How to service an oil boiler?

engrish?

HI,

In the hopes of saving a few pounds I was wondering if there are any instruction manuals with easy to follow instructions on how to service an oil boiler? I just moved into my house and I am skint after paying for the oil amongst other things. I was told the boiler is due a service.

The boiler is an eternal oil boiler, a firebird popular 90.

Any help would be appreciated - or if you think that this is too dangerous to do let me know!

Thanks!

Munster64

you need a test meter to check the exhaust gas, that is how they know if it is working efficiently.

The Helpful Engineer

To be honest I think you should get the professionals in, they might spot something you would miss.
I have the same boiler as you, it 12 years old now and on its last legs so I get it serviced every year. The last time I watched the service guy do his work. What he did was:

1. Opened up the front of the boiler to access the firebox, which he cleaned out.
2. He removed the steel plates above the firebox and cleaned off the soot and rust.
3. He checked the oil line within the boiler house, and found it was worn and replaced that.
4. He replaced the burner nozzle.
5. He checked the steel surround to the boiler and told me there was a few years left.
6. He drilled a small hole in the flue, turned on the boiler and inserted a flue gas analyser, he left this in and adjusted the settings to increase the efficiency as best he could. This alone will probably pay for his visit.
7. He gave me a print out and taped up the hole in the flue.

I may have left something out, the first two steps you could do yourself. If your getting someone in, make sure you get a trained guy with all the equipment to do it. One guy I used before only used a vacume cleaner to clean out the soot from the firebox and did nothing else.

engrish?

Thanks for that. Its worth the investment of a plumber so. Where was that plumber you used based and how much did he charge? I am in Dun Laoghaire direction, if you think he would work around there could you pm me his number?

Thanks

The Helpful Engineer

Sure I will PM his number for you.

ROZLYN

Excuse my ignorance in this area but after reading this thread so far am I right in thinking any plumber can service an oil boiler (Firebird), I thought you'd have to get a bolier specialist in this area?

Sparkpea

ROZLYN wrote: »

Excuse my ignorance in this area but after reading this thread so far am I right in thinking any plumber can service an oil boiler (Firebird), I thought you'd have to get a bolier specialist in this area?

anybody can service a boiler whether its plumber or diy person if they have the right tools however it is recommended that someone who is a registered heating engineer with the qualification does it.

ROZLYN

Ok, thanks for that.

studio54

Sparkpea wrote: »

anybody can service a boiler whether its plumber or diy person if they have the right tools however it is recommended that someone who is a registered heating engineer with the qualification does it.

think you need to brush up on your RGI regs....when dealing with GAS boilers only registered installers may service GAS boilers, as and from jan 2009 it is a criminal offence to work on GAS appliances while not registered punishable with a EUR15,0000 Fine and/or up to 3 year prison sentence.

OFTEC (equivalent oil body to RGII) are in the process of bringing in similar laws.

My experience is that during a recession everyone becomes a plumber until disaster happens. boiler service should cost between Eur75 and Eur100 and generally this difference comes down to individual company prices.

My advice is get someone registered and also look for a service cert issued by contractor from Bord Gais

Sparkpea

studio54 wrote: »

think you need to brush up on your RGI regs....when dealing with GAS boilers only registered installers may service GAS boilers, as and from jan 2009 it is a criminal offence to work on GAS appliances while not registered punishable with a EUR15,0000 Fine and/or up to 3 year prison sentence.

OFTEC (equivalent oil body to RGII) are in the process of bringing in similar laws.

My experience is that during a recession everyone becomes a plumber until disaster happens. boiler service should cost between Eur75 and Eur100 and generally this difference comes down to individual company prices.

My advice is get someone registered and also look for a service cert issued by contractor from Bord Gais

Like he said, OIL boiler, I'm not talking GAS therefore no need to brush up on regs as theres no law saying you must be registered for Oil.

studio54

Sparkpea, you seem to be very confused. As I pointed out OFTEC, the Oil Firing Technical Association for the Petroleum Industry are in the process of bringing in laws to match those covered under the CER that regulates gas, presumably because someone in their wisdom thinks oil can be dangerous when ignited.

The examle of gas(as I seem to have to spell it out to some people who would rather spend their time debating topics like "MY DADDY'S BIGGER THAN YOURS" nonsense than applying common sense to help someone who is contemplating opening a combustion chamber, oil or gas with possible dangerous outcomes) was purely a guide.

I can only assume sparkpea that your time spent on boards comes from a boredom brought about due to your lack of call outs to service boilers....OIL OR GAS!!!!!:D

Billy Bunting

In the process!!! :rolleyes:

Sparkpea

you talk about in the process of... which means it is not currently law. I know plenty of experienced service engineers in the business 20 years+ who are not OFTEC registered and at this moment and time are not required to be by law to service boilers which brings me back to my first post of saying anyone with the tools and knowhow can do it but it is recommended that its a qualified engineer.

I'm not a service engineer and have no intention or want to be I do employ OFTEC reg engineers to commission and service my boilers.

Warmflow in the North recommend you have it serviced by them or an OFTEC registered engineer but in their gas manuals state it must be carried out by a then CORGI registered engineer - thats the difference.

Its not a pissing contest

studio54

Calm down lads

If I have struck a nerve, I apologise.

The issue here is not about when new laws are introduced but more that there is a need for new laws to deter the ordinary lay person from employing cheap unqualified labour, and by unqualified I mean incompetent and unsafe, or as the case may be, taking it on themselves.

Now I do believe that in a recession people need to watch every penny but do you seriously believe advising "anybody can service a boiler whether its plumber or diy person if they have the right tools" is sound advice? How many "skint" individuals out there with a screwdriver in their second drawer do you think will heed your recommendation after reading that.

I dont know you or your work and appreciate you are not a service engineer but my issue is with your advice as written prior to my comments.

Duty of Care.

Billy Bunting

studio54 wrote: »

Now I do believe that in a recession people need to watch every penny but do you seriously believe advising "anybody can service a boiler whether its plumber or diy person if they have the right tools" is sound advice?

You seem to be very selective with your quotes Sir, the remainder of the sentence read......

however it is recommended that someone who is a registered heating engineer with the qualification does it.

away ya go :rolleyes:

CBYR1983

In fairness, it's easy to muck up the settings on an oil burner if you don't know what you're at - I know from my own handy work - and you really need a flue gas analyser to have it burning right, so it does make sense, apparently, even from an efficiency perspective, to pay for good help.

Trouble for the average homeowner is ensuring you get good help, some cowboys will just change a nozzle or sweep a brush and the homeowner is none the wiser - I also have first hand experience if this!

CBYR1983

In fairness, it's easy to muck up the settings on an oil burner if you don't know what you're at - I know from my own handy work - and you really need a flue gas analyser to have it burning right, so it does make sense, apparently, even from an efficiency perspective, to pay for good help.

Trouble for the average homeowner is ensuring you get good help, some cowboys will just change a nozzle or sweep a brush and the homeowner is none the wiser - I also have first hand experience if this!

The Helpful Engineer

Guys. I got my oil boiler serviced recently and with this thread in mind I took photographs of each stage of the process. Click here to see them. I hope that is of help. Also notice how much kit the service guy had to have to service/ fix the boiler properly: insulation, nozzles, spare, photocell, flue pressure gauge, flue gas tester etc. Although he actually fixed the insulation on a separate day, as he had to order that.

m1nder

The Helpful Engineer wrote: »

Guys. I got my oil boiler serviced recently and with this thread in mind I took photographs of each stage of the process. Click here to see them. I hope that is of help. Also notice how much kit the service guy had to have to service/ fix the boiler properly: insulation, nozzles, spare, photocell, flue pressure gauge, flue gas tester etc. Although he actually fixed the insulation on a separate day, as he had to order that.

Best explanation Ive ever seen. Many thanks for the great photos. When I'm getting this done again I'm gonna watch and ask for the flu gas analyser.

Billy Bunting

m1nder wrote: »

When I'm getting this done again I'm gonna watch and ask for the flu gas analyser.

You would do well to ask the engineer if he has a FGA before you give him the job, FGA's tend to sort the wheat from the chaf, so to speak.

broke

I know this is a old post but it's time to get your boiler serviced again. Do try and get a guy to do it the right way ie. with a flue gas analyser, this checks if there is excess carbon monoxide being produced and your boiler is running right and saving you money.