Parkray ***bria Inset Roomheater

[timkenyon]

I'm having some trouble locating support for this heater.

We were told when we bought the house that we could use the Parkray despite the fact that a boiler was still in situ. After having a chimney sweep out he told us we couldn't.

I'm in the process of redecorating the front room so now is an ample time to get any remedial work done.

I have located the pipes on the left and right of the fireplace but being a complete novice I have NO idea what they are.

So here are my questions:
1) Can I use the Parkray with the boiler in situ but drained?
2) Do I need to do anything with the pipes in the fireplace?

Any and all advice gratefully received.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

I'm having some trouble locating support for this heater.

We were told when we bought the house that we could use the Parkray despite the fact that a boiler was still in situ. After having a chimney sweep out he told us we couldn't.

I'm in the process of redecorating the front room so now is an ample time to get any remedial work done.

I have located the pipes on the left and right of the fireplace but being a complete novice I have NO idea what they are.

So here are my questions:
1) Can I use the Parkray with the boiler in situ but drained?
2) Do I need to do anything with the pipes in the fireplace?

Any and all advice gratefully received.

you can not under any circumstances use a drained parkray,it will explode and kill you,and probably ruin your day

 

[timkenyon]

I thought that might be the case. Now to have the monstrosity removed.

 

[justlead1]

Hi gasman. Can you explain with a bit more depth?

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

Hi gasman. Can you explain with a bit more depth?

basicly similar effect to running a kettle with no water in it,a parkray which is a solid fuel central heating and hot water boiler must have a constant water jacket in side it,its a double skin idea this keeps it cool and stops it melting the trouble is running this type of boiler with no water would cook the steel shell and any remaining water that cant vent over will just keep compressing because it has to go somewhere normally this would cause it to explode i have heard of this happening i have heard of people drilling holes in the outer skin but would seriously not recommend this

 

[Plouasne]

If the flow and return is kept open any residual water will evaporate without a dangerous build up of pressure

The major cause of boiler explosions circa 1940's if any body can cast their mind back to 1947, this was a particular bad winter, and there were quite a few back boilers that went POP with tragic circumstances in some cases, this was put down to the plumbing commonly used at the time

Galvanised cold water storage tank in an uninsulated roof space, galvanised barrell, galvanised hot water tank/cylinder, and a back boiler used to heat the water

What caused the boiler to explode

1) The cold feed froze (quite often on an elbow) stopping any water getting to the cylinder
2) People drew of what hot water there was available
3) The water in the cylinder/tank continued to circulate between the boiler and the cylinder/tank, steam and gobs of boiling water rose up the open vent dischargeing into the cold water tank, this gradualy thawed the cold feed
4) By this time the back boiler was just about out of water and red hot
5) Cold water filled the hot water cylinder/tank and continued on down to the by now red hot boiler, cold water impinged onto the red hot metal of the back boiler flashed instantainously to steam
6) A volume of water when it turns to steam takes up over a thousand times the volume that water does, and if in a confined space does so explosively

Also there was a fuel shortge that winter, and there was not very much good coal or coke to be had, some people resorted to getting a free standing Ideal Boilers horse shoe boiler to burn better by pouring parafin over the partialy burning coke, then putting the lid back on the boiler, the parafin vapourised then ignighted with a fair bang sometimes blowing the filling lid of the boiler, and sending a 6 foot or more jet of flame out of the ash pan door, I know having both seen this and doing this, but standing to one side of the boiler, one woman who did this but stood in front of the boiler was burnt to death when she poured parafin over the hot coke

 

[justlead1]

Hi gasman. Interesting to read your views. How do manufacturers and installers of multi fuel stoves overcome these dangers when no water jacket is present?

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

Hi gasman. Interesting to read your views. How do manufacturers and installers of multi fuel stoves overcome these dangers when no water jacket is present?

dont know about stoves but with appliances like wood burners they tend to have insulation panels to prevent damage to the steel shell i suppose its all about design and the parkrey was designed to heat rads and cylinders so this is why they should never be run as a waterless heater

 

[Unregistered]

Same issue here. I have recently moved and have a Parkray fire and back boiler. I just had the chimney swept with no reports of an issue. The front glass has a small crack in. I was searching for a new one and come across this and other posts. I had concerns about lighting a fire in it so I got to the side of it. There are 2 pipes 28mm that are open and the back boiler is drained. Question is, is it safe? Risks from redundant solid fuel back boilers seems to say yes if drained and open/ vented?

 

[joni os]

If drained and open vented, the back or side plates can burn through perforating the water jacket. Being open vented this then allows carbon monoxide to escape via the open vents into the room. Its a bit like putting an empty kettle on a gas stove.

 

[Bennachie]

Under NO circumstances must a solid fuel 'wet' appliance be used 'dry' for all of the reasons above. Co can get in through a perforated ex-water jacket but effectively the perforations admit more air increasing the stove temperature as it becomes much less controllable. This them 'evaporates' the thin steel casing of the back boiler or melts the cast boiler. I have seen examples of such where there is nothing left of the boiler section of the stove. A bit like having the ashpan too full and touching the grate bars.
Have it removed and open up an inglenook and fit a proper 'dry' stove.

 

[Dotty]

And because I don't care about upsetting unregistered posters responding to ancient threads instead of starting their own.

Thread closed.