Weary and cold with oil heating not working

Eliza_2

I've lived in this rented very rural house for 9 years (today exactly). I love it and have made the house, the garden and the local community and area my own. However the oil heating is very likely to drive me out this year.

I've had it regularly serviced, however this year after the summer it wouldn't stay on when I pressed the red switch. As it was due its annual service I called a company recommended by a friend who serviced it and said it was working. After he had gone I went to check but although it was making some of the right noises it wasn't heating anything. I called him back the next day and he replaced something and it seemed to be ok. (so that was 2 lots of callouts plus labour and parts). He told me that it was because I don't run it in the summer so something had corroded. Then it did what it always does when the weather gets cold, it packed up completely and wouldn't start. So all over this cold weather, at times minus 10, I've had no heating. I have well over half a tank of oil. Over the years I've had it regularly serviced, but they never seem to get to the bottom of this problem. I just don't know what to do next other than wait for the weather to warm up. In the meantime I'm using expensive electric heaters. I've just tried pressing the red button again, and although it really tries to get going, it fires up and you can hear it going off and coming on again for a moment or two, with lots of clicks etc, it then gives up completely. I did manage to get it going a couple of weeks ago, and it stayed on for maybe 10 hours - wonderful, but then died again.

Is there a heating engineer on here who can diagnose what might be wrong from my description? And tell me what to do to put it right? Surely the people I' ve called out (all shown on the Oftec register) over the years ought to be able to sort this out, but so far, none have. The pipe outside is quite exposed but I know kero won't freeze in this country so it can't be that.

I live on the breadline anyway so have absolutely no money to call people out again, especially when they never really get to the bottom of the problem.

So grateful for any help

Eliza

pookienoodle

Did you say your house was rented?
If so then surely it is the Landlords responsibility to fix it and you should not be paying for the repairs.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/BuyingAndSellingYourHome/RentingAHome/DG_4001394

Eliza_2

pookienoodle wrote: »

Did you say your house was rented?
If so then surely it is the Landlords responsibility to fix it and you should not be paying for the repairs.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/BuyingAndSellingYourHome/RentingAHome/DG_4001394

Maybe, but then he'll put the rent up. After all it's me who is suffering and having the hassle not him, what's his incentive? I've only had 1 rent rise since I've been here and that's because I've done so much to the house.

E

pookienoodle

do you get any help with your rent?
If so this would rise if your rent did.

If this is going to push you to move then it is worth getting him to fix it,you must be a good tenant for him as you have been there so long,you may find he would be fine about fixing it.

Eliza_2

I've just seen that exactly a year ago I started this thread and although I'm still living here, I really don't think that this time next year I will be here, have already started putting out some feelers for a new house. This heating system is still no better, through these ridiculous temperatures it has cut out constantly and I have had to resort to electric convectors and living in one room. I have again had the boiler serviced and this time, went for a large local well-known and respected firm and asked them to thoroughly 'bottom out' the whole system - from tank, through pipes, boiler, timer, pump and associated gizmos - the whole lot! I paid double the normal boiler service rate but decided it would be worth it if it worked when I wanted it to (rather than when it had a mind to). The guy came, seemed really thorough, checked things, replaced bits and explained lots of stuff to me and went away. It was working fine, though cut out again later that afternoon so I had to press restart switch. Thought it might just have a few teething problems, having been disturbed so much so gave it a chance. For a few days wonder of wonder, it came on when the timer called it up, and went off when the timer switched it off!! Amazing! However a couple of days before I went away for Christmas it was back to its old tricks, cutting out so it needed the reset button pressing and not coming on when the timer asked it to. Not always, but I couldn't trust it so out came the convectors again 2 of which stayed on the highest setting all the time I was away to keep the pipes from freezing - dreading the bill..It obviously hadn't worked at all when I was away but luckily no damage. I pressed the reset button when I got back and all was up and running again, till it turned itself off an hour or so before it was due. If I don't then get it started then it stays off and wont come on when the timer comes on at 6.30 in the morning. The restart button is a pain, behind a kitchen unit which means removing three drawers, the worktop, the unit carcase and the kick board - every bloody time! At least I've worked out how to keep water out of the system and have insulated the outside pipes so now it doesn't cut out when it's very cold, it cuts out whatever the temperature - today is mild.

I'm going to ring the company that did the work on Tues and get them out again, but this has happened all these years and every time the guy goes away and tells me that I'll be ok now, it will be fine - and it never is!!!
From my rambling rabid description above can anyone give me any idea what the problem might be - am beginning to think I'll get a good manual and take the whole lot to bits myself till it's sorted. I got up this morning and reset it, it was on most of the day but has now switched itself off. Timer not due off till 8.30. Not sure I can muster energy to dissassemble kitchen unit tonight, but if I don't I'll wake to a cold house.
Help please before I tear my hair out totally. Incidentally the issue here is ideas for fixing this, not whether the landlord or I am responsible, the thing needs fixing irrespective of who pays the bill. Please can I have some ideas you have no idea how desperate I feel!

Thanks

Liz

macman

Why on earth did you pay the first company twice? If after servicing, it failed to work, then it is their responsibility to come back and correct the fault at their expense. The part cost may be reasonable, since you'd have paid that with a single call out anyway, but 2 call out charges certainly isn't.
Has it occurred to you that the landlord has no need to raise the rent, since you are apparently paying for all the maintenance of the house on top of your rent?

Eliza_2

macman wrote: »

Why on earth did you pay the first company twice? If after servicing, it failed to work, then it is their responsibility to come back and correct the fault at their expense. The part cost may be reasonable, since you'd have paid that with a single call out anyway, but 2 call out charges certainly isn't.
Has it occurred to you that the landlord has no need to raise the rent, since you are apparently paying for all the maintenance of the house on top of your rent?

Yes I know I shouldn't have paid twice, it's just I was so weary with it all that all I cared about was that it should be fixed. After all these years no one has ever got to the bottom of it so if someone promises that it's now ok, then I'm grovellingly grateful. I haven't gone back to that guy though, it's a bit embarrassing as he was highly recommended by a friend. Also I only asked for a boiler service, not the whole shooting match. I won't pay twice for this new lot, as I specifically asked them to go through the whole works, rather than just the usual annual boiler service..

Yes I do pay the everyday type maintenance on this house, it's cheap and I could never afford to buy or rent a house in good condition in this area, so this works well. It's very rural, my nearest neighbour has a similar situation with his landlord, cheap rent in return for maintaining the house, he's even built an extension and bathroom as well as sheep sheds etc. It works fine for us all, we're all long-term tenants, it's just the heating problem that's driving me out, otherwise I'd stay here till I drop!

Anyway, any ideas about the heating anyone?

bobmedley

It all seems a bit vague - what model boiler is it? Once you know this then you should be able to get a manual online (unless it's particularly ancient) and they invariably contain a section on troubleshooting pointing you towards all the potential faults.

If it is ancient, then you should be negotiating with your landlord to get it replaced.

Eliza_2

thank you Bob. It's about 20 years old I reckon, so not so ancient. I shall seek a manual as you suggest, if I can find the cure for this that all of these engineers can't then I shall not be best pleased, though maybe it's a career change in the making.. The trouble is that it might not be a boiler problem, engineers who come always say it's in not bad condition. It could be any one of any of the other things such as pipes, timer, boiler, electrics etc which is why I wanted them to check everything.

Thanks again for your advice, I'll check the make etc later, it entails dismantling the unit again, and I've done that once already today!

Liz

bobmedley

My oil boiler is 11 years old (no problems yet, touch wood) so I do sympathise - the manual states the following for Troubleshooting;

Burner will not start
Control box locked out
High limit stat tripped
Controls calling for heat?
Fuse blown
Motor or pump seized

Burner starts but flame not establised
No oil supply
Photocell not seeing flame
Air trapped in pump
Solenoid valve faulty
Nozzle blocked
Electrodes incorrectly set
Electrode insulator cracked
Ignition transformer or leads faulty
Low oil pressure

Flame established, burner locks out after a few seconds
Water in oil
Oil filter partially blocked
Photocell faulty
Low oil pressure

Morning start lockout
Faulty non-return valve or air leak in two pipe system
Low voltage in appliance
Combustion settings incorrect
Oil level in tank falling below burner

Delayed ignition - burner pulsates on startup
Nozzle partially blocked
Low oil pressure
Flue blocked or damaged
Fan slipping on shaft
Pump coupling loose or worn

Burner starts violently
Delayed ignition

Burner repeatedly attempts to fire
Exhaust gas in combustion air

As you can see, there is a lot to check but some you can do yourself. I would also get the engineer back (FOC) and let him explain what he did as per the checklist and what parts he changed. I have found from bitter experience that OFTEC membership is no guarantee of quality and have had some real halfwits messing with the boiler before I found a decent company who now do the servicing (Team Energy 0800 389 7662, and no I don't work for them). After the service they leave a document stating all combustion settings, nozzle change (this should be done annually), filter condition etc, etc - did you get one of these?

Also you don't mention what happens when the boiler does run - is the CH hot? what about the DHW? If there any issues there, then the boiler might be getting too hot and the high limit is tripping. Try turning the boiler thermostat down towards minimum. Another thought - why is it buried behind kitchen units? This seems a peculiar location & perhaps if it is enclosed then maybe it is getting too hot - there may also be air supply problems.

Finally, I am a great believer in saving time so if the problem is insuperable, then I would throw in the towel and get the bolier replaced, hopefully with a contribution from your LL.

Good luck.

Mary_Hartnell

We rural dwellers have a very difficult decision to make about replacing central heating systems.
Next spring the government will be publishing something called RHI "renewable heat incentive", coupled with details of the "self financing" loans.
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/rhi/rhi.aspx

I would expect legislation to be passed to force BTL landlords to upgrade their properties, so they cannot put private tenants into fuel poverty by imposing expensive heating bills on them. Already a landlord has to provide an energy performance certificate for the property to new tenants. There is an EU requirement to create such a certificate for every home in the country.

What sort of property is it ? (Victorian single glazed sash windows, in a single brick length (9 inch) solid wall with rooms in the roof and suspended wooden floors ??????????? OMG:eek::D)

I think it is time to have a heart to heart discussion with the landlord.

This won't cheer you up much, but a friend of mine was quoted 100p a litre for heating oil if he needed a delivery within a fortnight, or 80p for February delivery (he paid 40 something last summer BUT after the 6 weeks of sub zero nights he is worried about his 1960's bungalow not making it through the winter). A quid a litre in a 70% (say) efficient boiler must bring the oil cost into full price electricity territory ???

Kerosene
47.93p/Litre

5.39p/kWh @90% eff.

9.80 kWh/unit - litre

0.308 CO2

Gas oil
61.55p/Litre

6.79p/kWh @90% eff.

10.40 kWh/unit - litre

0.344 CO2



How about the landlord offering you a wood burning stove in the living room; it is always good to have a back-up heating source.
(You tramp through the woods and arrive home with a dead tree, glowing with warmth and health, you cut and chop it up and get more personal central heating, then sit beside a glowing fire keeping warm in the evening;)).

Me? I've got expensive night storage electric as my main source of heating.

Comparison figures taken from:
http://www.nottenergy.com/energy-costs-comparison3

Mary.

Thinking outside the box: Would your landlord care to install electricity generating PV panels on a shade free southerly facing roof, to invest 10 - 15 k of the profit he has been making from your rent; and then go halves with you on the subsidy the rest of us will be paying him tax free? (41.3p per kWh "unit" of electricity generated).