Oil Heating System queries

[John Hale]

I'm in the process of getting quotes in for renovating my oil heating system, there are no current issues with the boiler except it's over 20 years old, but the hot water cylinder is leaking the feed and expansion tank is badly distorted as is the cold water storage tank. I've had 3 plumbers quote, but they all have various opinions.

1. Says replace old rads add thermo static rad valves and fit a Navien oil combi 26kw and get rid of all tanks.

2. Says fit external navien boiler inside garage 36kw get rid of tanks

3. Will add a clause saying we don't recommend combi boilers if I insist will fit a grant. But recommend a mains pressure hot water cylinder fitted to system and get rid of tanks in loft. Keeping current boiler.

So am a little confused as it's a lot of money to spend and get it wrong.

Please give me some ideas and recommendations

 

[Stueeee]

If your old boiler is working OK, why change it? When I did the sums on replacing two oil boilers with new condensing oil boilers at mine, they needed to last for decades without fault before they paid for themselves.

I have an expansion vessel on my system, does away with the feed and expansion tank, and makes refilling the system less of a faff as the mains pressure filler loop doesn't cause any/many airlocks. If I was installing a system today, I would go for a mains pressure hot water cylinder and hope not to need a shower pump.

 

[addjunkie]

If your mains pressure is good Id agree with the hotwater tank as above. A system boiler saves the installer a lot of work As its a box you just connect to yours system Includes expansion tank etc.
I used a Worcester greenstar 25/32 Danesmoor Traditional boiler on my holiday lets. With conventional hot water tank.

 

[gaz1]

my advice go tank based as you will be going that way anyway

your kent based so have better solar options in summer/winter

now im better off wood based so a rocket stove boiler is better my way but a combination of both will help alot

you have to start factoring in enviro costs and will you still be supplied with what your wanting as there forcing it more down electric power

Solar Thermal Install

Right then... On the back of these oil prices I need to fit these 3 solar thermal panels: To this hip roof: These are the tiles. Not sure what they are, Double Roman? Anyone know what rail and brackets I need? Not as easy as it sounds. The tiles need to come off and the felt be...

www.mig-welding.co.uk

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/fuel-bills.120412/

results reference solar elec vs water solar

Solar Thermal Install

the bottom end is too tight anyway for a loop system much better to use a wider loop I meant the way it was installed, no track mats, no PPE, trip hazards all over the place Wouldn't last 5 minutes on my sites

www.mig-welding.co.uk

 

[gaz1]

brewdextra did a pellet install

Pellet stove for the workshop?

It's coming up to the time I have to winterise the workshop by smearing the lathe and mills with thick oil to stop condensation. No point using a dehumidifier as I would be dehumidifying Yorkshire, the workshop is too big and its not completely air tight. The workshop has heaps of insulation...

www.mig-welding.co.uk

Solar PV, hot water, combi boilers and storage heaters

This is a question for the plumbers and electricians on here. I have 3.8kw of pv, conneted via a gizmo that diverts power that would otherwise be exported to my immersion heater. Our boiler is a conventional one, the system works really well, the water is piping hot by midday. I would really...

www.mig-welding.co.uk

 

[DAPPH]

Have you checked to see if replacing the 20 yr old boiler attracts a government green fuel efficiency grant? I have a bungalow , got a lovely Worcester Green Star Heat Slave balanced flue combi oil boiler able to run on some high levels of bio fuels with no probs to seals or hoses (IIRC three years ago £3000 fitted & warranted by a registered Worcester trained fitting company , included new chimney flue pipes and balanced flu vertical chimney on th roof ) .
It fitted in nicely in the cupboard space where the hot water tanks used to be . The top half has a new double walled flue going up out the roof with a rain protected chimney above the tiles so I made a slattrd airing cupboard in the empty space ..nearly 120 foot of planed laths . Reason for the new Worcester balanced flue , sealing washers & fire proof cement is that like a lot of companies you get best results if you use their flues and don't cut corners that hurt your purse a few months / years later .

 

[Mr Fro]

I had the same quandary 5 - 6 years ago. I wanted a combi as it's what I had when I was on gas but all the oil installers I spoke to advised against it so I ended up with a Grant Voetex pro utility 15-21 with a mains pressure water cylinder.

I'd already ripped out and replaced the old water and heating systems so I guess it was a fairly easy job for the boiler fitter.

It's nice having mains pressure on the hot water and even though I was a bit concerned about the boiler output (I wanted more) on a pretty big 70s 4 bed detached house, it's been just fine. I can't say it's cheaper to run than the old system as it was a bit broken and we only used it for a year before changing it.

I'm also not majorly convinced about thermostatic rad valves as I haven't noticed them operating (mind you, that's probably the point) but they're only £20 odd for a decent one so not exactly expensive.

 

[gaz1]

I'm in the process of getting quotes in for renovating my oil heating system, there are no current issues with the boiler except it's over 20 years old, but the hot water cylinder is leaking the feed and expansion tank is badly distorted as is the cold water storage tank. I've had 3 plumbers quote, but they all have various opinions.

1. Says replace old rads add thermo static rad valves and fit a Navien oil combi 26kw and get rid of all tanks.

2. Says fit external navien boiler inside garage 36kw get rid of tanks

3. Will add a clause saying we don't recommend combi boilers if I insist will fit a grant. But recommend a mains pressure hot water cylinder fitted to system and get rid of tanks in loft. Keeping current boiler.

So am a little confused as it's a lot of money to spend and get it wrong.

Please give me some ideas and recommendations

from what i can see there offering there commision style of supplying a new boiler

something of a pet hate of mine

whilst your system can be changed to a pressurised system you have to know what your doing to do it

but the expansion tank in loft can be removed as long as you fit an expansion vessel in its place and then its fed by water pressure into a looped system with a pressure guage and prv valves as well, you do need them, but also means you need to keep checking the preasure as well

if theres nothing wrong with boiler no leaks the only issue you have is it economical whilst old lasts alot longer than new boilers roughly 1 new boiler per 10 years the older ones are not as economical

 

[knighty]

I'd go with the mains pressure hot water tank

you'll have better water flow - non of that turning the tap on low so it comes out hot enough stuff

and with a combi boiler the boiler has to fire up every time you turn a hot tap on..... all those short on/off cycles are no good for an oil burner, much better to have a tank


swapping to a mains pressure tank should be the cheapest option by a mile too? - spend the money you save on extra insulation for the house :-)

 

[MetalMonkey]

I'm in the process of getting quotes in for renovating my oil heating system, there are no current issues with the boiler except it's over 20 years old, but the hot water cylinder is leaking the feed and expansion tank is badly distorted as is the cold water storage tank. I've had 3 plumbers quote, but they all have various opinions.

1. Says replace old rads add thermo static rad valves and fit a Navien oil combi 26kw and get rid of all tanks.

2. Says fit external navien boiler inside garage 36kw get rid of tanks

3. Will add a clause saying we don't recommend combi boilers if I insist will fit a grant. But recommend a mains pressure hot water cylinder fitted to system and get rid of tanks in loft. Keeping current boiler.

So am a little confused as it's a lot of money to spend and get it wrong.

Please give me some ideas and recommendations

If that was me I'd just be replacing the tanks, and put the rest of the money towards an alternative solution in the future. Or indeed, just aside for buying the oil.
Not sure it makes a lot of sense to throw a lot of money in to oil heating giving the way things are going...

 

[Kayos]

I can't really comment on what is or isn't suitable without much more info.

I will say this, on a bigger scale I am currently swapping oil boilers for lpg, where heat pumps are not viable.

Higher efficiency, cleaner burning and projected prices favour lpg massively

 

[John Hale]

I can't really comment on what is or isn't suitable without much more info.

I will say this, on a bigger scale I am currently swapping oil boilers for lpg, where heat pumps are not viable.

Higher efficiency, cleaner burning and projected prices favour lpg massively

What details do you need?

 

[Gareth J]

Worth considering second hand?

Recently bought a 2018 Grant condensing boiler plus pressurised cylinder for £300. Plenty of people ditching them for heat pumps. If you're unsure about what direction home heating will take in the medium term, might be less risky than buying brand new.

I would try to future proof as far as possible to expect both some renewables; PV+ immersion as mentioned and or a heat pump. So, things like if you're fitting new rads, maybe make them low temp ones. Or if not fitting a big thermal store now, thing about where one night go and how to plumb/wire it.

 

[addjunkie]

Think its grand do an air source heat pump, that has an on the side boiler option for the really cold days when the heat pump doesnt work. You can get the government help, then fit boiler later apparently

 

[Bornfree]

Why change a working boiler?

 

[KemppiFrog]

Around here, oil is getting difficult. As of July, no new oil boilers can be fitted. And, oil will be replaced by bio fuel in a year or so. But, that is for those outside town. We have oil and awaite the bio price. But, we also have wood and that is reasonable. Plus, I have access to the local woods, so with a little effort and the trusty chainsaw, I can offset the oil.
Most peeps are fitting heat pumps, with a 50% guv grant. Except.. it can only be done by an approved outfit, no DIY... so they are priced to suite, somewhere over twice what you can do your self.

 

[John Hale]

Why change a working boiler?

What I'm being recommended by 2 out of 3 companies

 

[Kayos]

What details do you need?

Size of house, number of occupants, age of occupants, number of bathroom, frequency of use.
Age of system, oil usage

That is a good starting point

 

[John Hale]

It's a 3 bed end of terrace with 1 bathroom and 1 en suite, though that is only an electric shower and 8 rads. The original system was coal boiler (Trianco) fitted by my dad 42 years ago, 20 years ago it was revamped with an oil boiler, (boulter Camry 5) never serviced until I took over the property last year.

Oil we use just about 800 litres a year occupancy 2 adults 3 kids on a part time basis as we're doing it up slowly

 

[Bornfree]

What I'm being recommended by 2 out of 3 companies

Did they give a reason?