Oil or LPG?

JD6920s

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Shropshire
Any advice welcome, looking for heating source for two barn conversions currently being done.
Fully insulated with underfloor heating on ground floor and radiators upstairs.
Not interested in ground source or biomass.
Was originally going for outdoor oil boiler, undecided on combi or cylinder, but plumber has suggested possibly having a gas boiler now as quieter (better when running UFH), takes up less space so could go inside, and the gas could run the cooker and front room fire for occasional cold summer evening.
He says that I could get a tank off the gas supplier in with a two year contract and would probably end up better off going that route as opposed to buying a bunded oil tank and boiler.
Up to now we’ve always run on oil and like the freedom to shop around.
Anyone gone with gas and regretted it?
 

Blue.

Member
Livestock Farmer
Any advice welcome, looking for heating source for two barn conversions currently being done.
Fully insulated with underfloor heating on ground floor and radiators upstairs.
Not interested in ground source or biomass.
Was originally going for outdoor oil boiler, undecided on combi or cylinder, but plumber has suggested possibly having a gas boiler now as quieter (better when running UFH), takes up less space so could go inside, and the gas could run the cooker and front room fire for occasional cold summer evening.
He says that I could get a tank off the gas supplier in with a two year contract and would probably end up better off going that route as opposed to buying a bunded oil tank and boiler.
Up to now we’ve always run on oil and like the freedom to shop around.
Anyone gone with gas and regretted it?
Anyone I know who went with lpg wishes they stayed on oil,a well insulated build should pretty efficient so won’t be the end of the world.

Regards an oil boiler always go for an external,far better for maintenance when it leaks oil it won’t stink the house out.
 

solo

Member
Location
worcestershire
I have fitted lpg combi boilers to two cottages back in late spring last year and it’s expensive to buy lpg in December according to the tenants. I would get fuel quotes and work out your consumption before committing either way. LPG boilers also don’t help your EPC rating, as an electric boiler is better for ticking that box now. Goal posts moved during our refurbishment.:facepalm:
 
Location
Suffolk
LPG = Annual Landlords Certificate if these are rented. After year 7 gas boilers become unreliable in my experience. Siting a large gas bottle is as bad as siting an oil tank. At least the gas one can be buried. Out in the woop-woops I'd go for oil. Also how's your water pressure? A trad two tank in the roof system is inherantly more reliable except you have to be very aware of Leigonella now and in the future so careful attention to the tank temps thus insulation needs considering. If you want gas for cooking then a double 47Kg set up, strategically placed, is good. Oil is noisy. A boiler room is a great place to dry things including wet stinky dogs!
SS
 

JD6920s

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Shropshire
LPG = Annual Landlords Certificate if these are rented. After year 7 gas boilers become unreliable in my experience. Siting a large gas bottle is as bad as siting an oil tank. At least the gas one can be buried. Out in the woop-woops I'd go for oil. Also how's your water pressure? A trad two tank in the roof system is inherantly more reliable except you have to be very aware of Leigonella now and in the future so careful attention to the tank temps thus insulation needs considering. If you want gas for cooking then a double 47Kg set up, strategically placed, is good. Oil is noisy. A boiler room is a great place to dry things including wet stinky dogs!
SS

Oil boilers require annual service/check for rental purposes.
We have very good water pressure.
No option for a boiler room unfortunately, but it would be an external boiler.
 
Last edited:

Adeptandy

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
PE15
Got both here, kennels and office on Oil and Bungy on LPG, both on underfloor heating. I like the LPG on UFH as the benefits of a modulating boiler works well and you can get better flow and return temps to the floor. The oil boiler tends to pulse, as oil boilers don't modulate and are either firing or off, so lots of temperature spikes going to the UFH manifolds.
I'm happy with the LPG in the bungy, keeps nice temps and not using anymore than the oil, on a 2 year contract and telematics, so don't even have to check the contents, if I run out its the supplier who will get a rocket, not me.
 

br jones

Member
Lpg everytime ,have 5 house here on it ,wouldnt have oil if you paid me ,calor gives you a tank to bury undergtound ,you pay a fixed rent fot tank 60 a year ,and gas last week was 37.5p a litre .fix your price for 2 years at a time.boilers are 1/2 the price ,place doesnt stink of oil and pikeys cant se the tank to steal your oil .one good cold spell and oil was nearly a pound a litre here a couple of winters ago ,sharks
 

br jones

Member
Also i wouldnt have a combi ,if anyone in the house likes a bath ,too slow to run ,a tank is a better job ,then if you ever have solar you can also heat tank for free
 

JD6920s

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Shropshire
Lpg everytime ,have 5 house here on it ,wouldnt have oil if you paid me ,calor gives you a tank to bury undergtound ,you pay a fixed rent fot tank 60 a year ,and gas last week was 37.5p a litre .fix your price for 2 years at a time.boilers are 1/2 the price ,place doesnt stink of oil and pikeys cant se the tank to steal your oil .one good cold spell and oil was nearly a pound a litre here a couple of winters ago ,sharks

Do you have a tank for each property or share one?
 

tomlad

Member
Location
nr. preston
Im in a similar place ....will be due to choose one of the two ...
One of of my thoughts was as already said pretty unlikely pikeys will try steel gas , as oil highly likely, especially if they thought it was diesel, wen they've drilled a hole in the bottom same outcome.
 
Well
Any advice welcome, looking for heating source for two barn conversions currently being done.
Fully insulated with underfloor heating on ground floor and radiators upstairs.
Not interested in ground source or biomass.
Was originally going for outdoor oil boiler, undecided on combi or cylinder, but plumber has suggested possibly having a gas boiler now as quieter (better when running UFH), takes up less space so could go inside, and the gas could run the cooker and front room fire for occasional cold summer evening.
He says that I could get a tank off the gas supplier in with a two year contract and would probably end up better off going that route as opposed to buying a bunded oil tank and boiler.
Up to now we’ve always run on oil and like the freedom to shop around.
Anyone gone with gas and regretted it?
my two new build cottages were supposed to be external oil boiler and internal water tank but the SAPs calcs were better with LPG and a combi boiler so that’s what we’ve gone for

2 year contract and tank buried in garden
Will be getting it filled monthly top up

I’d have preferred oil but I’m happy to give the LPG a go..... combi boiler is smaller and beater and the tenants will no doubt prefer gas as Ive found they don’t really like oil
 

Blue.

Member
Livestock Farmer
You do if it’s a rental, and advisable to service it annually ?

If gas yes,if an oil boiler it isn’t a legal requirement,but just to cover the landlord the info is it should be serviced yearly.

I’ve a combi that’s run for 18 years with only the nozzle being changed once,had lots of other bits but never had the lid off or baffles out,same with my mums oil boiler,fitted 1996 and never been inside it.
 

Andy26

Moderator
Arable Farmer
Location
Northants
If gas yes,if an oil boiler it isn’t a legal requirement,but just to cover the landlord the info is it should be serviced yearly.

I’ve a combi that’s run for 18 years with only the nozzle being changed once,had lots of other bits but never had the lid off or baffles out,same with my mums oil boiler,fitted 1996 and never been inside it.
Do you not think it would benefit from a service, the oil pressure and CO2 readings can be adjusted to optimise the burn and the CH feed and return water temps (can diy this bit) need to be correct, although less critical if not a condensing boiler.
 

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