Oil Heating.... How are you doing it?

Obsolete01

Anyone here leave their oil on 24*7 and use the stats for the zones to control heating. I'm hearing mixed reviews so am curious.

Currently living in a 2300 sq ft dormer with an A3 BER rating (great air tightness) and am unsure what's the most economical way.

drunkmonkey

Get yourself a nest...have a look over in the home automation forum..Oil is left on all the time.

Obsolete01

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Get yourself a nest...have a look over in the home automation forum..Oil is left on all the time.

So you have a nest and heating is left on 24/7?

drunkmonkey

Obsolete01 wrote: »

So you have a nest and heating is left on 24/7?

I've 2 one upstairs and one down stairs that controls the hot water and rads downstairs.
It only kicks on when it needs to. Its just a smart thermostat for a dumb system.

Obsolete01

drunkmonkey wrote: »

I've 2 one upstairs and one down stairs that controls the hot water and rads downstairs.
It only kicks on when it needs to. Its just a smart thermostat for a dumb system.

And how much oil would you use each year and what would your average temperature be in the house... 21?

drunkmonkey

Obsolete01 wrote: »

And how much oil would you use each year and what would your average temperature be in the house... 21?

Yea 21 and minimum of 17.5 at night. It knows when we come and go though don't fiddle with it much just let it do its thing.
I've a stupid amount of rads around 30.
Heating was on for 55hrs in October and 145 in November.

Wearb

Underfloor or rads? Each room zoned?

Obsolete01

Wearb wrote: »

Underfloor or rads? Each room zoned?

Rads, zone 1 for downstairs and zone 2 for upstairs

drunkmonkey

Obsolete01 wrote: »

Rads, zone 1 for downstairs and zone 2 for upstairs

Water is a 3rd zone with nest

Wearb

Obsolete01 wrote: »

Rads, zone 1 for downstairs and zone 2 for upstairs

Timer and stats then. Off or low for when House is empty and coming on in time to have the house warm on return. There are all sorts of phone apps to give greater control, but basically the same principle.
Heat loss is proportional to the difference between inside and outside temperatures. So the higher the heat in the house the greater the heat loss.
With an A3 rating and a fast heat recovery system, the above should give you the most economical way to heat while maintaining comfort.

glenkeo

Hi I leave oil on 24/7 have stats in most rooms connected to two manafolds upstairs and down stairs. stat on hot water tank call for heat off stove or oil when it drops below 40 and stops at 65 degrees. Room stats call for heat has they drop below set temperature and only rads connected to that stat heat. Works well had planned to but in solar panels but after living in house for few years and oil was costing around e250 from may to Oct no stove used during Summer figured it might be better to get solid fuel burner in winter for same money.

Obsolete01

glenkeo wrote: »

oil was costing around e250 from may to Oct no stove used during.

So you spend 250 a yr on oil?

punisher5112

Drop it a degreeat night even 15 would be well enough when all are asleep. 20 would be fine and just boost it a bit if needed.

glenkeo

I wish , the other 6 months are colder..
We go through about 1500l a year most from Oct to may when heat demand is bigger. Also about a ton of coal and some sticks in stove.

MicktheMan

2100 sqft 1970's bungalow with good airtightness, ventilation and insulation detailing (retrofit).
Oil (conventional boiler) heating split into 2 zones; living area and bedrooms. Controlled via simple off the shelf electronic programmable cronostat per zone plus rudimentary weather compensating boiler controller.
Dhw is the 3rd zone separately controlled and independent of the heating zones.
Heating "on" 24/7 from mid Oct to mid March. Generally off completely over the other seven months.
Living area temp more or less constant at 20 degC with bedroom area @ 18.
High thermal mass as all walls are concrete with sand cement render as well as floor slab (no insulation in floor btw).
Cost of oil for heating varies between 300 & 350 euros per year (monitored via hour meter on the burner) @50 cent/litre. No other fuels used (coal/wood).

What visitors remark on the most when here is that the house is so warm / comfortable yet the rads are cool.

And on the BER thing; the house is officially rated at C2, yet performs at probably an A2 level... go figure.

So OP, the answer to your question depends on the house makeup and is next nigh on impossible to compare houses based solely on BER results.

mikeecho

3000 sq foot house. Early 2000s. Condensing boiler. Radiators, about 18.

2000L kero per yr,
19.9°c down stairs, 17.6°c upstairs, water 1hr each morn.
Also use .75 tonne coal, and whatever timber, and peat briquettes (two open fires)

3 zones, up, down, and water.
2 stats, one up, one down.
I don't have any fancy nest devices, and just regular double glazing.

We just push the boost button when we need heat.