Making the most of oil

We have moved into a property with oil. We will, longer term be replacing this with, either oil or ASHP etc etc but that's a conversation for another day.

The oil boiler is a Worcester Bosch and appears to be fine, though the thermostat and timer controls are Danfloss (or something like that). We replaced the timer controls/on/off settings with a new like for like one as that had broken and everything seems to be working fine. We have a log burner in the lounge (old one), no back boiler etc but with some logs and coal it heats the room nicely.

Coming from GCH does anyone have any opinions on economy wise whether it's best to leave it on a timer like we did with gas or set the thermostat at a set temporature and keep the heating on low. The water tank and hot water seems to get hot quickly once we put the hot water on but I've been putting this on a timer.

Also, is there a way to find out the size of the tank. The gauge shows just over a quarter of a tank of oil remaining but I don't know how much to order because I don't know the size!

Comments

  • G_M
    G_M Posts: 51,977
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    edited 5 April 2018 at 8:28PM
    Use the boiler exactly as you would a gas one. The type of fuel makes no difference.

    Whether you keep it on all day, or timed, and at what temperature depends

    * whether you are are in or out all day
    * how warm you like your home
    * how well insulated the house is etc

    Also how much of the house you want heated! As the spring is coming and the weather gets warmer, you might not need the heating on at all - just use the log burner in the evenings for example.

    Urban myth is that it is better/cheaper to keep the heating on all day rather than have to heat it up from a low starting temperature 2ce a day.

    Science and economics does not support this theory. It costs money to keep an empty house warm!

    As for hot water, depends how much you need/use. I live alone and have the hot water off. When I need a shower I do a one hour over-ride and that heats a whole tank. As I have treble-insulated the tank, it stays hot /warm for 2 - 3 days before I need to re-heat. Of course for a larger family that won't work as you'll empty the tank in a single day.

    But insulation is the key. The more the better.

    There are also debates about how to heat the hot water in summer when the heating is off. Again, I use the electric emersion heatet in the tank in summer, rather than powering up the boiler, but I'm less sure of the economics of this.

    What kind of tank? Steel or plastic? The more modern plastic ones tend to have the capacity stamped onto them.

    If not, post a picture here (along with something like yourself to provide scale!).

    As you've recently moved in, it's probably not a bad idea to get the boiler serviced (or do you have a receipt for a recent service?). Use an OFTEC registered engineer. At the same ttime, ask him about the tank! In fact, get him to inspect it and maybe change the filter.
  • labp04
    labp04 Posts: 296
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    All good stuff by G_M, about the only thing I would add is to suggest you figure out how to check how much oil there is in the tank eg we moved from a house using oil to a house using oil, did not know about a knob needing to be pulled at the bottom of the site glass, was reading a false reading and, yep, ran out - on New Year's eve. Brr! Now, what was I saying about knobs?:(
  • dogshome
    dogshome Posts: 3,877
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    The most cost effective maxim with oil heating is how and when you buy the oil

    Search Yellow pages now for local suppliers, (4/5 is the ideal ), and phone each one of them for their price on that day, you will find that you can haggle between them.
    Never sign up for continuous top-up service from a single supplier

    Oil is always cheaper in July & August than it is in the Winter months, and that is time of the year to get your boiler serviced
  • G_M
    G_M Posts: 51,977
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    edited 6 April 2018 at 7:41PM
    Since we're adding things:

    You generally only get a sight glass for checking oil level on a steel tank - the modern plastic tanks don't have them.

    There might be an electronic gizmo to show the oil level - a good indicator but not totally accurate at low levels.

    Some tanks come with a dip-stick.

    I now use a home-made, and highly accurate dip-stick made from a garden bamboo pole. I used gloss paint to mark where the oil reached after a full top-up, then measured off the half-way, and quarter-way points.

    At the bottom end I've measured off 1/8ths & 1/6ths for accuracy when the level is low. Works a treat.

    Agree with phoning round various local suppliers for prices. But also look for a local 'buying group', or indeed one of the national buying groups that have local sub-divisions.

    But never assume that any one group is cheapest. It's inexplicable, but sometimes group-buying is cheapest, sometimes a direct call to a local company can beat the group. I've given up trying to understan why but always check prices everywhere!

    Yes - never sign up to a continuous top-up service. They'll top you up when they want to, at the best price for themselves,
  • lovehols
    lovehols Posts: 214 Forumite
    Thank you everyone. I've set the timer now so the heating and hot water comes on in the morning and evening. For days like today I've been working from home and as I'm just in the living room I had some smokeless coal on the multistove and some logs (logs and coal housewarming present from my parents, though we have a wood too for future).

    It meant I didn't have to have the heating on and I'll just stick the water on later for a bath. We do have an immersion heater and whether that's more economical than oil I've no idea.

    Here are two pictures, one of the gauge which shows a quarter of a tank (it has moved slightly in the two weeks we have been in from just over a quarter). The tank has no markings to indicate size but it's 6ft in length and 2ft width. Hopefully everyone can see the pics below.

    http://imgbox.com/zYqDUoH8

    http://imgbox.com/ONPh478u

    There is a local supplier less than 5 minutes walk away and I've been looking at prices on all the comparison sites last few days, around 46p based on 1000 but I don't know if we need that much! I'd rather get less and fill up in summer! I can always take the cheapest quote and go through the local supplier who will probably beat it as they can literally come and fill up in a few minutes in one of their tankers.
  • lovehols
    lovehols Posts: 214 Forumite
    It's a 1975 bungalow. It has food loft insulation and cavity wall installation as the seller gave us the certificate. It has UPVC windows, granted their is condensation in them and damp but we are planning major renovation subject to planning etc so will up extending, upgrading heating, electrics etc etc in 12-18 months so everything is just a temporary measure til then.
  • G_M
    G_M Posts: 51,977
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    edited 6 April 2018 at 8:10PM
    That looks like a decent sized tank. In fact is it 2 tanks co-joined? Minimum 2 x 500.

    I've not seen a guage like that myself, but if the capacity is 1000, you have 250 left. Capacity may be greater though.

    I suggest you get 500 put in now, and
    a) ask the delivery driver what he thinks the capacity is, and
    b) see how far up the guage goes when 500 goes in - you'll be able to calculate capacity from that!

    edit: there's some writing on the side of the tank on h right - are you sure it does not state capacity....?
  • lovehols
    lovehols Posts: 214 Forumite
    It is definitely one tank.

    You are right in that there is some writing stamped and says litres but the space is blank so they actually haven't stamped in how many litres :(

    The boiler itself doesn't look too old. I can't find a model number though and we had no info on when it was last serviced although the seller said it had recently been done (probate). I'll look in my paperwork.

    http://imgbox.com/M3zoLDn6
    http://imgbox.com/jog1M9HO
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