Oil Fired Boiler

scaredofdebt

We live in a fairly rural area with no mains gas, so we have an elderly oil fired boiler. It's 15-20 years old and is serviced annually, but I am worried it is getting towards the end of it's life. It's a Worcester boiler. It's generally been pretty reliable since we moved in 5 years ago but the pump went last month and that was over £100 to repair.

I've been quoted around £3,000 for a replacement boiler, it's a 4 bed-detached house so a bit bigger than average. I don't intend replacing it until it's beyond economic repair but am shopping around for quotes so I know what the cost is likely to be.

What would people advise regards this? Should I go for LPG conversion? Can you get any kind of boiler cover that is worth having? Is it worth servicing more than annually or is it a false economy to do this?

Thanks for any advice.

Dan-Dan

scaredofdebt wrote: »

We live in a fairly rural area with no mains gas, so we have an elderly oil fired boiler. It's 15-20 years old and is serviced annually, but I am worried it is getting towards the end of it's life. It's a Worcester boiler. It's generally been pretty reliable since we moved in 5 years ago but the pump went last month and that was over £100 to repair.

I've been quoted around £3,000 for a replacement boiler, it's a 4 bed-detached house so a bit bigger than average. I don't intend replacing it until it's beyond economic repair but am shopping around for quotes so I know what the cost is likely to be.

Thanks for any advice.

If it is working fine now it is really up to you, do you have £3k plus spare? maybe better to stash a bit away each month to go towards the next repair
Regards cost we need to know the boiler you have been quoted and other items within the quote such as Filter? Flush ?

Personally i would not entertain spending the money swopping to an LPG system

scaredofdebt

Yeah it's fine currently, just after general advice, is it worth getting insurance etc?

The chap who usually services our boiler (It's a neighbour, he is qualified) is moving away so I need to find someone else to do the servicing. Is it worth signing up to a plan or just get it done as and when, how much is a service for an oil boiler usually? The neighbour used to charge us £50 but he said that was "mates rates".......

Mistral001

I have an oil-fired boiler which is nearly 50 years old.

If you get it serviced regularly, there should be years of service left in it. The pump should last for another 15 or 20 years. There is very little else that can wear out needing replacement. The nozzle might need replacement occasionally, but that costs less than £10.

Dan-Dan

scaredofdebt wrote: »

Yeah it's fine currently, just after general advice, is it worth getting insurance etc?

The chap who usually services our boiler (It's a neighbour, he is qualified) is moving away so I need to find someone else to do the servicing. Is it worth signing up to a plan or just get it done as and when, how much is a service for an oil boiler usually? The neighbour used to charge us £50 but he said that was "mates rates".......

We charge £95 + parts, which should include a flexible line (or 2 depending) and a nozzle

for £50 i doubt he`s been scrubbing your baffles etc

Wouldnt bother with insurance i would just put the same amount away each month

Mistral001

scaredofdebt wrote: »

Yeah it's fine currently, just after general advice, is it worth getting insurance etc?

The chap who usually services our boiler (It's a neighbour, he is qualified) is moving away so I need to find someone else to do the servicing. Is it worth signing up to a plan or just get it done as and when, how much is a service for an oil boiler usually? The neighbour used to charge us £50 but he said that was "mates rates".......

Servicing an oil-fired boiler involves cleaning out the fire box and checking the air intake adjustment. It is a dirty job a bit like a chimney sweep's job. It does not require a lot of training to learn, unlike a gas-fired boiler maintenance.

Dan-Dan

Mistral001 wrote: »

I have an oil-fired boiler which is nearly 50 years old.

If you get it serviced regularly, there should be years of service left in it. The pump should last for another 15 or 20 years. There is very little else that can wear out needing replacement. The nozzle might need replacement occasionally, but that costs less than £10.

The Nozzle doesnt `might` need replacing, it should be replaced, annually

Mistral001

Dan-Dan wrote: »

The Nozzle doesnt `might` need replacing, it should be replaced, annually

I do my own maintenance. That has certain advantages. If I was doing it professionally, I would probably replace the nozzle every time.

Nozzles on oil boilers are a bit like spark plugs on a car. If your leave your car in to a garage to get serviced, the garage will change them even if the car has only done a 2000 miles since its last service. If you do your own car servicing, you can save a little money by inspecting the spark plugs and only replace them when they show signs of wear.

Dan-Dan

Mistral001 wrote: »

I do my own maintenance. That has certain advantages. If I was doing it professionally, I would probably replace the nozzle every time.

Nozzles on oil boilers are a bit like spark plugs on a car. If your leave your car in to a garage to get serviced, the garage will change them. If you do your own car servicing, you can save a little money by inspecting the spark plugs and only replacing them when they needed.

By your own admission you do your own maintenance, so why would you not replace the nozzle annually as recommended by the Boiler manufacter and OFTEC to opitmise your efficiency, especially as they are about £8

Mistral001

Dan-Dan wrote: »

By your own admission you do your own maintenance, so why would you not replace the nozzle annually as recommended by the Boiler manufacter and OFTEC to opitmise your efficiency, especially as they are about £8

Well forgive me for not complying with the manufacturer's and OFTEC's recommendations while doing maintenance on my own boiler. I am also probably guilty of voiding the warranty on my now almost 50 year old boiler.

scaredofdebt

Thanks everyone.


So an annual service is sufficient, no need to get it done more than that?


I'll shop around and make sure they do all the work mentioned.


:beer: