oil central heating - talk to me;)

sunshine2012_2

i think i will probably be moving into a property with oil central heating, as i am a bit green i would like some basic advice on how to run it MSE way:)

for example, what temp should i set the thermostat at? how many hours realistically do i need the heating on? if the water is heated in the morning and i just have a shower and do a few dishes how long would water keep warm in the tank?

the house will be for me and my 2 children, i have a shower every morning, and the kids twice a week, usually one after the other...i work part time so will be home half the time, but i'm used to MSE ways and can handle wearing extra clothes and electric blankets at night etc.

the house has recently been insulated, and the owners reckoned £500 on fuel lasted approx 7/8 months.....they said they had the heating on twice a day but never said how long for?

any advice tips would be gratefully received:beer:

suki1964

You run the oil the same as you would any other central heating, if you like to keep a warm house you set the thermostat accordingly, we cant decide that for you

£500 of oil would last the summer 7/8 months - you may use the same again in the other four months

Can you heat the water and heating separate?

The one difference in oil heating is you pay up front - and you can see the fuel level dropping - quite fast in some cases - and that is what is scary to new oil users. That and oil prices fluctuate daily, so £500 might have bought 900 litres on the right day of the year - or it may just about pay for 500 litres in the middle of a severe winter

A tank of hot water in a well lagged tank will last a good part of the day. If heated at 7am say then it should be hot enough for showering at tea time although may not be hot enough for dishes. Personally in the months I dont have the heating on Id have the hot water timed for twice a day - 8am and 5pm for 30/45 mins a time - thats for 4 adults showering, washing and washing the dishes etc

As I say the temp you set your thermostat is a personal choice - as is how long you heat the house

sunshine2012_2

thanks, i presume if the heating was turned off then the hot water can be heated with the emersion (sp?) switch?

i think when i move in i will just have to start off being very careful, like keeping the thermostat low until i figure what temp works best etc.

suki1964

On my boiler I can either time the hot water or the heating - or both together. In the summer I use the boiler to heat the water as its easier to set the timer and not worry about forgetting but yes I can use the immersion

smallblueplanet

suki1964 wrote: »

...
The one difference in oil heating is you pay up front - and you can see the fuel level dropping - quite fast in some cases - and that is what is scary to new oil users. That and oil prices fluctuate daily, so £500 might have bought 900 litres on the right day of the year - or it may just about pay for 500 litres in the middle of a severe winter

I don't know if this is still the same but Total Butler used to let you pay by monthly direct debit (after 1st tank full?).

Also keep in mind that not only do you have to consider when the price of oil is changing ie summer - winter but that the more you buy the cheaper the price per litre often is. That is the price per litre of the oil you buy changes at certain quantites so you might save if you can buy 800lt rather 700lt.

If you're living in an area where lots of people use oil there might be a local 'buying group' set up? Again the larger quantities you can buy/order oil in the cheaper it will be.

Johnhowell

sunshine2012 wrote: »

thanks, i presume if the heating was turned off then the hot water can be heated with the emersion (sp?) switch?

i think when i move in i will just have to start off being very careful, like keeping the thermostat low until i figure what temp works best etc.

We live in a large bungalow with oil fired boiler. Even with the high oil prices, oil is still cheaper by a long way to heat the hot water than using the 3kW immersion heater.

As with any new house, you need to learn the settings of the thermostat with the feel of the house.

I suggest you get the boiler serviced by an OFTEC registered engineer. We had one service and found the flue box full of soot as the incorrect jet/nozzle was previously installed. Since then the box has been clean and the measurements of CO perfect - indicating clean efficient burning.

Good luck,
John

suki1964

smallblueplanet wrote: »

I don't know if this is still the same but Total Butler used to let you pay by monthly direct debit (after 1st tank full?).

Also keep in mind that not only do you have to consider when the price of oil is changing ie summer - winter but that the more you buy the cheaper the price per litre often is. That is the price per litre of the oil you buy changes at certain quantites so you might save if you can buy 800lt rather 700lt.

If you're living in an area where lots of people use oil there might be a local 'buying group' set up? Again the larger quantities you can buy/order oil in the cheaper it will be.

Paying monthly direct debit ties you in with one supplier - not always the cheapest

Also oil prices right now are fluctuating daily - not just seasonally. I paid 540 the first week in Oct - now the same amount would cost me 519, even though we are heading into peak buying time

G_M

Running an oil boiler (timing, temperature etc) is exactly the same as a gas one.

The only difference is the fuel you purchase. As explained, buy in advance and in bulk. The main issue here is timing. If you time your purchase at the best moment, when prices dip, it can be significantly cheaper than when they peak - as they did last Xmas in the snower weather + bank-holidays!

It is worth checking prices regularly (eg weekly or even daily as you start to run low) with someone like Boilerjuice (instant online quote), but don't necessarily buy from them. They can usually be beaten on price buy shopping around. I just use their site to show me when prices rise and fall.

If you go to B&Q and get a water cylinder insulation jacket (£5?) and add it to whatever insulation the cylinder already has, your hot water will stay hot longer. You cant over-insulate. Buy two of them!

Settings for hot water temp? Room temp? Timing? It's trial and error to find what's comfortable for you, but the more work the boiler has to do the more oil it will use!

shelly

sunshine2012 wrote: »

any advice tips would be gratefully received

When you need oil have a list of local companies phone numbers to hand and call them all for a price (I think I have 5 numbers on my list)
They will all vary greatly with most of them saying they will price match or better a competitor. Sometimes it's only by a fraction but it's better in your pocket than theirs

[Deleted User]

we live in a park home with lpg and pay around £700-750 a year for gas and electric,some simlar sized homes have oil and pay about £900 a year plus electricity

Survivor123

I am also moving house soon and many of the properties advertised are not connected to gas so the choice is electricity or oil/propane and I have not used anything but gas before for heating and hot water. My worry is the cost involved but I have seen that it is possible to convert a wood burner to some sort of back boiler system to heat up the hot water and also provide heating via "wet" radiators.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to whether this is a viable option? I will be at home most of the time (so I will be an extra radiator) and will ensure that the property has full loft insulation and draft proofed correctly. I will have cavity wall insulation if the property has such walls and assume stone walls retain heat for a fair while? I will also check that any double glazing has an adequate depth but apart from wearing thermals in winter does anyone have any further suggestions for insulation etc (I heard that walls can be insulated using some form of wallpaper?