Switching from oil heating to natural gas

varberg

From oil to natural gas
Hi,

I have just got another 500litres of oil and am finding it expensive this winter.I am in the Cashel area and heard Cashel is connected to a national supply and so I am considering changing to natural gas.

Its for many reasons, firstly as its meant to be cleaner fuel and produced in ireland and off the irish coast which should keep more money in ireland rather than 80 cent of every euro spent on oil going to the middle east, secondly its better for the environment and air quality and its time to turn from oil to alternatives with the exploration of oil fields not helping native animal species around the world. Thirdly i ve heard its not as expensive as getting oil every few months with its flucuating prices.

Ive considered alternatives but natural gas seems handiest-Wind energy in a few years should have advanced to benefit the homeowner but it seems more business orientated for now.Wood chip heating sounds good but i heard that its important to keep things at a certain temperature to ensure the wood is suitable and really i want a easy to use low maintenance system where i can turnon the heating when i get home from work.

Finally my question is:
Has anyone changed from oil to natural gas?
Is it expensive?what equiptment would i need?
Will i have to change my radiators ? they were got around 5 years ago
What saving would i make when the gas is connected?How much saving would i make in euros(between gas and oil) if the heating was on on average 5 out of 24 hours?
any other pros and cons i havent considered?

Thanks

MiniGolf

varberg wrote: »

From oil to natural gas
Hi,

I have just got another 500litres of oil and am finding it expensive this winter.I am in the Cashel area and heard Cashel is connected to a national supply and so I am considering changing to natural gas.

Its for many reasons, firstly as its meant to be cleaner fuel and produced in ireland and off the irish coast which should keep more money in ireland rather than 80 cent of every euro spent on oil going to the middle east, secondly its better for the environment and air quality and its time to turn from oil to alternatives with the exploration of oil fields not helping native animal species around the world. Thirdly i ve heard its not as expensive as getting oil every few months with its flucuating prices.

Ive considered alternatives but natural gas seems handiest-Wind energy in a few years should have advanced to benefit the homeowner but it seems more business orientated for now.Wood chip heating sounds good but i heard that its important to keep things at a certain temperature to ensure the wood is suitable and really i want a easy to use low maintenance system where i can turnon the heating when i get home from work.

Finally my question is:
Has anyone changed from oil to natural gas?
Is it expensive?what equiptment would i need?
Will i have to change my radiators ? they were got around 5 years ago
What saving would i make when the gas is connected?How much saving would i make in euros(between gas and oil) if the heating was on on average 5 out of 24 hours?
any other pros and cons i havent considered?

Thanks

Have a look here:
http://touch.boards.ie/thread/post/82981781

aujopimur

As far as I know, most, if not all our nat. gas is imported.

varberg

Thanks mini golf.

varberg

aujopimur wrote: »

As far as I know, most, if not all our nat. gas is imported.

found that about it
http://www.bordgais.ie/corporate/index.jsp?p=354&n=364

varberg

Read that minigolf, just wondering would i have to change the radiators and disrupt the house or would it just be getting a new boiler and connected?
How much would it roughly cost?
Thanks

boomshakalaka

I don't know anything about natural has, but I want to tell you my experiences with a woodchip burner. In my previous house we had a woodpellet heater which I found great and economical. The pellets are made of compressed woodchips and are environmental friendly and low in cost.
The installation of the heater (small house so we went for the basic, small one) came to about 1600 euro. We would get about 20 to 25 hours of heat out of a 15kg bag which costs between 4 and 5 euro each. It is true that the pellets need to be stored dry, but of you have a garage, that will do. You can hook up (bigger) heaters to radiators to get the heating throughout the house. We simple didn't need that as it was a small open plan house. I find the maintenance of the heater particulary handy as well. You need to empty the ashdrawer once a week and Hoover out the heater. Once a year you get the chimney checked. For us this really was the cheapest option with that bit of extra warmth that comes with the idea of having an actual fire in your living room, be it a closed one. You can time the heater to come on whenever, but it comes to it's temperature fairly quickly so we never used that.

Not speaking on behalf of any company, just out of experience. if you'd like more info just ask or pm me.

Dtp79

varberg wrote: »

Read that minigolf, just wondering would i have to change the radiators and disrupt the house or would it just be getting a new boiler and connected?
How much would it roughly cost?
Thanks

Your looking ROUGHLY 2k to change over. That includes a powerflush of your system which you much insist on if not included in any price you get. That wouldn't include what bord Gais charge

MiniGolf

varberg wrote: »

Read that minigolf, just wondering would i have to change the radiators and disrupt the house or would it just be getting a new boiler and connected?
How much would it roughly cost?
Thanks

Shouldn't need to change amy rads unless there are problems with them. If changing over it would make sense to separate heating and hot water and include controls. There is a grant available from the SEAI for this. Price depends on a number of things. Get a number of quotes preferably from recommended installers. Where are you and someone on here might help with a recommendation?
MG

shane0007

Dtp79 wrote: »

Your looking ROUGHLY 2k to change over. That includes a powerflush of your system which you much insist on if not included in any price you get. That wouldn't include what bord Gais charge

It would want to be VERY ROUGHLY!
So you would spend a day Powerflushing a system including chemicals, run a new copper gas main from the gas meter (usually located at the front of the house) to the new gas boiler (usually in kitchen/utility at rear of house), new 3amp spur, wiring, timeclock, bonding off all gas & boiler pipework, Cert 1 €35, then return again once meter installed, condensate works, more than likely have to change from ov to pressurised! All that for €2,000!

Dtp79

shane0007 wrote: »

It would want to be VERY ROUGHLY!
So you would spend a day Powerflushing a system including chemicals, run a new copper gas main from the gas meter (usually located at the front of the house) to the new gas boiler (usually in kitchen/utility at rear of house), new 3amp spur, wiring, timeclock, bonding off all gas & boiler pipework, Cert 1 €35, then return again once meter installed, condensate works, more than likely have to change from ov to pressurised! All that for €2,000!

That's why I put roughly in capitals Shane!! I should have said 2k as a starting point

shane0007

Dtp79 wrote: »

I should have said 2k as a starting point

I couldn't even start there, not to do it properly anyhow.

Dtp79

shane0007 wrote: »

I couldn't even start there, not to do it properly anyhow.

I assumed controls were in place already from the oil but I wasn't factoring in piping from the meter and Certs etc.