Changing from oil boiler to something else, where to start

Lincsman

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
Hi

I'm at the point where I need to get a new oil tank, boiler is oldish. Looking to change my heating/hot water away from oil, I'm interested in renewable options but not sure how to get impartial advice. Has anyone who's been through this process got any experience of this and could point me in the right direction?

Get a new boiler, they are very frugal now and oil just gets cheaper, a 600 gal steel non bund tank is about £400... job done.
 
We've just replaced our oil fired central heating ( Rayburn which is also used for cooking has been converted to electric), with an Air Source system by Vaillant. Despite my grave misgivings about it , but She Who Must Be Obeyed was dead set on having it, i have to say that I am well impressed, so far.
We are pretty high up here and it seems predominantly rainy or windy, but usually both, not to mention cold with it! For a modest bungalow, total cost was £8.5k including all new rads. Government payments @ £500 per quarter should total £8k , but I accept that may or may not carry through to full term, a new Rayburn is just shy of £10k anyway, with no payback whatsoever.
 
I've a 50kw Atmos log burner heating a 2500 sq/ft house, the house is a new build so it's well insulated. Currently I charge a 3000ltr tank with the boiler twice a week and our rooms sit at 22°c all week long. Get away with once a week charge in the summer


What weight of logs are you getting through ?

Can you give me an idea of costs of the burner and tank ?
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
Hi

I'm at the point where I need to get a new oil tank, boiler is oldish. Looking to change my heating/hot water away from oil, I'm interested in renewable options but not sure how to get impartial advice. Has anyone who's been through this process got any experience of this and could point me in the right direction?


Old house I assume, so I suspect ASHP is a no-no... Wood boiler away from the farmhouse, and pipe hot water across to storage tank? (see below) I think a mix will be the logical way forward

Look at solar as a top up for whatever you decide. PV and a diverter to dump surplus power into a big storage tank. Saw an interesting system using solar thermal as well, which is unusual these days.
 

Fubar

Member
If was building a new house I don't think I would install an inefficient rayburn such as our wick burner type. Having said that, you couldn't get a more simple system and there's little to go wrong. Gravity fed oil, header tank in the attic . No pumps to fail, no pcbs to melt. Once a year service involves a vacuum cleaner and 3 feet of wick. And there's something about a rayburn/ Aga in a farmhouse. It's the hub of the kitchen. Ours heats the domestic water and the whole house feels warmer when it's going. We had a new kitchen fitted a while back and the designer insisted we should get rid of it. No way.. It's been here 60 odd years and it'll be here another 60 yet.
It's just the regulating of it I don't like. It's all or nothing. We have to turn it out in summer but then some mornings it's cold and you want it on. You need to light it at least 4 hours before you want any warmth.
 

Rufus

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
York, N Yorks
Old house I assume, so I suspect ASHP is a no-no... Wood boiler away from the farmhouse, and pipe hot water across to storage tank? (see below) I think a mix will be the logical way forward

Look at solar as a top up for whatever you decide. PV and a diverter to dump surplus power into a big storage tank. Saw an interesting system using solar thermal as well, which is unusual these days.
[/QUO

Well sort of. Here's a rough description of what I have,

360m2 total floor area.
Ground floor original house 136m2
First floor original house 136m2
Ground floor extension 90m2

All ground floor 226m2 has underfloor insulation and wet underfloor heating throughout which is fantastic.
First floor is radiators

Extension 90m2 is highly insulated with double glazing and cavity wall insulation.

Original house has had all internal walls insulated with 100mm kingspan which I did 10 years back and has made a huge difference.

Only bad point is that we have a few large 2 meter square sash windows in original house which are draughty when windy in winter.

We currently use 5000 litres of oil a year on average.
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
If was building a new house I don't think I would install an inefficient rayburn such as our wick burner type. Having said that, you couldn't get a more simple system and there's little to go wrong. Gravity fed oil, header tank in the attic . No pumps to fail, no pcbs to melt. Once a year service involves a vacuum cleaner and 3 feet of wick. And there's something about a rayburn/ Aga in a farmhouse. It's the hub of the kitchen. Ours heats the domestic water and the whole house feels warmer when it's going. We had a new kitchen fitted a while back and the designer insisted we should get rid of it. No way.. It's been here 60 odd years and it'll be here another 60 yet.
It's just the regulating of it I don't like. It's all or nothing. We have to turn it out in summer but then some mornings it's cold and you want it on. You need to light it at least 4 hours before you want any warmth.

Your final paragraph sums up my views (and dislike) of the oil wick Rayburn/Aga... :)

It's taken 10 years for Herself to really settle with UFH coming from a GSHP!!
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
Well sort of. Here's a rough description of what I have,

360m2 total floor area.
Ground floor original house 136m2
First floor original house 136m2
Ground floor extension 90m2

All ground floor 226m2 has underfloor insulation and wet underfloor heating throughout which is fantastic.
First floor is radiators

Extension 90m2 is highly insulated with double glazing and cavity wall insulation.

Original house has had all internal walls insulated with 100mm kingspan which I did 10 years back and has made a huge difference.

Only bad point is that we have a few large 2 meter square sash windows in original house which are draughty when windy in winter.

We currently use 5000 litres of oil a year on average.

Probably worth your while getting an independent assessor to do some calcs for you, and get some ideas of your actual requirements?

Worth a few quid IMV.
 

Fubar

Member
Well sort of. Here's a rough description of what I have,

360m2 total floor area.
Ground floor original house 136m2
First floor original house 136m2
Ground floor extension 90m2

All ground floor 226m2 has underfloor insulation and wet underfloor heating throughout which is fantastic.
First floor is radiators

Extension 90m2 is highly insulated with double glazing and cavity wall insulation.

Original house has had all internal walls insulated with 100mm kingspan which I did 10 years back and has made a huge difference.

Only bad point is that we have a few large 2 meter square sash windows in original house which are draughty when windy in winter.

We currently use 5000 litres of oil a year on average.
Won't let my wife see this. We use 2500 l oil a year and I tell her THATS too much!
 

Rufus

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
York, N Yorks
Won't let my wife see this. We use 2500 l oil a year and I tell her THATS too much!
Yep that's why Im looking at other options. The restrictions on new oil tank positioning and boilers will make it an expensive job to replace. So just thought I'd see if there is any viable alternative. We don't have much timber on the farm and I have other businesses so I need something that doesn't need much daily attention.

Looking like oil is the way to go judging from what others have said on here.
 

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