Help - Heating system / Oil burner

aelie

Hi,

I just move in a house in the countryside.
I'm not Irish, and I'm very newbie with all these heating systems.

I have an oil burner (kerosene), in my back garden. The house is big, and I have a lot of radiators.

I have closed the valve of radiators in some empty room.
Now, each radiators has 2 valve (1 at left, 1 at right), I closed just one valve, and I noticed that the radiator isn't heated anymore. Great.
But I would like to know if I have to close both valves.

Another question is: If I keep close some radiators, I will save more oil, or the burner burns always the same amount of oil, and I'm not saving any money, but just freezing ?

I have a lot of questions about heating system: (My mission is saving more money as I can)

1) I have an external oil burner (firebird), but I see in someone else houses, burner inside the house. Is it a better solution?

2) I have heard about a gas tank system, to replace the oil, but I really would like to know if it's a good choice.

3) Have you some suggestion for me? Everything will be helpful for me, that I really don't know anything about all these heating systems... burner / stoves / gas tank etc...



Thank you very much for your help

Needles73

Closing one valve is enough on the radiators . Closing off radiators will mean boiler runs less so will save oil.
Inside boilers aren't really any better than outside ones in my opinion. Always a risk they stink the house !

aelie

Thank you Needles73!

Can I ask to you another little thing?

As I said, I have a oil tank and the oil burner in the garden. Inside the house I have a copper tank (I call it "boiler"), I think it's for heating the water.

There is a switch button, for "on" and "off" and another for "sink" and "bath".
I keep it always "on" and "sink". I'm doing right? I have to put it off?

Thank you!

purpleisafruit

aelie wrote: »

Thank you Needles73!

Can I ask to you another little thing?

As I said, I have a oil tank and the oil burner in the garden. Inside the house I have a copper tank (I call it "boiler"), I think it's for heating the water.

There is a switch button, for "on" and "off" and another for "sink" and "bath".
I keep it always "on" and "sink". I'm doing right? I have to put it off?

Thank you!

You're opening up a can of worms on that question! In Ireland, the switch to heat water is called the immersion.
Personally, mine is always on and set to sink. I don't see any great difference in electricity bill because of this. I'm sure others will say differently.

Markcheese

You shouldn't really need it switched to on, when the boilers on it'll probably heat the water as well... Or you'll be able to set the boiler to heat the hot water tank anyway... Is the tank insulated? (no point in heating 200 litres of water just to cool down after a couple of hours..)

aelie

Markcheese wrote: »

Is the tank insulated? (no point in heating 200 litres of water just to cool down after a couple of hours..)

The copper tank is covered by a "grey sponge" in very good conditions, I think it's insultated.

Markcheese wrote: »

You shouldn't really need it switched to on, when the boilers on it'll probably heat the water as well

So you're saying: "turn off the switch", because when I heat the house with the oil burner, I heat the water at the same time?


... I know, I'm sorry. I'm so naive. I'm like a 3 years old baby who trying to understand how does it work the heating system ;__;. I am ashamed for myself.

Wearb

aelie wrote: »

The copper tank is covered by a "grey sponge" in very good conditions, I think it's insultated.



So you're saying: "turn off the switch", because when I heat the house with the oil burner, I heat the water at the same time?


... I know, I'm sorry. I'm so naive. I'm like a 3 years old baby who trying to understand how does it work the heating system ;__;. I am ashamed for myself.

Look up “s plan” heating system on YouTube to get an idea of how it all works.

purpleisafruit

Markcheese wrote: »

You shouldn't really need it switched to on, when the boilers on it'll probably heat the water as well... Or you'll be able to set the boiler to heat the hot water tank anyway... Is the tank insulated? (no point in heating 200 litres of water just to cool down after a couple of hours..)

Not necessarily, my heating doesn't heat water unfortunately so immersion is only source of hot water aside from electric shower.

aelie

purpleisafruit wrote: »

You're opening up a can of worms on that question!

XD oh gosh!

Thank you for your reply!

Steer55

I have in door firebird for past 25 years, still flying like a bird (excuse the pun) it has been used for both heating the water and radiators all these years. I also have an immersion but in 25 years it has only been switched on in an emergency i.e. when oil runs out before a refill can be got. I grew up in an era when the mere mention of turning on the immersion send mammies and daddies I to a state of severe hypotension due to the impending huge electricity bill. Unfortunately it's left its mark on me :-(

Wearb

Steer55 wrote: »

I have in door firebird for past 25 years, still flying like a bird (excuse the pun) it has been used for both heating the water and radiators all these years. I also have an immersion but in 25 years it has only been switched on in an emergency i.e. when oil runs out before a refill can be got. I grew up in an era when the mere mention of turning on the immersion send mammies and daddies I to a state of severe hypotension due to the impending huge electricity bill. Unfortunately it's left its mark on me :-(

It's cheaper to heat the water by oil rather than electric immersion anyway.

Oil boilers last a long time if well looked after.