New Oil fired boiler

[John Anderton]

Hi all,

I wonder if somebody can answer some Noddy questions about oil fired boilers, please ?

I've got an extremely old oil-fired balanced flue boiler that is becoming somewhat unreliable and a little smelly and I'm looking to replace it but I'm a little confused about the range on offer.

I don't believe a combination boiler is a good idea for me as my water supply can be erratic due to living in the sticks and it's nice to know that I have a tank of water available to tide me over until the supply is back on, but even removing them from the equation leaves me with a lot of questions:

1) What is a condensing boiler ? (AFAICS it's just a more efficient version ?) 2) What is the difference between a "kitchen" and "utility" model ? 3) What are the pros and cons of floor mounted, wall mounted or externally mounted boilers ? (my oil tank is actually about a metre above the kitchen floor so I'm tempted by a wall/externally mounted version) 4) Are there any makes to go for or avoid ? 5) If at all possible I'd like to put a worktop over the boiler and maybe totally enclose it. Do any modern boilers require access from above during servicing and repair (as my current one does) ? 6) Are there any limitations (as there are for Gas) about who can or cannot install an oil-fired boiler (some of the stuff I've read about the new building regs seems to imply that I can't do it myself which I find hard to believe)?

Thanks in advance for any help,

Cheers,

John

[Andy Farrall]

I'll have a go at answering some of your questions:

Most oil combis have a storage tank inside them - mine has a 40 litre tank.

Yes they are more efficient - weigh up the additional cost of the boiler against savings in fuel costs to see if its worth it. Mine is not condensing and I couldnt find any condensing combis anyway to compare.

I believe that the oil tank should be above the burner.

Mines a Worcester-Bosch and its great.

Mine certainly does require access from the top and I would guess this is typical. You could of course make the part of the worktop above the boiler removable.

It is my understanding that the installation should be performed by an OFTEC approved installer OR you must obtain building regulations approval - same situation for gas, solid fuel, windows etc.

[Grunff]

A few additions, if I may:

Kitchen model is fully housed in a shiny white metal case, for display in the kitchen. Utility doesn't look very pretty, no exterior panels.

Not at all - it's very easy to run the boiler with the tank higher than the burner, using a tiger loop.

I have a Grant, and it's been great so far.

As does mine.

I know things have changed recently, but I don't believe the installation needs to be performed by such a person. I believe it needs to be inspected/comissioned by one, but not installed. I installed ours. It was very easy.

[Dave Liquorice]

The water vapour in the flue gases is condensed out thus gaining the latent heat of evaporation from the condensed water. This improves the overall effiency of the boiler as less heat is wasted up the flue.

Generally the colour of the cabinet, though a kitchen model may have more sound proofing as well.

External will need protection from frost even under powerfail conditions. This might be tricky to arrange. It's easier to keep something frost free for a day inside that it is outside.