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How to Light an Open Fire ? : Back Boiler

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  • 27-11-2009 12:53pm
    #1
    jonski
    Registered Users Posts: 6,393 ✭✭✭


    No idea what section I should post this in so chancing my arm with here .

    I know I shouldn't have got to my age without knowing this but I did so there you have it . When you are lighting a fire in an open fireplace with a back boiler there is a steel plate in front of the boiler that can be pulled out about an inch or so or pushed in ... which way should it be ?


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    #2
    ART6
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,632 ✭✭✭ART6


    jonski wrote: »
    No idea what section I should post this in so chancing my arm with here .

    I know I shouldn't have got to my age without knowing this but I did so there you have it . When you are lighting a fire in an open fireplace with a back boiler there is a steel plate in front of the boiler that can be pulled out about an inch or so or pushed in ... which way should it be ?

    Generally there is a plate over the top of the back boiler which, when pushed right back towards the back of the grate allows the heat from the fire to bypass the back boiler. When it's pulled right out towards the front of the grate it allows the heat to go through the back boiler. Therefore, the best way of lighting is to get the fire going with the plate pushed back, and then pull it out when the fire is burning well, otherwise it won't light properly.


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    #3
    Joey the lips
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,262 ✭✭✭✭Joey the lips


    Plate forward heats boiler.

    Plate back slows down boiler.


    Method of starting fire, Firelighters and sticks and coal and a warm jacket while you heat up


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    #4
    slimjimmc
    Registered Users Posts: 7,786 ✭✭✭slimjimmc


    Joey the lips wrote: »
    Plate forward heats boiler.

    Plate back slows down boiler.


    Method of starting fire, Firelighters and sticks and coal and a warm jacket while you heat up

    +1 on the jacket. Don't expect hot water anytime soon, mine used to take up to 2hrs to get the hot tank and rads up to 65C, and thats even with the hot tank situated 1m from the back boiler.


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    #5
    jonski
    Registered Users Posts: 6,393 ✭✭✭jonski


    Joey the lips wrote: »
    Plate forward heats boiler.

    Plate back slows down boiler.

    This is the part I was looking for ... any reason to think the fire would burn quicker with the plate pulled out ?


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    #6
    Joey the lips
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,262 ✭✭✭✭Joey the lips


    jonski wrote: »
    This is the part I was looking for ... any reason to think the fire would burn quicker with the plate pulled out ?


    You leave the plate back while the fire cataches. Then when its up to a sufficent flame(say after about 40min to hour) you pull it forward. If you pull it forward to early it will put the fire out because the draft is to strong.

    A bag of slack would be great as well but i think this is long gone.


    ps: If your chimney ever catches fire. Plate forward. Might not seem logical but this is how i was thought as a child. Easier to block the oxygen from the fire with the flame on front of you than rageing behind the fire great.


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