I have the receiver in the kitchen so going outside and having to check it sounds like a load of uneccessary effort.
- Thread starter dobbslc
- Start date
I have the receiver in the kitchen so going outside and having to check it sounds like a load of uneccessary effort.
Yes they are useful to find out what the most you should be paying is, you will also find their service is tiered and if you need it this week you will pay a premium.
The only people who think they save with them are lazy people who can't be bothered to ring a local supplier
I use their price charts as a guide to what the market is doing. I did get a quote once and they were talking about up to 4 week lead time and had a delivery within 3 days just buy phoning my normal supplier and it was £50 cheaper.
The only thing found with my Apollo was when my had been switched off for months is it took some time to synch up. I ended up re-pairing the units but after checking with the instructions once they they've been paired there is no need. It ust takes time for them to sort themselves out.
hotponyshoes
Member
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- Somerset. Uk
A mate of mine spent £100+ on a fancy screen display and ultrasonic level sensor that tells you daily use and cost etc.
I got called in to help fit it when it got to the calibration stage and the instructions only covered round, square and rectangle shape tanks.
His tank is oval and not on the easy axis either.
By the time I got there the wall was chased out and power cable run for the wall mounted display so he was pretty well committed.
He's having problems with it as it does not seem to have any back up battery so every time there is a power cut the whole setup sequence need to be redone!.
I had a watchman that stopped working a long time ago.
I have a wood fire and an immersion so running out of heat/hot water is not a problem.
Bleeding the boiler is a major pita though!!
I have been tempted to fit some sort of lever sensor into the exit from the tank that cuts the boiler out when the oil is gone to make sure there is always oil in the line and I never have to bleed the dam thing again!
Another option is my local supplier offer a "top off" service. Basically you sign up to it and whenever they are in the area with some spare oil on board they top the tank up and promise to charge you at the 1000l rate no matter how little you need.
Obviously you have to trust them not to rob you on the price and you have to keep the money tied up in a full tank. The only reason I have not gone for that is the dogs are normally loose in the garden so it's good to know when something like that is coming.
As posted above, I have checked prices before but there has never been enough in it to make it worth changing suppliers and when I have run out they have been happy enough for me to go to the depot with a couple of cans and just charge me at the regular rate when they came out a couple of days later and put the other 950l in the tank.
I got called in to help fit it when it got to the calibration stage and the instructions only covered round, square and rectangle shape tanks.
His tank is oval and not on the easy axis either.
By the time I got there the wall was chased out and power cable run for the wall mounted display so he was pretty well committed.
He's having problems with it as it does not seem to have any back up battery so every time there is a power cut the whole setup sequence need to be redone!.
I had a watchman that stopped working a long time ago.
I have a wood fire and an immersion so running out of heat/hot water is not a problem.
Bleeding the boiler is a major pita though!!
I have been tempted to fit some sort of lever sensor into the exit from the tank that cuts the boiler out when the oil is gone to make sure there is always oil in the line and I never have to bleed the dam thing again!
Another option is my local supplier offer a "top off" service. Basically you sign up to it and whenever they are in the area with some spare oil on board they top the tank up and promise to charge you at the 1000l rate no matter how little you need.
Obviously you have to trust them not to rob you on the price and you have to keep the money tied up in a full tank. The only reason I have not gone for that is the dogs are normally loose in the garden so it's good to know when something like that is coming.
As posted above, I have checked prices before but there has never been enough in it to make it worth changing suppliers and when I have run out they have been happy enough for me to go to the depot with a couple of cans and just charge me at the regular rate when they came out a couple of days later and put the other 950l in the tank.
That is an absolutely guaranteed way to make sure you are paying the highest tariff possible.
mtt.tr
Member
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- Essex/Suffolk border
Well two years on and we've run out of oil again
I might try one of those Apollo ones and see how it goes! Problem is that my tank stands about 8' tall and I need to get the ladders out to climb on top of it to dip it which is a PITA!
I'm also thinking about getting a new tank as this one is huge at 3000 litres and is perched on top of two rows of concrete blocks that do have a bit of wobble in them!
A new low level tank would be nice.
Anyway I'm off to get 25 litres of oil in a can now £££££££
I know the pain, weve ran out couple of times
maz0
Member
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- Central Scotland
Mine ran out last week, I had done the highly advanced method of using the garden cane, problem is the cane was showing about 3 inches in middle of tank so thought we had another week or two, but next day it dipped below the outlet by about 1cm and wouldn’t run to boiler anymore. Tried propping up the back of the tank like a right desperado
It is amazing how much crap ends up in a tank over the years, last summer mine got to the point where it was low enough to be able to empty it and clean it out with no concerns about heating. There was quite a bit of water and all manner of other gunk in there. I pumped it out, steam cleaned it and dried it. Plastic tanks should get less condensation but even after 8 months I can already see the silvery glint of water in a small patch in the bottom.
I had 200L of rubbish out of mine when I cleaned it
I had 200L of rubbish out of mine when I cleaned it
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The watchman packed in ages ago and didn't seem very reliable anyway.
I just open the lids and shine a powerful torch in there. There is a step/dome thing and I know when it's low when that is uncovered.
I also use Kero in work. A few times when we have been running low I have brought 4x 25L cans home and used a Clarke 12V pump to top it up. Then when we have a delivery take some back down with me.
Until I tore a tendon in my elbow - those can are heavy!
I just open the lids and shine a powerful torch in there. There is a step/dome thing and I know when it's low when that is uncovered.
I also use Kero in work. A few times when we have been running low I have brought 4x 25L cans home and used a Clarke 12V pump to top it up. Then when we have a delivery take some back down with me.
Until I tore a tendon in my elbow - those can are heavy!
dobbslc
Forum Supporter
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- Hertfordshire UK
The barrel of shame
Well I got 50L from Barton Oils in Watford and as I ordered a 500L delivery he charged me the same rate for the 2 barrels
Ow have an operating boiler for the weekend but look at how much its using!!!!
I can actually see it moving!
That only took 1/2 an hour......
julianf
Member
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- 8,590
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- devon, uk
Chap down the road -
"Jules, my boiler had stopped, can you help?"
Me -
"Has it got any oil"
Him-
"Gauge says 1/2 a tank"
Me-
"Yes, but has it got any oil?"
"How do I tell?"
"Take the lid off, and look inside. You may need a torch"
So, on that occasion, I had to help him fill Jerry cans from his MILs tank, and pour into his, and bleed etc.
This year -
"Jules, can you help me bleed the boiler"
Yep, same thing happened. Gauge said he had oil. In reality he didn't. Don't ask me why it happened again.
"Jules, my boiler had stopped, can you help?"
Me -
"Has it got any oil"
Him-
"Gauge says 1/2 a tank"
Me-
"Yes, but has it got any oil?"
"How do I tell?"
"Take the lid off, and look inside. You may need a torch"
So, on that occasion, I had to help him fill Jerry cans from his MILs tank, and pour into his, and bleed etc.
This year -
"Jules, can you help me bleed the boiler"
Yep, same thing happened. Gauge said he had oil. In reality he didn't. Don't ask me why it happened again.
Stueeee
Old git
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Have bought from Boilerjuice on the last two 1500 litre orders. Previously they have never come up cheaper than my usual supplier at Erith.
Re. the guage thing, I just dip the tank from time to time, I have only run out once; it was an absolute PITA bleeding out the oil feeds to the house boiler, oil fired kitchen range and the workshop boiler.
