Oil being used up way faster than normal

Mink

Have gas oil boiler and we've found that since end of November we've had to put at least 200 euros in once a month to keep it going. Prior to this 200 euros would have done us 2 winter months. We'd have heating on for maybe an hour in the morning and anywhere from 2 to 4 hours in evening during the colder days. Thermostat on boiler is up around 70/75

This is probably a stupid question but is this to do with the price of oil going up and we're basically getting way less oil for 200 euros than usual? Or do you think I might need to get the tank/boiler checked for a leak?

Jesus Shaves

it's most likely to do with the price of oil going up but your boiler should be serviced once a year anyway.

heinbloed

Get the heating system checked at least once per year, not only the boiler and the chimney, demand the protocol.
The flow and return temperatures seem to be on the very high side, is that a condensing boiler being used?

Mink

heinbloed wrote: »

Get the heating system checked at least once per year, not only the boiler and the chimney, demand the protocol.
The flow and return temperatures seem to be on the very high side, is that a condensing boiler being used?

The guy who installed the boiler can do services on it, he's also our plumber. I'd imagine he'd be sufficient to check out the whole system?

I don't know if it's a condensing boiler, what I do know is that it was only installed a year ago. My other half insists on putting the thermostat up to 70/75 as he doesn't think 60/65 gets the rads hot enough fast enough. I may turn it down and see if that helps.

Micky Dolenz

Could it have been stolen?

tomthumbe

heinbloed wrote: »

Get the heating system checked at least once per year, not only the boiler and the chimney, demand the protocol.
The flow and return temperatures seem to be on the very high side, is that a condensing boiler being used?

not to sound stupid but what do you mean by protocol, i get my boiler serviced once a year and it was never mentioned

Mink

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

Could it have been stolen?

I suppose it's possible but very doubtful. Semi-detached house and neighbours on both sides are home all day so I think they would have noticed syphoning occuring. Unless it happened in the dead of the night.

God love them if I caught them, I'd unleash unholy wrath on them!!

I should really get a dog to alert us to trespassers, the cats would sleep through it.

heinbloed

Tomthumbe asks:

....what do you mean by protocol, i get my boiler serviced once a year and it was never mentioned

What was never mentioned? By who?

tomthumbe

heinbloed wrote: »

Tomthumbe asks:



What was never mentioned? By who?

Sorry "protocol" i thought i made it clear, my boiler technician never mentioned but he is coming next week so i want to say it to him

heinbloed

@ tomthumbe:

Talk to your technican to make clear what you want to have done.
If you demand the protocol, a report or whatever, he or she has to know beforehand.

The protocol is the actually recorded meassurements taken during the reading of values, boiler emissions, flow rates in the chimney, thermal distribution (flow rates, temperatures).

The report is a summary, be it for the boiler maintenance, the chimney measurements or the overall perfomance of the heating system.

For the consumer the report is propably more important whilest the technican, the heating engineer needs the protocol.

.....

In case you have a condensing boiler installed and you run it in the condensing modus a very efficient and simple method controlling the performance of the heating is system is to meassure the fuel consumption and comparing it with the amount of condensate generated.
There are devices available for the professionals doing this on an automatic long term base.
But a bucket in the household situation would do the trick as well.

tomthumbe

heinbloed wrote: »

@ tomthumbe:

Talk to your technican to make clear what you want to have done.
If you demand the protocol, a report or whatever, he or she has to know beforehand.

The protocol is the actually recorded meassurements taken during the reading of values, boiler emissions, flow rates in the chimney, thermal distribution (flow rates, temperatures).

The report is a summary, be it for the boiler maintenance, the chimney measurements or the overall perfomance of the heating system.

For the consumer the report is propably more important whilest the technican, the heating engineer needs the protocol.

.....

In case you have a condensing boiler installed and you run it in the condensing modus a very efficient and simple method controlling the performance of the heating is system is to meassure the fuel consumption and comparing it with the amount of condensate generated.
There are devices available for the professionals doing this on an automatic long term base.
But a bucket in the household situation would do the trick as well.

thanks

DGOBS

Hope you can get all that done for the price of a boiler service!

Most modern installations are low level discharge, so no need for flue draught measurement, have to boiler properly cleaned, the burner services, nozzle changed, filters cleaned, smoke tested and flue gas analysis performed to confirm the correct combustion efficiency.

If you believe there is an issue with the central heating system, ask to have the system checked and balanced 9this will usually cost extra)

Do balance the extra running cost against the price you are now paying for fuel, as you have noticed your car running cost increase with fuel cost, same too for your boiler, the
cost of your heating fuel has dramatically increased with tax hikes and increases due to global pressures

Make sure you system is a efficient as possible, ie. time and temperature control, zoned, and that the boiler is interlocked to controls and is not short cycling

For a standard boiler 70-75deg would be average thermostat settings as a typical installation (not new) would have been sized at 70deg flow with a 10-11 deg temperature differential

Plombier

If you buy your oil in such small quantities a lot of the cost will be for delivery charge, you can't expect a very expensive truck and a man to operate it to deliver free of charge.

An average oil boiler will burn 2 liters per hour when operating, with a cycle time of 50% on 50% off(mild weather worse when colder) it would burn 1 liter per hour.

Four hours per day 60 days in two months equals 240 liters per two month period.
it all adds up.

Billy Bunting

tomthumbe wrote: »

not to sound stupid but what do you mean by protocol, i get my boiler serviced once a year and it was never mentioned

He means to confuse you :rolleyes: