boiler can be removed through the door hole. It is not easy! A temporary potmender fix to the holes and a sheet of thick fireboard/cuttable firebrick in the back should then give you an inefficient but safe stove. The inefficiency is because the no boiler stove has a deflector plate.

 

N

[smileypete]

Maybe cover the back boiler with a piece of vermiculite or calcium silicate insulating board, it shouldn't get so hot then.

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

[ditchcrawler]

I would definitely disconnect it pluming wise where it leaves the boiler so as not to transmit heat along the copper pipework.

[canals are us?]

Personally if you can remove the boiler then do so.

 

No manufacturer will guarantee a boiler that isn't connected to the heating system and filled with water.

 

It would be quite a risk in using the stove and possibly warping/splitting the back boiler.

 

James