I did a Camray oil boiler installation myself over 20 years ago, and have t wice had to rebuild the baffle plates, successfully in that the last re-bui ld was some 5 years ago, but the machine is getting long in the tooth and a nothe baffle failure might well be increasingly likely.
In terms of everything another boiler isn't that expensive, but having had a quote, which was monstrous considerable the inducements to become less po lluting, I am wondering whether there are regulations now in place that wou ld prohibit me just doing the replacement myself.
You might be entitled to a free boiler and installation under the ECO scheme. They changed the rules recently and a lot more people now qualify who didn't before.
It's in your own home, your not getting paid, provided you are "competent" and follow the regs I don't think there is anything to stop you. Same applies to gas.
That is how I too see it. The only point of doubt is in determining who might be described as 'competent'. Judging by the mistakes I have seen made by fully qualified gas engineers, I would feel much safer doing a self install.
With an oil boiler, someone with the proper, recently calibrated instruments should check combustion when commissioning it. It seems hard to go wrong with installation otherwise, provided one has sufficient common sense and knowledge of suitable materials to seal the flue properly, and put it in a sensible place.
Dunno! But you really still need to check all is working on commissioning, for reasons which should he obvious to anyone who has ever bought complex machines, such as cars.
Many thanks, guys, for your comments - all positive fortunately
"Urban myth" is a modern web sourced phrase that didn't exist when I was re building this late 18th century cottage, but it might well be the basis of the fact that in Scotland, if you have a degree in electrical engineering i t is a mark of your 'competence' to do the wiring in your house!! Likewise , on the basis that soldering is the key to a lot of electronics, I am ther efore 'competent' to do plumbing :>) .
I am comfortable with the competency requirement.
I'll buy locally and will get the supplier to calibrate it. Yes, I could d o the baffle plates again but the pressed steel box they fit into probably wouldn't take a third visit, and the boiler is not likely to be much more t he 50/60% efficient.
And a second yes - there is the Government inducement to replace old boiler s, but the two quotes I have received are charging £3k/3.5k for 4 man days of work. I installed that last one, and I have a volunteering neighbo ur who spent his business life selling and installing wood burning stoves/ boilers - I think we should be a fine team.
Following the regs would be a good start. Followed by good craftsmanship.
Aye, just had our boiler replaced (freebie under ECO so no opporunity to DIY). The also installed a TF1 magnetic filter, backwards.
Following the regs should get the flue in the right place, flue position takes up a lot of pages...
No, well not oil ones, they are on or off. I don't think there are any modulating oil boilers that might need a feedback loop.
You can roughly adjust the power of a given boiler by manually altering the pump pressure and changing the jet. This alters the amount of oil sprayed into the combustion chamber and thus alters the amount of air required for proper combustion, this is also a manual adjustment.
Oil boiler complex? Lump of cast iron, some baffles, oil pump driven by a motor that also drives a fan, couple of thermostats, and a control box that does nothing more than check there is a flame, if there isn't when there should be it tries to ignite one for about 10 seconds then locks out.
You do need to check the oil pressure, smoke and CO2 levels in the flue gases and the flue gas temperature are correct for the jet and burner head installed. The CO2 level is adjusted by altering the air inlet damper. Flue gas temp by oil pressure, I guess smoke just follows if the air/oil ratio is giving proper combustion.
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