Adding Insulation To Oil Boiler

[Onoff]

So our Bluebird boiler sits in the unheated boiler room. Single skin block walls and wooden frame, single glazed windows and door. The room itself doesn't need to be heated. I got to thinking whether it is feasible to knock up an "over cover" out of a Rockwool slab to sit atop the black lid. This btw is a new lid I made:

 

 

Also the flue pipe going out the wall can I insulate that?

 

Cheers

 

 

[ProDave]

That boiler is antique. Mind unless it rusts through, it will just go on forever, there's absolutely nothing to go wrong apart from the burner, and that's servicable. / replaceable. (I doubt that's the original burner)

 

Modern boilers have rockwool type insulation around the water tank before the casing so I personally don't see why not.

 

I can't believe that room is single skin block, the window reveal looks too deep?
 

[Onoff]

That one wall is 9" or thereabouts (solid I think) the other walls are 4" (breeze?) with pillars. Really it needs tearing down and the boiler being left in place as it's the best thing there!

 

As for the boiler I've replaced the burner nozzle, a couple of burnt through baffles, the burner gasket and remade the lid. And the pump motor too ages ago. Got a bill in the house bumpf, I think it's around 98 vintage. The insulation under the lid is only about 1/2". Not sure how thick the side insulation is but I think it's thicker. The sides tbh don't get that warm at all. 

 

I do know that the rigid, Rockwool type  insulation board used is bloody expensive from when I bought a new sheet for the top.

 

Half mulling as to the feasibility of wrapping the existing casing in 2" Rockwool and having my fabricator bend up 4 lipped,  sheet steel sides that I could Rivnut together. Have the sides 2 or 4" higher and I could drop in a "slab" of insulation from the top and put a simple lid on.

 

Can you over insulate a boiler?

 

Still concerned as to whether ordinary Rockwool is as "fireproof" as the original stuff they use.....especially so on the flue which appears to be solid steel pipe and gets pretty hot to the touch.

 

That 28mm copper pipe coming out of the top needs insulating. Guessing it can't be the foam type.

 

I'll do all that and it'll start to leak!

Edited December 1, 2016 by Onoff

[PeterW]

2 hours ago, Onoff said:

 

That 28mm copper pipe coming out of the top needs insulating. Guessing it can't be the foam type.

 

 

 

 

Depends what you mean by foam ..??

 

all of the poly products are good to 85c, you need a nitrile rubber above that so an insultube or Armaflex type product. 

[Onoff]

Was thinking the cellular, grey slit foam stuff would be no good for immediately next to the boiler. This type I reckon would be best:

 

 

 

[PeterW]

The grey stuff is normally poly - Tubolit, Climaflex etc - so not ideal next to a boiler

 

That is foiled rockwool that is usually used now on steam pipes and process pipes. 

[Onoff]

1 hour ago, PeterW said:

The grey stuff is normally poly - Tubolit, Climaflex etc - so not ideal next to a boiler

 

That is foiled rockwool that is usually used now on steam pipes and process pipes. 

 

Would it do if I could get some for nowt?

Edited December 1, 2016 by Onoff

[PeterW]

Yep - just get some foil tape too .... the self adhesive stuff on the overlaps can be a bit naff