Home Oil (Kerosene) Boiler Advice

Housey · 10 Oct 2015 at 18:48

I have oil fired heating at home as we have no mains gas and it was built to be oil fired. Last week the tank ran dry, not for the first time, when our Watchman failed to tell me it was low, not for the first time. :mad:

The boiler is around 12 years old and though I am told it was a great boiler when built I am considering replacing it, assuming (rightly or wrongly) that tech and efficiency will have improved in that time. I am unable to restart my current boiler so have a local engineer coming out next week to fix it but I am planning to discuss replacement options and wondered if we have any engineers here that can give me some pointers of what's good or what I need to consider.

Tank has 1800L in it having topped it up and sits about 50 yards from the boiler.

godinman · 10 Oct 2015 at 19:11

Have you tried bleeding it? There'll be a little screw to loosen, it'll hiss then some oil will come out, tighten and you're done.

Also, how old are you? You always sound quite old and the plumber told my dad he'd be dead before he got his money back on a new boiler.

Housey · 10 Oct 2015 at 19:41

I'm 48 and I am not going near the boiler outside trying to restart it. You make is sound easy, I will end up on fire I am 100% sure of it and I know from experience it's not that simple as the oil needs to be pumped through as I have had this done before. It's probably less about the money and more about the reliability. The boiler has been temperamental.

Destination · 10 Oct 2015 at 19:53

There is a button, outside on the burner, usually a red push button, turn your heating on, then go out and push the button, just hold it down, it'll fire the beasty, hopefully drain any airlock in the process and you're good to go.

In 12 years I doubt oil burning tech has changed much at all in regards efficiency, it seems to be a stagnant market compared to gas.

vanandjuanunited · 10 Oct 2015 at 19:58

If I can do it its easy. Try it and see

Housey · 10 Oct 2015 at 20:04

Hikari Kisugi said:
There is a button, outside on the burner, usually a red push button, turn your heating on, then go out and push the button, just hold it down, it'll fire the beasty, hopefully drain any airlock in the process and you're good to go..

As I said, it won't. Ive done it about 10 times today and the boiler can not pull the oil through and now the pump has died. I've been here before, I've arranged for my oil provider to fit a monitor which goes back to their base so then can manage it and keep it topped up so this doesn't happen again.

Housey · 10 Oct 2015 at 20:06

vanandjuanunited said:
If I can do it its easy. Try it and see

See above. My tank is a fair distance from the house and the lines are dug into the ground so this is a bit of a pain in the bum

justalex81 · 10 Oct 2015 at 20:11

What about LPG?

mickyflinn · 10 Oct 2015 at 20:51

What model number is it so i can find out how effiecient it is compared to a new boiler.

Housey · 10 Oct 2015 at 20:59

I believe it's a Trianco WM70 HE EXTERNAL

Actually think that's wrong but it's a Trianco but might be a Eurostar 50/70

mickyflinn · 10 Oct 2015 at 21:12

Trianco Eurostar 50/70 has an efficieny of 84.5%

Looking at a new boiler would be 90% effiecient so an overall saving of 5.5% a year

Take into account a new boiler and fitting expense i doubt it would be worth the cost.

Housey · 10 Oct 2015 at 21:12

justalex81 said:
What about LPG?

Not the first to suggest that, oil is a good price at the moment, cost 650 quid to fill this week, it's cost that to half fill at it's most expensive! :eek:

Housey · 10 Oct 2015 at 21:13

mickyflinn said:
Trianco Eurostar 50/70 has an efficieny of 84.5%

Looking at a new boiler would be 90% effiecient so an overall saving of 5.5% a year

Take into account a new boiler and fitting expense i doubt it would be worth the cost.

Thanks, appreciate the heads up!

To be honest the boiler is a bit triggers broom, it's had a few parts replaced over the years and I fear a new pump might be needed, which will be its 3rd.

mickyflinn · 10 Oct 2015 at 21:19

All depends on cost of replacement pump but a new oil fired boiler aint cheap.

Have yo looked at a boiler care plan ?

Housey · 10 Oct 2015 at 21:23

mickyflinn said:
All depends on cost of replacement pump but a new oil fired boiler aint cheap.

Have yo looked at a boiler care plan ?

I have never looked at the plan even though people keep mentioning it. I go yea, I will have a nose....then something else crops up and I forget all about it

mickyflinn · 10 Oct 2015 at 21:28

Housey said:
I have never looked at the plan even though people keep mentioning it. I go yea, I will have a nose....then something else crops up and I forget all about it

Do it now then.

Housey · 10 Oct 2015 at 21:38

mickyflinn said:
Do it now then.

yea, I will have a nose

-Ad- · 12 Oct 2015 at 12:20

Have a poke around the boiler even just for curiosity sake.

When we first ran out of oil last year, I couldn't get it going, especially as I had no experience.

Had a browse around and found a manual online for the riello burner within the boiler. All I did was loosen the bleed plug with a rag around it and let the kero bleed through and into a small plastic container. Tried a few more test fires (red reset button) with a little more bleeding then the thing came alive again with the air out of the system.

Not hard and I didn't implode

But our tank is down the bottom of the garden ~25m away on stilts so mavity fed. New one is 3m from boiler and lower than the boiler, so am going to have to fit new pipework and a tiger loop. Should be fun

Kimi · 12 Oct 2015 at 13:44

If it comes to buying a new one, i would seriously look at an air source heat pump. We have just replaced a couples oil boiler for an air source heat pump after their boiler leaked and oil going everywhere. Not only is it more efficient but the payback from the government will see them very well over the next 7 years. Of course at the moment oil is at a great price tho

Housey · 12 Oct 2015 at 16:54

Kimi said:
If it comes to buying a new one, i would seriously look at an air source heat pump. We have just replaced a couples oil boiler for an air source heat pump after their boiler leaked and oil going everywhere. Not only is it more efficient but the payback from the government will see them very well over the next 7 years. Of course at the moment oil is at a great price tho

I have a listed building and live in a preservation area, so don't really want big boxes on the side of the house, which that type of heating seems to demand?