1000 ltrs kerosene in 2 months

clint_silver

Wife at home with kids during day. 4 bed house. Been like that for last 10 years so requirements havent changed.

I track usage for last 8 years via spread sheet for usage and oil costs, the shortest we've ever got out of 1000 ltrs was 6 months and that was through a cold winter 5 year ago.
Had boiler serviced 4 months ago with all rads cleansed and stats on all of them that didnt have them. Plumber said boiler operating at >92%

However, just ran out after getting a fill on 11th november and despite the rain it hasnt been that cold up until this week.

The tank was definitely full at last fill, I always check.

I have a digital thermostat, we turn on the heating for an hour if we're cold and leave it at that. No timer set for mornings.

1. Someone helping themselves to it?
2. Are there different grades of kerosene?

frozenfrozen

maybe check for any leaks too just to rule that out

Dial Hard

clint_silver wrote:

1. Someone helping themselves to it?

Have you a lock on the tank cap? If not, get one. Theft from garden tanks was a huge issue in Tullow when I was living there a few years ago.

Wearb

No different grades for heating. What were the printout readings from the last service? What make model of boiler? What is the average time its on for per day, from November until march? What level of glazing and Insulation?

DGOBS

Have you a lock on the tank cap? If not, get one. Theft from garden tanks was a huge issue in Tullow when I was living there a few years ago.

And if you do, they will most likely just pull the pipe from he tank and create a mess, take it through the tank vent or just drill a hole in your tank!! A simple cap lock doesn't work IMHO

clint_silver

Wearb wrote: »

No different grades for heating. What were the printout readings from the last service? What make model of boiler? What is the average time its on for per day, from November until march? What level of glazing and Insulation?

I couldnt really say how long its on for per day but point I was trying to say is usage hasnt changed over the years as theres nearly always someone in the house and wife watches it, only turns on when needed and it really hasnt been that cold.

I'll check for leaks but theres none in the garage and I would have noticed at the back.

I dont have a lock on it, that's definitely going to change though. More I think of it, I cant see what else it could be.

My tracker showed just over a 6 month usage when we had it on a lot during that cold spell 5 year ago but 2 months is ridiculous. Its just not right.

I'll check out getting a sensor as well. Nothing I can do about it now.

clint_silver

DGOBS wrote: »

And if you do, they will most likely just pull the pipe from he tank and create a mess, take it through the tank vent or just drill a hole in your tank!! A simple cap lock doesn't work IMHO

and a gate lock as well then as we close side gate but dont lock it. We wouldnt be very concious of that where we are. Well, not until now.

TeaBagMania

Time for video surveillance

punisher5112

Hi op get a wireless meter where it shows amount through a plug in display.

Some of these now come with alarms as to warn if huge amount is used quickly(stolen)

Markcheese

Sounds a lot , especially when you already had a log of previous use ... check for oil leaks first... check how much smoke is coming out of your flue.. (still i'dbe surprised if you'd use that much more than normal ) ... next security .how easy is it to access your tank ..? Would a padlock on a gate help ?
(Dont think i'd get much more than the minimum quantity next few times)

Dial Hard

clint_silver wrote:

and a gate lock as well then as we close side gate but dont lock it. We wouldnt be very concious of that where we are. Well, not until now.

A motion-sensor light trained on the tank wouldn't be a bad idea either.

Not particularly high-tech and if they want it badly enough they'll take it anyway but as I was told by a detective a few years back, most thieves are looking for the easiest target and will move on to the next property if yours is more hassle than its worth.

harr

Definitely sounds like someone nicked it or as suggested above it might be a leak ...same happened to use a number of years ago ,going through huge amounts of fuel...as it turned out a neighbour renting next door was siphoning out the oil when I was at work straight from my tank over wall and into his.
We got a very simple wild life cam stuck it in a tree and it had on Motion sensor ...ordered oil and caught him two days later...

TeaBagMania

Awesome, so how did that conversation go, or did you just email him the vid?

harr

TeaBagMania wrote: »

Awesome, so how did that conversation go, or did you just email him the vid?

First his landlord seen it...I then him offered him the chance to pay price for a full refill or get the cops in...he took the payment option and his landlord turfed him out...in hindsight maybe I should have gone to cops...
We picked up the trail cam in local shooting/outdoor shop for about 80 quid...

John T Carroll

clint_silver wrote: »

Wife at home with kids during day. 4 bed house. Been like that for last 10 years so requirements havent changed.

I track usage for last 8 years via spread sheet for usage and oil costs, the shortest we've ever got out of 1000 ltrs was 6 months and that was through a cold winter 5 year ago.
Had boiler serviced 4 months ago with all rads cleansed and stats on all of them that didnt have them. Plumber said boiler operating at >92%

frozenfrozen wrote: »

maybe check for any leaks too just to rule that out

Just topped up with 539 Litres of Kero today, consumption was 5.73 LPD (60.5 Kwh/day) since last top up on 09/10/2015 with a Firebird SE 70/90 Boiler and heating on for at least 11 hours/day and almost all day on weekend days, consumption last year for roughly same period was 7.4 LPD.

tayto lover

Women usually have the heat on all day. Cold creatures they are.
I'd say the OP's wife has it on all the time when he's at work. My own wife would have it on in the summer if she could.

jca

tayto lover wrote: »

Women usually have the heat on all day. Cold creatures they are.
I'd say the OP's wife has it on all the time when he's at work. My own wife would have it on in the summer if she could.

I'd say that's where it's going too.

the_pen_turner

check for leaks. if it is you will smell it straight away.
check for signs around the garden someone was in . unlikely you spotted it straight away.

is the tank empty. if its empty then is stolen or leaked . if there is still a small bit in the bottom then I would consider all the options .

I doubt your wife got that extra cold lately, im sure you would notice the house extra hot.

no lock on the tank will stop a thief. leave the lid openable , they will do less damage.



where is your tank. can you put it inside a shed or build a shed around it

Irish Steve

Does the burner have an air flap vent, operated by a hydraulic jack? If yes, and the seal has failed, that will allow serious quantities of kero to escape when the burner is running, due to the pressure it operates at.

John T Carroll

clint_silver wrote: »

Wife at home with kids during day. 4 bed house. Been like that for last 10 years so requirements havent changed.

I track usage for last 8 years via spread sheet for usage and oil costs, the shortest we've ever got out of 1000 ltrs was 6 months and that was through a cold winter 5 year ago.

I also do everything on spreadsheets, even my will, its very convenient, any row with the wife, Cell C1234 deleted with her measly €1,000,000 but seriously there is something very strange re that consumption, From 08/10/2007 to 09/10/2015, I used 10,903 Litres of Kero which averages out at exactly 1362 Litres/year, if one assumes a 8 month heating season this works out at an average of 8.5 LPD, I know its a different house but I would be fairly confident in stating that even if your heating was on for 12 hours/day for the past 2 months then you wouldnt have burned more than 520 Litres, just 1/2 of the amount gone.

jca

Jesus;spreadsheets, lpd, used X amount in X years.... do ye count the number of sheets of toilet paper used as well?? Life is too short lads, seriously.

Wearb

jca wrote: »

Jesus;spreadsheets, lpd, used X amount in X years.... do ye count the number of sheets of toilet paper used as well?? Life is too short lads, seriously.

That would depend on the number of arseholes in the house ;-)

clint_silver

tayto lover wrote: »

Women usually have the heat on all day. Cold creatures they are.
I'd say the OP's wife has it on all the time when he's at work. My own wife would have it on in the summer if she could.

I did consider that but if you consider she's been a home maker for last 10 years then the usage habits would have been in line with that.

google spreadsheets. Put in the date you bought oil and the price you paid. 2 figures. very easy, keep it ticking over every year.
If I didnt, I wouldnt have remembered last time I got it. If usage and cost is linear then fine, if its not, somethings wrong and Im either literally burning money or Im having it taken from me. Life is not too short to not deal with either.

tedimc

Just a thought for the OP - would the guy servicing the boiler have damaged/disconnected/changed anything?

My mum got a new boiler put in a few years ago and I noticed that it was always kicking in and out after it put was put in, even though the timeclock wasn't on. Had a look at it and it turned out the frost stat was damaged and constantly on - could be worth checking something like that.

Also, haven't heard of oil thefts in a while - thought it had died out a bit due to the lower oil prices not making it as lucrative.

Atlantic Dawn

Take a reading of the tank every week, that way you will see a massive drop if it is being stolen. Also check for leaks.

kieran.

tedimc wrote: »

Just a thought for the OP - would the guy servicing the boiler have damaged/disconnected/changed anything? .

^^^^ This

Had my boiler serviced a couple of years ago and the service man changed the nozzle which resulted in my inside boiler room laden with black suit and around 500 litre of oil burner in 3 weeks before I noticed the problem.

jca

John T Carroll wrote: »

I know its in the wrong Forum but since its of such interest......

I thought I was OCD with my piece of masking tape stuck inside the door of the press with the day I serviced the boiler and jet size type/size written on it. I use 1500 litres per year, 1000 fill in the summer May/June followed by a 500 litre top up in December.

John T Carroll

clint_silver wrote: »

I did consider that but if you consider she's been a home maker for last 10 years then the usage habits would have been in line with that.

google spreadsheets. Put in the date you bought oil and the price you paid. 2 figures. very easy, keep it ticking over every year.
If I didnt, I wouldnt have remembered last time I got it. If usage and cost is linear then fine, if its not, somethings wrong and Im either literally burning money or Im having it taken from me. Life is not too short to not deal with either.

This might sound a bit simplistic and I couldn't fit it in my tank because of its construction, have a look at your tank and on the more modern ones say <10 or 12 years there is a plastic 1"? screwed plug, if you remove this you should be able to see straight down into the tank, if you can do so you should be able to buy a very simple 0 to 100% oil level gauge with a "bit of string" and float, the string can be cut to the correct length and away you go, you will very quickly get to know its linearity.

Maybe something like this... http://www.amazon.co.uk/Farm-Field-1-2-float-gauge/dp/B006DDRY0M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1452617386&sr=8-2&keywords=oil+tank+level+gauge