Old oil boiler replacement

Annie1612

Good point! I saw the oil tank - big, green, barrel shaped - looked ok, like a standard oil tank. In fact, I may have misunderstood and the owner might have recently replaced the tank and not the boiler. It looked considerably newer than the boiler. Also, didn’t see a hot water cylinder anywhere - would that mean the boiler is a combi boiler? I asked to see it but the estate agent kept showing me the oil tank.

lohr500

It could well be a combi boiler as oil combi boilers are not uncommon.

If possible you should ask the vendor for more details on the boiler and the tank.

Boiler make, model, age, service history.
Tank age, capacity, single or double skinned.

Annie1612

Thank you - will do this, good questions to ask!

FreeBear

Also check the distance between the tank, any buildings (including sheds), fences, and any screening.

To be compliant with current regs, it needs to be 1.8m from any structure, 760mm from a fence, and 600mm from any screening (e.g. trellis). If the tank is an old installation, it will only need to comply with the rules that were in force at the time. These things keep getting updated, so don't worry too much if it is not currently compliant.

Annie1612

Interesting… I don’t think it is compliant to current regs as it down the side of the house and up against a fence. If it needed siting somewhere else that would be tragic as it would have to go in the back garden and would ruin it.

dunstonh

Good point! I saw the oil tank - big, green, barrel shaped - looked ok, like a standard oil tank.

Metal tanks are the concern.    Plastic bunded (double skinned) green tanks have a very long life.  

We were new to oil in 2018.    I was initially apprehensive but it turned out to be a doddle.   The main issue was learning our use and how many times a year we would need to order.      It turned out our tank is too small for the size of the house.   So, we had to fill up three times a year (recent years have been twice due to us replacing some doors and windows and mothballing a wing fo the house over winter).

You should ask if there is an oil meter.   Apollo oil meters are one type (the 1-10 bar version on a plug is better than the square in house display version).   You will soon learn that when the bars get down to 2 or 3, you need to order xxxx litres.    Some people use a cane or old broomstick handle.  I used both initially and marked the broomstick handle with the apollo reading with the oil level so I could learn both the old and the new methods.

our oil tank is in a place that would no longer meet current regs and it doesn't matter until it comes time to replace.  So, if yours is similar, that is not a problem for now but would only be if it needs replacing.  If its bunded and in good order, you wont need to replace it.

Oil boilers last longer than gas boilers. Worcester Greenstar (or other variations in the name over the decades) are reliable boilers. You need to service the boiler annually, as certain parts, like the nozzle, should have annual replacements. If you don't, efficiency will decline. Oil services are cheap.

Kiran

I use the Kingspan Watchman sensit system to monitor my oil usage. I have a permanent plug in monitor that is in my utility and a wifi connection which sends me updates, low oil and leak detection. You can retrofit to most tanks, and new tanks come with space for them to be fitted. Its made a massive difference to how we were able to manage our usage and also gives you effectively a smart meter for your oil which hopefully has helped us reduce our usage