After 18 months of battling we finally have planning permission (on appeal) for a small bungalow on the south coast. Having not dared to think about it for months, we are now gathering information like mad, in the hope that we can start building in the new year. I am likely to have a lot of questions, despite keeping tabs on this forum.

For starters, can someone please explain the difference between a thermal store and an accumulator tank? Is it just a question of size, or do they have different applications?

We are thinking about incorporating a backboiler with the woodburner already planned. Is there any way of controlling this at the stove - i.e. can a choice be made as to whether the backboiler is heated or not? I have always understood that if the fire was lit the boiler part was automatically heated but perhaps that is out of date.

albacore, you could reduce the heat going into the back boiler (no idea why you would want to) by buying some high temp thermal board, it comes in big sheets and you can cut it with an old wood saw. a good fire sales room would be able to source it. if you wedged this infront of the boilers side you would drasticly reduce the heat going into it.

tom