Advice PLEASE Re My Coalbrookdale Darby Stove

Could anyone help me Please?

I have purchased one of the above stoves in order to be a room heat source only. Unfortunately, I didnt realise it had a back boiler. I have learnt that I must not run this dry or there could be serious problems. We don't wish to connect it to our rads or provide hot water.

I have been given some hope in that an Aga/Rayburn engineer said that I can remove the boiler and replace the back panel with a piece of cast iron and get it welded/bolted on.

Has anyone got any advice on this or whether some of you have actually done this themselves? If so,could you give me some advice on how you did it?

Your help woudl be appreciated.

Mark, welcome to the FORUM my friend.I personally would hook it to the rads--but your choice is not to.Sooo, if that is the suggestion you got from a qualified, knowledgable engineer, what's the problem in following his suggestion.I beleive that if you do this, there may be no coming back should at some point you were to decide to take advantage of the existing boiler set up--if you don't see that happening, then by all means have at it. Again, welcome my friend.

Mark.r wrote:Could anyone help me Please?

I have purchased one of the above stoves in order to be a room heat source only. Unfortunately, I didnt realise it had a back boiler. I have learnt that I must not run this dry or there could be serious problems. We don't wish to connect it to our rads or provide hot water.

I have been given some hope in that an Aga/Rayburn engineer said that I can remove the boiler and replace the back panel with a piece of cast iron and get it welded/bolted on.

Has anyone got any advice on this or whether some of you have actually done this themselves? If so,could you give me some advice on how you did it?

Your help woudl be appreciated.

I spent 25 years playing with Rayburns and is this is just a much prettier Rayburn. You can indeed take the quarter ton monster to the weld shop, cut out the cross members, remove the tank and rebuild it as long as you know someone who is an expert in welding ductile iron. The job will cost more than the stove is worth unless you have connections and I would listen to my drunken buddies advice as, within it's power class, it is a great stove. I would sell it and buy a Much Wenlock which is the correct choice if you want to go to that type of stove. There is one for sale in CT right now - see Craigslist. Stick around as I turn a Glenwood Baseburner into a turkey fryer - that COULD be done too but then there might be a heart attack somewhere high in the Poconos.

They are great stoves, don't butcher it.

Couldn't resist and had to add another note. These are British stoves and in the NE our winters are generally more severe. So be aware that if you hook it to the radiators you will only get about 15000 BTU into the system and for most of us with CH that is a joke. Think 4 electric fires. You could hook it into make DHW now that would be an interesting choice. If you choose to do that we need photos but there are a TON of great guys would help here. The Much Wenlock is only $350 and I am sure that is negotiable. That is MUCH less than your weld bill alone.