DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

I have a friend who has a Barge boat which has a diesel fueled boiler for hot water and central heating. He has a seperate solid fuel fire which can be upgraded with a back boiler inserted into it.

Is it possible to connect both boilers to the same system with the aim to use the solid fuel burner to provide back ground heating at night?

In principle, yes it could be possible if the diesel boiler is not an instant water heater with an integral pump. Some types of instant combi style boiler can be connected, but you would need to contact the manufacturer to check compatibility.

How you might connect a solid fuel boiler to a system is somewhat complicated. You have to consider a solid fuel heater has no thermostatic control so consideration has to be given to preventing the system water from boiling and providing an escape route for steam pressure if it does.