How to fit a back boiler

I have a Morso Squirell and wanted to fit a backboiler.

Tools needed

Drill

40mm hole saw of reasonable quality, not one from the £15 sets.

Drill bits in 3, 5, 6.5mm

Oil or cutting paste. I used 3-1 oil and it was ok

A chair to sit on.

On the back of my Morso Squirrel there were three holes marked. You need to cut two holes, top right and bottom left as you look at the back of the stove.

1. Purchase back boiler and await excitedly for delivery

2. Remove the flue from the stove. It might be possible to remove the flue without removing the roof collar.

3. Open the door and empty the ash, remove the doors (makes it lighter to move), metal baffle (the bent bit of metal at the top of the fire box), the grate and riddling grate and all firebricks. Remove the heat protecting plate from the back of the stove but keep the bolts.

4. Turn the stove around so that it is in a position that is easy to reach.

5. Get a chair and position yourself comfortably. You are going to be there for quite a while.

6. Apply some oil to the dimple and drill a 3mm pilot hole.

7. Enlarge the holes to 5 then 6.5mm. Apply oil at the beginning and if you think that it is getting hot. Note the pics of my new Matika drill bits.

8. Apply a little oil to the hole saw pilot and blade. Insert the hole saw into the pilot and start drilling. Use a slow speed and let the saw do the work.

9. Keep drilling and applying oil as necessary until the hole is complete.

10. Once both holes are drilled turn the stove around and simply (as if) insert the backboiler. It took me ages to work out which way to insert the boiler as you have to insert it and tip it up into place. One tip is to remove the grate and the cup bit at the bottom of the flue to give a bit more space. Screw the large nuts and large washers on to the boiler.

11. I might have made a bit of an error here, when it came to fit the side fire bricks it was quite challenging. I ended up breaking on that was cracked and cementing it in place.

12. Reinsert the bolts back into the holes otherwise smoke might come out of them before the stove is going properly. See the picture in step 9 for the bolt hole (right and down from the big hole.

13. Was your hands, arms, upper body, face and have a beer.