Kerosene Usage

janenewcastle

I have just spent my first winter in this house (large 3 bed semi). I had 1000 litres delivered to an empty tank mid November, by the end of January it had emptied.

I had another 1000 litres delivered 27th January and set the timer to 1.5 hours in the morning and 3.5 hours at night. The temperature on the boiler (no room stat) is set to about 25% of maximum. The hot water heats at the same time as heating is on.

During these 26 days I have used about another 300 litres.

My previous house (4 bed detached) used 2500 litres over the 12 months I was in it. This one seems to be using much more and not producing as much heat (I've had the electric fire on more often here). I have bled all the radiators.

Does this seem reasonable for this size of house during the winter?

Markcheese

How warm do you have the house ?
Do you heat the whole house ?
When was the boiler last serviced ??
Is there a back boiler ?? Does it heat up from the oil boiler (don't laugh, happens)
And mainly how insulated and fraught sealed is yr house ...
Does sound like a Lot of oil ..

janenewcastle

As I said, no room stat only temperature setting on the boiler, set to about 25% of maximum

The boiler was serviced just before I moved in last July

No back boiler

The whole house is upvc double glazed (except ironically the living room) and front door (which opens to a porch)

janenewcastle

Yes I heat the whole house, but the dining room and back bedroom radiators are set to low.

janenewcastle

12 radiators in total (for some reason some of the rooms have two very small single panel radiators instead of a normal sized double panel)

Markcheese

Do you mean that the thermostat on the top of boiler is set to about 25 degrees , (think it should be around 80 ) ,
Sounds a bit weird ...

janenewcastle

There are no numbers on it, only a dial starting small and getting thicker, the landlord told me that having it turned about two thirds around was warm, I've got it at about one third round. I will see if I can upload a picture of it.

janenewcastle

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=758823024129038&l=d878286dec

janenewcastle

Anyone?

Wearb

janenewcastle wrote: »

Anyone?

Set it to 75%. Did the landlord give you a BER cert? I would guess that the whole system is poorly controlled, maybe even poorly installed. Not even a basic room stat.

janenewcastle

Won't turning it up higher use more oil?

jca

janenewcastle wrote: »

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=758823024129038&l=d878286dec

The house must be freezing with the water temperature so low.

irishgeo

i am having the same problem. i got a the that goes from about 65 to 90 , what the ideal temp considering the hot water seems to be able to take the hand off you but the rads are only warmish.

alancar89

janenewcastle wrote: »

Won't turning it up higher use more oil?

At 1/4 of the dial are rads very hot? If they are it could be a dodgey thermostat. If the boiler wasn't properly serviced it could be that the nozzle put in is not big enough to heat the boiler either and its staying running all the time. If you turn it on constant after 20-30 mins does it turn of for a few mins then kick in and out evey few mins?

scudo2

janenewcastle wrote: »

Won't turning it up higher use more oil?

Not nessearly, it's a bit like boiling a big pot of water on the cookery with the gas turned down low. Takes longer and actually uses more fuel.

As your house is rented then it's the landlords responsibility to get boiler professional serviced.

There is a MAJOR difference in the quality of servicing out there, some can save you hundreds in fuel, some can cost you hundreds in fuel !

Markcheese

Are you using the right fuel for the boiler ? Ie running kerosene in a boiler set for Kerosene ,and not for diesel ??
Try saying it to your landlord about how much fuel your using ... And have a look at your BER rating,
I know every house is different but I'm using my heating more and will probably use about 700 liters over winter in a stone cottage..

janenewcastle

Yes, at this temp it turns on and off, the radiators are warm but not hot. I will turn it up to half way tonight and see if there is a difference in the running. At about £8 a day I was worried and that's why I turned it down. The landlord has told me that they are organising a service for the boiler and I will talk to him about the running costs and see what he says.

Wearb

janenewcastle wrote: »

Yes, at this temp it turns on and off, the radiators are warm but not hot. I will turn it up to half way tonight and see if there is a difference in the running. At about £8 a day I was worried and that's why I turned it down. The landlord has told me that they are organising a service for the boiler and I will talk to him about the running costs and see what he says.

Do you have a ber cert? Make sure to request a printout of the combustion analysis after the service.

janenewcastle

No I don't have a bar cert, I will ask about one when the service happens, although it's been 3 weeks now since they said it was going to happen

Wearb

janenewcastle wrote: »

No I don't have a bar cert, I will ask about one when the service happens, although it's been 3 weeks now since they said it was going to happen

Landlords are now required to provide tenants with one. A good one should allow the landlord to find a tenant easier, because it means that the tenant will have reduced energy bills and vice versa.

Btw you don't have to await the service to request a BER cert. Without it you could make a case for a reduction in rent to offset the extra energy costs.

janenewcastle

Wearb wrote: »

Landlords are now required to provide tenants with one. A good one should allow the landlord to find a tenant easier, because it means that the tenant will have reduced energy bills and vice versa.

Btw you don't have to await the service to request a BER cert. Without it you could make a case for a reduction in rent to offset the extra energy costs.

Thank you for the information, I will enquire if they even have one

Lex Luthor

irishgeo wrote: »

i am having the same problem. i got a the that goes from about 65 to 90 , what the ideal temp considering the hot water seems to be able to take the hand off you but the rads are only warmish.

I keep mine at 65 and its hot enough to heat the rads but too hot for coming out of taps so I just closed off the valve in the immersion going into the tank a gee hair every time until the water coming out of taps was comfortable

scudo2

Lex Luthor wrote: »

I keep mine at 65 and its hot enough to heat the rads but too hot for coming out of taps so I just closed off the valve in the immersion going into the tank a gee hair every time until the water coming out of taps was comfortable

Metric or Imperial ?

Lex Luthor

scudo2 wrote: »

Metric or Imperial ?

that would be 65deg Celcius

65 F would never heat the water hot enough to heat your house

scudo2

Lex Luthor wrote: »

that would be 65deg Celcius

65 F would never heat the water hot enough to heat your house

That's not what I ment !!

Wearb

Lex Luthor wrote: »

that would be 65deg Celcius

65 F would never heat the water hot enough to heat your house

:):):):)

I think it was the other measurement (valve) he was referring to.

irishgeo

Lex Luthor wrote: »

I keep mine at 65 and its hot enough to heat the rads but too hot for coming out of taps so I just closed off the valve in the immersion going into the tank a gee hair every time until the water coming out of taps was comfortable

i am completely lost. ill take some pictures.

dwiseman

When was the boiler last serviced? Any number of things within the boiler itself could cause it to be burning the oil at a very inefficient rate. A full service is approx €120 and normally consists of

"replacing the nozzle, cleaning the blast tube, checking / testing solonides, photocell & transformer. We disassemble the oil pump off the burner, replace any worn drive couplings, lubricate the motors shaft and bearings, check and adjust electrodes settings, reassemble the burner and test, adjusting oil pressure and air settings to the manufactures recommended settings".

I cut and pasted the above section from the website of the guy that services my boiler. Might be worth asking the landlord to have the boiler serviced.

Wearb

dwiseman wrote: »

When was the boiler last serviced? Any number of things within the boiler itself could cause it to be burning the oil at a very inefficient rate. A full service is approx €120 and normally consists of

"replacing the nozzle, cleaning the blast tube, checking / testing solonides, photocell & transformer. We disassemble the oil pump off the burner, replace any worn drive couplings, lubricate the motors shaft and bearings, check and adjust electrodes settings, reassemble the burner and test, adjusting oil pressure and air settings to the manufactures recommended settings".

I cut and pasted the above section from the website of the guy that services my boiler. Might be worth asking the landlord to have the boiler serviced.

That is only part of a good service. There is a lot more than that to it. I wouldn't expect anybody to dissamble the pump either, only take off the filter cover.

Have a gander here >> http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=83775491

dwiseman

Wearb wrote: »

That is only part of a good service. There is a lot more than that to it. I wouldn't expect anybody to dissamble the pump either, only take off the filter cover.

Have a gander here >> http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=83775491

I know that I only cut and pasted some of it to highlight that there are many things in the boiler to be checked to ensure that its functioning correctly and efficiently.

Wearb

dwiseman wrote: »

I know that I only cut and pasted some of it to highlight that there are many things in the boiler to be checked to ensure that its functioning correctly and efficiently.

Perhaps not everybody knows that though. We don't want people reading that that is all there is to a service.

dwiseman

Wearb wrote: »

Perhaps not everybody knows that though. We don't want people reading that that is all there is to a service.

Why don't you start a new thread, called what's involved in a service, because that isn't what this thread is about.

Wearb

dwiseman wrote: »

Why don't you start a new thread, called what's involved in a service, because that isn't what this thread is about.

You need to read the posts before jumping in blindly. That link I posted has excellent information on that very topic.

Btw I know that you have only been trying to help, so don't take my correction as a personal admonishment.

dwiseman

Wearb wrote: »

You need to read the posts before jumping in blindly. That link I posted has excellent information on that very topic.

Btw I know that you have only been trying to help, so don't take my correction as a personal admonishment.

Off topic again. It was pointed out earlier in the thread by Scudo 2 that
"There is a MAJOR difference in the quality of servicing out there, some can save you hundreds in fuel, some can cost you hundreds in fuel !
So maybe "You need to read the posts before jumping in blindly."

Btw I know that you have only been trying to help, so don't take my correction as a personal admonishment.

Wearb

dwiseman wrote: »

Off topic again. It was pointed out earlier in the thread by Scudo 2 that
"There is a MAJOR difference in the quality of servicing out there, some can save you hundreds in fuel, some can cost you hundreds in fuel !
So maybe "You need to read the posts before jumping in blindly."

Btw I know that you have only been trying to help, so don't take my correction as a personal admonishment.

Not all men are from Mars.
I give up.

scudo2

It turnes out that DWISEMAN uses the best service engineer that I know and got his info off that brilliant service engineers web site. Need I say more.


It's a small world !

dwiseman

scudo2 wrote: »

It turnes out that DWISEMAN uses the best service engineer that I know and got his info off that brilliant service engineers web site. Need I say more.


It's a small world !

I'm due a service so I'll be in touch soon.

Wearb

scudo2 wrote: »

Need I say more.

No, but I doubt that that will stop you

jimf

scudo2 wrote: »

It turnes out that DWISEMAN uses the best service engineer that I know and got his info off that brilliant service engineers web site. Need I say more.


It's a small world !

now shane doesn't scudo luv u after all :D:D:D
hugs and kisses from cork :rolleyes:

janenewcastle

OK, I have had the temp running at about 50% of the dial for the last 3 nights, the water and the rads are obviously both hotter, but the boiler still starts and stops intermittently, which suggests it's getting up to temp and shutting down. Without a room stat I can't say what temp that is though lol.


Still no sign of the service that I have been promised for 3 weeks now.

irishgeo

This my theromast, is it set correctly?

The hot water is very hot but the rads are warm to touch.

agusta

irishgeo wrote: »

This my theromast, is it set correctly?

The hot water is very hot but the rads are warm to touch.

Do you have a valve on the return pipe of your copper cylinder.If so close it fully and open the valve one full turn,ie. 360 degrees.It a balancing issue

irishgeo

agusta wrote: »

Do you have a valve on the return pipe of your copper cylinder.If so close it fully and open the valve one full turn,ie. 360 degrees.It a balancing issue

how do you identify the return pipe?

jca

irishgeo wrote: »

how do you identify the return pipe?

It's the lower pipe on the heating coil, there should be a gate valve on this pipe if the system was installed by a decent plumber.

scudo2

irishgeo wrote: »

how do you identify the return pipe?

There are two pipes going into the side of the cylinder, both in the same side, one directly / inline above the other.
Either pipe could have a valve.
Give us a photo and we'll know,


also a photo of the front of the boiler and we can tell if it the new good model, or the old pre 2002 bad model.
Thanks