addjunkie
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rtbcomp
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Are the figures for oil & gas the actual heat you get at the radiators?
If you used to use 400 litres a year that works out at about £160 a year - not exactly a lot. How long will it take you to recover the costs of all that work?
Obviously not but the heat from the boiler also enters the house excluding what is lost as exhaust. I have an unlimited supply of free wood and 50% of it (the blocks) didn't even need cutting and yet having oil in my new house is so much better. Brother works from home and he used to be chief stoker. Now we just burn wood now and then when we feel like it. Our electric bills have gone from £1600 a year to £500.
Yes I know - it is a pretty new boiler supposed to be about 85% efficient.
Just speaking from experience. I think £440 a year to heat a house with 23 rads isn't bad at all. I really was worried when I moved in how much it would cost but been pleasantly surprised.
Before I had my unlimited supply of free wood I bought 2 full loads of timber from a local forestery company. About 44 tons in total - a mix of hardwood and softwood. Cut it all up myself with a chain saw - and some of the trunks were huge. Had a few mates help me split it with an electric log splitter. It lasted 6 months!!! Cost me about £800 per load delivered. Never again!
Currently I have oil CH it is much easier than the wood burner in my old cottage the boiler is old and basic a box with an oil burner and my engineer thinks this is much more reliable than a modern condensing boiler. What do your new neighbours use there are economies of scale for oil purchase.
I store both hot and cold water rather than rely on a combi if you are moving to a rural location water supply interuptions are more frequent and of longer duration.
I also think of the old adage insulate before you generate.
I store both hot and cold water rather than rely on a combi if you are moving to a rural location water supply interuptions are more frequent and of longer duration.
I also think of the old adage insulate before you generate.
addjunkie
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Though I used the term refurbish a house, in effect I rebuilt it, all that is origional is about 80 % of the origional stone shell. Yes I did alot of work, but the underfloor heating versus, new floors with damp prooofing and radiator heating, was about 900 quid more. The insulation was all part of future proofing and keeping building inspector happy. I have slightly more than needed, but thats mainly because I bought what was on speacial offer. The extras to the heating system were about 800 quid.
So not sure how long it will take to get the money back, but I built the house I wanted with a long term view of making it cheap to run when I retire. Though we have an upstairs we actually live down stairs, the design concept as my wife isnt so well, was that we never have to move again, except in a box. Attached are three pictures to show how far I went, one is the bedroom, the kitchen and the other the hearstrore and water tank. The log burner we use is a Stanley Lismore stove, superb quality piece of kit. And oddly it was 500 quid cheaper to ship from irealand than buy locally.
Yes that was a pretty big job! I like the heat stores - if I hadn't moved I would have connected the Rayburn and the big stand alone woodburner up.
My old Rayburn died a death. I replaced it with a refurbished Stanley Donard. Quality was great and it put far more heat into the radiators but the oven would struggle to get to 200C. My Rayburn would get so hot I would cook with the door open! Also I noticed that the Rayburn's oven would vent into the flu but with the Donard the cooking smells would come into the house.
I now have an oil aga with an electric one attached for summer use.
My old Rayburn died a death. I replaced it with a refurbished Stanley Donard. Quality was great and it put far more heat into the radiators but the oven would struggle to get to 200C. My Rayburn would get so hot I would cook with the door open! Also I noticed that the Rayburn's oven would vent into the flu but with the Donard the cooking smells would come into the house.
I now have an oil aga with an electric one attached for summer use.
mpats
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We changed this place from electric to an oil fired combi boiler, plus re-insulating the loft and we are very happy with it. Only a 2 bed bungalow so not as much space to heat but when the heating does come on the place gets up to heat fairly quickly.
An efficient boiler is the thing to look for though.
An efficient boiler is the thing to look for though.
dobbslc
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Great info thanks guys.
Looks like I might stick to oil with a new efficient boiler and good insulation. Although the house needs lots of work it at least has a roof!
I have always wanted to make a solar water heater to play with so maybe I'll do one for the garage to try out first.
Looks like I might stick to oil with a new efficient boiler and good insulation. Although the house needs lots of work it at least has a roof!
I have always wanted to make a solar water heater to play with so maybe I'll do one for the garage to try out first.
addjunkie
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Mine had a roof, just the joists were not large enough and some were rotten, the concrete floors damp and cracked. Windows rotten, damp streaming down the walls, and a crack in the main wall big enough to get a hand in. Apart from that it was fine.
On a serious note. Id keep of a combi boiler, they are dear to fix if they go wrong, also all the ones Ive had experience of water flow hot for a shower or bath filling has been abysmal. You also then dont have a water tank to either use solar water heat or solar pv through an optimiser. Traditional boilers are also much easier to maintain.
A pellet system or log gasification with RHI are worth looking into. Though dear to install, you get payback for 7 years for domestic, fuel is marginally cheaper than oil. But to keep the cost down you need quite a large hopper to get the pellets blown in say 8 to 10 cubic meters at a time. 4 cubes min any smaller and the pellet cost in bags are more expensive.
If your mrs is into cooking you could use an oil fired rayburn, for cooking and heating. You will always have a toasty warm kitchen
http://www.rayburn-web.co.uk/products/rayburn-oil-series/heatranger-699k
GKQ
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If you want to build a solar project goto: http://builditsolar.com loads of usefull designs and projects, quite a few in the UK and North America.
Graham
I don't know how good they are in Wales. Last year we had 3 months of constant rain. Honestly no sign of even a tiny patch of blue sky for 3 whole months. In the end I decided to drive to the English border which was only 50 miles away. Nice blue skies - unbelievable. The difference in 50 miles.
Water turbine then ?
Water makes a lot of sense however you need a very good drop and also there are all sorts of environmental hoops to go through.
GKQ
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If in Wales try http://www.greenheatwales.co.uk
Mine even works in winter with overcast skies, and it's just a home made flat panel the professional evacuated tubes are more efficient.
Even if they only work 50% of the year its still a good saving.
Graham
Mine even works in winter with overcast skies, and it's just a home made flat panel the professional evacuated tubes are more efficient.
Even if they only work 50% of the year its still a good saving.
Graham
