Oil Fuelled Water and Heating Systems

If you live in one of the 4.3 million homes, not connected to the gas network, it may be that an oil boiler for heating and hot water will be a solution.  The boiler can be as compact as other gas boilers and are clean, quiet and efficient.

Boilers come in various combinations and can either be floor standing or wall mounted.  Fuel is normally stored outside in your own tank.  The advantage is that you have the freedom to choose your supplier.

APH engineers are especially qualified to provide advice and guidance as well as designing the system and fully installing it.

What makes up a good oil central heating system?

A good oil-fired central heating system will contain the same controls as a modern gas-fired system. In particular it should have:

• a room thermostat, ideally located in a living room, not the hallway
• thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) on all but one of the radiators
• an electronic 7 day timer with separately programmable hot water and room heating
• a cylinder thermostat on the hot water tank
• the boiler and thermostats wired in an interlock to prevent short-cycling when there is no demand for either hot water or room heating

What type of boiler should I install?

Modern oil-fired boilers can be highly efficient and manufacturers claim net seasonal operating efficiencies of up to 97%. As with gas boilers, the highest rated boilers will offer the greatest efficiency, and there are now over 90 "A" rated models on the market. It has been mandatory since April 2007 to install condensing oil boilers to comply with Building Regulations.

Oil-fired combination boilers are also available, providing hot water on demand without the need for a hot water tank. However, it is fair to say that they are a bit slower to provide hot water than some gas combi boilers, and that they are not always recommended except for smaller households.

Oil boilers are available with both balanced flues (where the air for combustion is drawn in through a pipe concentric with the extract flue) and with open flues, where the air for combustion is drawn from the room in which the boiler is sited. Although Building Regulations permit both types of boiler to be located in domestic garages, we recommend that only balanced flue boilers are used in those areas. Most modern boilers use a pressure jet burner; although some vaporising burner machines are still available on the market, they may only be fitted into a limited number of locations.