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Replace oil boiler, or other alternatives

bluestrattos

Hi all.

I recently acquired a 2nd hand house (3bed semi-d from 2005 and it's a B3 with OFCH).

The boiler is a Firebird Heat Pac 50-70, which seems it's discontinued, and I think it's around 15 years old. My plan it to get it serviced, and hopefully have it going for another year.

I'm looking for options to get hot water and heating.

From looking at other threads here, it seems my options would be:
a) get a combi oil boiler and keep everything as it is
b) solar panels
c) get an heat pump

a) getting a combi boiler, I would be spending around 3k and I don't need to do anything else - maybe update the heating controls

b) getting solar panels, that would mean I could remove the boiler and the oil tank from the back garden (which would be nice to get that space back), but I would need to replace the heaters, and get some work done in the roof/attic, correct ?

c) getting heat pump would mean I still need to have something in my back garden, and replace the heaters, besides is the most expensive options of all.

While I want to my house to be "green", I also don't want to spend a lot of money.

Are my 3 options valid ?
Did I miss anything ?

If I wanted to use electricity only (either solar or through ESB), would I still require "something" in my back garden, or could be something inside the hotpress or attic ?

Thanks

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kabakuyu

Solar will not provide heating.Heat pump is very expensive.I would go with option A and get the most efficient boiler I could get, I would also check out if any insulation could be added to or updated in the house.

HBC08

I'm looking into this too but am pretty clueless.
My boiler is 15 years old an on its way out,have the boiler guy coming to take a look tomorrow but not expecting good news.
I can get a replacement boiler new and fitted (possibly more efficient?) For €2k.
I wonder what other options are there,id be open to anything from cheapest to most expensive,just need to weigh it up and educate myself on it.

ongarite

kabakuyu wrote: »

Solar will not provide heating.Heat pump is very expensive.I would go with option A and get the most efficient boiler I could get, I would also check out if any insulation could be added to or updated in the house.

Solar is little more than an exercise in getting a higher BER rating IMO.
Its benefits are marginal to most homeowners.

kabakuyu

ongarite wrote: »

Solar is little more than an exercise in getting a higher BER rating IMO.
Its benefits are marginal to most homeowners.

It will not suit everybody, it can depend on your lifestyle but some people seem to find it very good for their particular circumstances.. If you want a quick return on your investment it is probably not for you.
Have a look at the renewables thread.

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1041

Wearb

Just for reader information, 15 years old isn't really old for an oil boiler...unless it's has been neglected over the years. If minded (serviced annually or even bi-annually) it can still look nearly new after this time.

HBC08

Wearb wrote: »

Just for reader information, 15 years old isn't really old for an oil boiler...unless it's has been neglected over the years. If minded (serviced annually or even bi-annually) it can still look nearly new after this time.

Thanks,I only moved in 4 years ago but from the previous owner I would think it was serviced properly.Since I moved in ive had it serviced every year,last year the boiler guy did say it wasnt looking great and I might get another year or two out of it.

John.G

The Firebird Heat Pac 50-70 with a Rirllo G5X burner is a outstanding boiler, I too have a 2005 one (HeatPac) and its never missed a beat in 15 years.

Wearb

HBC08 wrote: »

Thanks,I only moved in 4 years ago but from the previous owner I would think it was serviced properly.Since I moved in ive had it serviced every year,last year the boiler guy did say it wasnt looking great and I might get another year or two out of it.

If you want to stick a few picks of it on here, we could give you some guidance.

Tom44

Wearb wrote: »

If you want to stick a few picks of it on here, we could give you some guidance.

New boiler supplied and fitted for €2K is "extremely" and wouldn't include a flush or magnetic filter.
15 years isn't old for a boiler unless it's badly installed and a rust bucket.
I service plenty that are double that.

Energy Rating for oil boilers only came out in 2002-2003 and anything made after that date was fairly decent, newer condensing are better again.

Pre 2002 and it was pot luck.

As Wearb says, pictures will tell a lot.

Idbatterim

wouldnt replace boiler until you have too... oil very cheap at moment. do you have access to natural gas line?

boilers are made up of god knows how many parts, if Id have listened to plumbers, the combi we have, which is running fine, would have been replaced twice already, for the sake of two cheap parts! At the end of the day, they are a glorified kettle, they heat water, that is it. when they absolutely have to be replaced, yes it may make sense to go from the likes of oil to combi etc if on natural gas line and cost isnt prohibitive...

um7y1h83ge06nx

OP, we have a 10 year old boiler going well and supplemented it about 3 years ago now with a solar thermal system i.e. the tubes that are filled with glycol rather than PV flat panels that generate electricity.

Solar thermal just heats your water cyclinder. The previous owner had installed a water cylinder suitable for solar but never got around to installing the rest of the system, so we didn't need to replace it.

It is not a substitute for another heating source but it provides about 90% I would say of our hot water from March to end of September. We have a pumped shower to take advantage of it too. So for about 7 months of the year we rarely turn the boiler on unless it being cloudy for serveral days in a row or unusually cold. Our 40 tubes can bring our 300L cylinder to 60-65c.

During the winter months you certainly need the boiler for hot water and heating but the solar can still bring it up to 20-25c.

Wearb

Just tidying this up and moving some posts to a new thread called "combustion readings"

antoinolachtnai

I would say your sensible long term options are:

1. New boiler + thermal panels

OR

2. Heat pump.

The price differential between these two options is not going to be that big (but it would be interesting to price it).

Personally I would go for the heat pump.

There is obviously no rush in any of this. In the short and medium term there is no pressing need to change anything.

CoBo55

HBC08 wrote: »

I'm looking into this too but am pretty clueless.
My boiler is 15 years old an on its way out,have the boiler guy coming to take a look tomorrow but not expecting good news.
I can get a replacement boiler new and fitted (possibly more efficient?) For €2k.
I wonder what other options are there,id be open to anything from cheapest to most expensive,just need to weigh it up and educate myself on it.

Supply and fit a new condenser boiler for 2 grand, that's a bargain, must be a cheapo brand. Most decent ones are almost that price.

HBC08

CoBo55 wrote: »

Supply and fit a new condenser boiler for 2 grand, that's a bargain, must be a cheapo brand. Most decent ones are almost that price.

Got the actual qoute today after the boiler man came to have a look.
€1500 fully fitted for Warmflow boiler, he'll do a Grant boiler for about €300 more.
The old boiler working but on the way out,I have attached pic.

whizbang

Whatever you are thinking of putting in there. Dont.

Unless its Frogs, or something other very aquatic..

CoBo55

HBC08 wrote: »

Got the actual qoute today after the boiler man came to have a look.
€1500 fully fitted for Warmflow boiler, he'll do a Grant boiler for about €300 more.
The old boiler working but on the way out,I have attached pic.

That's a great price, a relative of mine got a grant recently, he got a filter thing as well €3200. Your boiler doesn't look too bad tbh, a good clean down with a hand brush and if you were feeling particularly energetic a coat of spray from a rattle can would transform it. Take out the baffles give them a good clean off, clean off the internal walls with a wire brush. Strip the burner carefully giving it a good clean with a stiff brush, new jet matching the old one and you're sorted. A plumber friend of mine checks it with his fga when he's nearby, sorted for another year.
Do check the condition of the flexible oil line and replace it if it looks in any way ragged. I change mine every third service regardless of what it looks like from the outside.

Muise

Hi just reading through this post
I’m In the Same predicament
Looking for options for heating torn between air to water or updating oil system or changing to gas.
We are getting house insulated to a high standard also getting triple glazed windows.
Cannot justify the cost of air to water though!! Am I wrong

bluestrattos

Thanks for the replies.
I didn't say in the original post, but there's no gas in my area.

Regarding the age of the boiler, I will have it serviced and after that I will know better (if you know anyone (plumbing/heating professional, please let me know - Kildare area).

The report with efficiency, that another user shared, is that a standard when serviced, or it's something that depends on the professional servicing the boiler ?

For now, I will go (keep) with the boiler option, and maybe look at the solar panels, and do a combination of both.

Widescreen

Just to continue the theme here

I have an oil boiler that is more than 25 years old. It was there when we moved into house and still going ok. There is Riello burner on it. Still burning gas oil so it is expensive and burns much quicker than kero as you know.

Chap that services said, reluctantly, that it wouldn't last much longer and strongly advised me to change it. I could wait till it packs in but no doubt that will be in the middle of December when it is snowing!

I would be open to a used boiler that wasn't that old if someone was upgrading to a new type of system to avail of grants so any recommendations for one of those appreciated as well.

Also can anyone recommend the best condenser boiler in their opinion to buy and recommend anyone in Mid West area to do the work?

I have thought about heat pumps etc, but looks a non runner for me at this time.

thanks

Wearb

Diesel should burn slightly less litres than kerosene for a given output. However diesel has been more expensive per litre for some time now.

Grant is considered the cream of the crop, but I've a lot more firebirds on my round. Firebirds are fine if looked after as recommended in the manual, so long as they are set for their lowest firing rate.

Widescreen

Thanks. Would you have a link showing the fire bird condenser boiler you are referring to, just making sure I am looking at the right one?

CoBo55

Wearb wrote: »

Diesel should burn slightly less litres than kerosene for a given output. However diesel has been more expensive per litre for some time now.

Grant is considered the cream of the crop, but I've a lot more firebirds on my round. Firebirds are fine if looked after as recommended in the manual, so long as they are set for their lowest firing rate.

What do you mean, set for their lowest firing rate?

Wearb

Widescreen wrote: »

Thanks. Would you have a link showing the fire bird condenser boiler you are referring to, just making sure I am looking at the right one?

Enviromax.

CoBo55

Wearb wrote: »

Enviromax.

Having an ole bare minimum day today are we?

Wearb

CoBo55 wrote: »

MOD SNIP

Please keep to the thread topic.

CoBo55

Wearb wrote: »

Please keep to the thread topic.

What does, and I quote "set to their lowest firing rate" mean? Thanks.

CoBo55

Widescreen wrote: »

Thanks. Would you have a link showing the fire bird condenser boiler you are referring to, just making sure I am looking at the right one?

Here's a link to the Firebird Condenser boiler range, https://www.firebird.ie/index.php/product-list-enviromax-kitchen.html

others couldn't be arsed helping you obviously.

Wearb

CoBo55 wrote: »

What does, and I quote "set to their lowest firing rate" mean? Thanks.

Mod Note: If you badger any poster, myself included, you will be infracted. It's up to a poster whether to answer a question or not.

DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS MESSAGE

CoBo55

Wearb wrote: »

Mod Note: If you badger any poster, myself included, you will be infracted. It's up to a poster whether to answer a question or not.

DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS MESSAGE

You should change your motto:mad::mad: