Boiler

[Burdekin]

Hi Guys,

I'm wanting to replace our boiler at our cottage and after some recommendations for a new one, should we stay with oil or go something different?

Bit of background,

- The cottage is our holiday home on the North East Scotland coast, so not used all the time but kept on in winter a little to keep the place dry and to stop lines freezing.

- currently have an oil boiler as oil was cheap when it was put in.

- there is no mains gas.

- we use the boiler for heating and hot water.

We've kept the boiler going as best we can but it's never been that reliable and the local plumber and Worchester Bosch guys have never got it going properly, it's quite old now so want to get a new boiler before winter.

Is there something better on the market that won't cost a fortune to install? Or should we keep oil and if so what brand?

Any advice would be really appreciated.

Cheers,

Mitch

 

[rtbcomp]

For reliability I'd consider Economy 7 storage heaters. You'll not have the risk of oil being stolen either.

 

[masleeve]

Oil theft is an issue depending where you live.
To give you background heating Economy 7,is a good idea when you arent there and drain the water from the house.
Oil boilers unattended are prone to lock out after mains dips etc.
I have used a worcester bosch fed from UPS ( uninteruptable power supply)in the past when I wasnt home in the winter.

 

[davidjohnperry]

This might sound a bit off but you could use a lpg boiler if its just a small house hold and using only once or twice a year but price wise unsure just a option

 

[brightspark]

This might sound a bit off but you could use a lpg boiler if its just a small house hold and using only once or twice a year but price wise unsure just a option

the price of bottled gas or a tank is through the roof economy 7 nightstores are still dear but would probably be better . dont go for these stupid new pannel radiators that are supposed to be the bees knees cos there not

 

[rtbcomp]

Would using dehumidifiers be better? They will remove moisture and put a bit of heat into the rooms and be much cheaper to run.

 

[davidjohnperry]

U could go on those new age boilers that run on micro pellets they say u get good heat out put

 

[Burdekin]

Thanks guys. Some handy ideas. A mate has a electric heat exchanger which seems to works okay but not sure if it also does the hot water. There are the reverse cycle air cons that they call air heat source pumps or something like that but are very expensive.

The boiler does trip quite a bit, never realised it could due to the power supply.

I also have a rayburn that I got cheaply from a mate that's like new but it's gas but maybe it could be converted to oil or is there a cheaper way to get a gas tank.

Our oil tank is secure and would be reasonably difficult to steal oil from as it is in a cement blocks bunker, especially in our village with our neighbours, they don't miss much.

 

[Burdekin]

Would using dehumidifiers be better? They will remove moisture and put a bit of heat into the rooms and be much cheaper to run.

Thanks. The boiler needs replacing anyhow and would like to have the heat ticking over a little in winter when we aren't there. We do use the cottage a lot as it is always great to get up there by the sea and out of Aberdeen.

 

[gaz1]

whats your wood like on delivery or access to the property as id actually consider replacing it with a new wood burner instead as long as you have the storage or able to store and access to the materials then a wood or wood pellets maybe a good idea instead wood burners can also heat the age old oil system

 

[Burdekin]

We could store wood no problem, that is interesting. We have a wood stove at the cottage which is used all the time in winter. Any recommendations of a wood pallet type boiler? Seen them in Austria, but not sure where we could get the pallets from would be once concern.

 

[davidjohnperry]

sorry if this is slightly off topic
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk...g-a-renewable-technology/Wood-fuelled-heating

i think this can give you enough info there probably is a down side as there is to all things i wish i knew more ive been trying to convince my company to install them but there not interested the price vary depending in size and out put maybe other members can shed more light on the subject

 

[brightspark]

sorry if this is slightly off topic
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk...g-a-renewable-technology/Wood-fuelled-heating

i think this can give you enough info there probably is a down side as there is to all things i wish i knew more ive been trying to convince my company to install them but there not interested the price vary depending in size and out put maybe other members can shed more light on the subject

ive just wired up an automatic wood pellet boiler for a guy. as said u need a massive delivery and store to keep them . the boiler once lit runs 24 seven to a large storage water tank and heats domestic water and central heating when the tank is up to temperature the burner shuts down to a small fire then when thermostat calls for heat a fan cuts in and the auger feeds the burn from a hopper .its suposed to be slighly less price than gas

 

[Burdekin]

Thanks guys. Maybe not the best idea for a holiday cottage, but looks like a darn good idea for a home.

 

[gaz1]

http://www.stovesonline.co.uk/wood_burning_stoves/Stoves.html

you can also use the fire ireland do a good model

but if your oil then get a reconditioned model and you will find them around 400.00

but i also like the cooking idea of one

 

[Burdekin]

Contacted these guys: http://www.heatraesadia.com/373/

If we can turn off the hot water tank when we aren't there then it could be a good solution and probably over £1000 cheaper than a decent oil boiler and over a year maybe less to run.

 

[RBDIVE]

Burdekin,

For you hot water and heating requirements the only real option is to go for ASHP, from memory is one unit of electricity in to 3 units of heat out, installation can be very easy, say 100mm thk concrete slab two water connections, one electrical wire, and the control unit your done. And most units you can control the unit via your phone, so very suited to a holiday unit.
I spec more and more on my designs now as heating your home is a little like co2 bands on your car.

 

[rtbcomp]

For you hot water and heating requirements the only real option is to go for ASHP

When using abbreviations or acronyms for the first time in a thread please explain them so people not familiar with the subject can follow the discussion.

The normal way of doing this is

For you hot water and heating requirements the only real option is to go for Air Sources Heat Pump (ASHP)

From then on it's OK to use the abbreviated form. This is the convention employed in most technical documents.

 

[Fintray]

Burdekin
Have a look on this forum for information and advice on different types of heat source:
http://www.navitron.org.uk/forum/

 

[Shox Dr]

I'd fit a Dehumidifier as a matter of course, regardless of how you heat the building you will still get humidity esp' if it's an older build.

As for heating, I've no idea on the costs, but I would be inclined to look into a system that can be controlled remotely, as there really is no need to have heating on 24/7 in any building.

On a side note I have an Oil fired Rayburn in Helmsdale that my father had removed, he has it stored in his garage waiting for me to collect it at sometime

I believe the boiler is worn out, not a difficult job to replace.