OFCH Alternatives for 70's Bungalow

..Brian.. · 15-01-2019 4:55pm #1

So we moved in this house a little over two years and I've just added up the oil we're using to approx 2,500 litres per year.

When we moved in we added 300mm insulation to the attic and pumped the cavity with beads. All radiators have been upgraded to new convection rads with TRV's. The windows were all upgraded to PVC double glazed sometime in the last 10 years. The front door does need to be ungraded but that's a bit down the line.

The heating is a single loop with no zones and the loop is buried in the slab so no access. We have no thermostat but do have a digital timer which is set to come on for a time in the morning, afternoon and evening and we use the boost function as necessary throughout the day.

There's usually someone in the house at any given time throughout the day so during the cold months the heating is being used a lot.

The house tends to cycle from too cold to too hot and back again which is very inefficient. I'm looking for solutions to level out the heat throughout the day to avoid the highs and lows and make the house more comfortable.

Secondly, what can I do to reduce my bill? Is there a better alternative to oil?

Thanks in advance!

tweek84 · 15-01-2019 5:04pm

..Brian.. wrote: »

So we moved in this house a little over two years and I've just added up the oil we're using to approx 2,500 litres per year.

When we moved in we added 300mm insulation to the attic and pumped the cavity with beads. All radiators have been upgraded to new convection rads with TRV's. The windows were all upgraded to PVC double glazed sometime in the last 10 years. The front door does need to be ungraded but that's a bit down the line.

The heating is a single loop with no zones and the loop is buried in the slab so no access. We have no thermostat but do have a digital timer which is set to come on for a time in the morning, afternoon and evening and we use the boost function as necessary throughout the day.

There's usually someone in the house at any given time throughout the day so during the cold months the heating is being used a lot.

The house tends to cycle from too cold to too hot and back again which is very inefficient. I'm looking for solutions to level out the heat throughout the day to avoid the highs and lows and make the house more comfortable.

Secondly, what can I do to reduce my bill? Is there a better alternative to oil?

Thanks in advance!

What boiler are you using? Would you consider a condensor boiler?
Do you have an open fireplace? If so and if it is not being used get it blocked up (i think you can use something like a chimney balloon or something named similar) or fit a stove i found that made a difference to the draft going through the house.
I hope some of the stuff i mentioned helps

Wearb · 15-01-2019 5:09pm

How big is the house? What is it's BER? When was boiler last serviced and what was the combustion results? As above, Make and model of the boiler? Location of the boiler?
It's a lot more than most of my customers use.

dar_cool · 15-01-2019 5:22pm

That seems alot. We live in a 1980s detached house and upgraded the boiler and controls last year and only use about 1000 litres a year. I have it "on" from 7am to 10pm and have the thermostats set at 19 so boiler comes on and off to keep at that temperature. We also have a stove in the sitting room which we light in the winter

..Brian.. · 15-01-2019 11:56pm

Detached house, 146.25 sq meters, about 1600sq ft. BER rating C3 in June 2016.

Typical 5 bed bungalow, long hall with bedrooms and bathrooms, kitchen/diner & living room at other end.

The boiler is a Grant Euroflame 50~90 (see attached). I don't know when it was last serviced, I know we talked about it when we moved in (May 2016) but I can't remember if we did it or not. The boiler is at the other end of the house to the living areas but within the building footprint.

The idea of having the heating controlled by the thermostat to maintain a consistent temperature throughout the day sounds ideal. I'd be anxious about the level of oil consumed however.

agusta · 16-01-2019 12:15am

First things first.the boiler is in dire need of a service,it should also be serviced annually
Riello hose is perished
flange gasket needs to be replaced,flange too id say
Whats looks like timber on top of boiler is a fire hazard
At a guess id say the boiler is getting too much air to fuel
The baffles will have to be checked during service
Needs a proper boiler service with a flue gas analysis printout

A new boiler would save you 15 percent on fuel

Wearb · 16-01-2019 10:03am

..Brian.. wrote: »

Detached house, 146.25 sq meters, about 1600sq ft. BER rating C3 in June 2016.

Typical 5 bed bungalow, long hall with bedrooms and bathrooms, kitchen/diner & living room at other end.

The boiler is a Grant Euroflame 50~90 (see attached). I don't know when it was last serviced, I know we talked about it when we moved in (May 2016) but I can't remember if we did it or not. The boiler is at the other end of the house to the living areas but within the building footprint.

The idea of having the heating controlled by the thermostat to maintain a consistent temperature throughout the day sounds ideal. I'd be anxious about the level of oil consumed however.

As agusta said, first have it serviced and also check for any central heating leaks. Any reason why the cap is off the high limit thermostat reset? Why is the boiler stat turned down so low?
There is certainly something wrong if you have that usage in a C3 house of that size.

tweek84 · 16-01-2019 11:17am

When getting it serviced make sure that the boiler is serviced and not just the burner, too many times i see it where the burner is serviced and gas analyser test is done but the boiler is filled with soot and carbon build up

Wearb · 16-01-2019 12:52pm

tweek84 wrote: »

When getting it serviced make sure that the boiler is serviced and not just the burner, too many times i see it where the burner is serviced and gas analyser test is done but the boiler is filled with soot and carbon build up

It’s difficult to spoof a quality FGA result. If improperly done, it usually shows on the printout.

The printout can be checked here in this forum by the techs if need.

tweek84 · 16-01-2019 4:07pm

Wearb wrote: »

It’s difficult to spoof a quality FGA result. If improperly done, it usually shows on the printout.

The printout can be checked here in this forum by the techs if need.

It does happen, i inspected a government job that hadn't had it boiler cleaned out in 5 years, the service was carried out by a reputable and well know company.

..Brian.. · 16-01-2019 4:56pm

Wearb wrote: »

Any reason why the cap is off the high limit thermostat reset? Why is the boiler stat turned down so low?
There is certainly something wrong if you have that usage in a C3 house of that size.

No idea what you're talking about TBH so no, I don;t know!

I've never gone near it since we moved in.

Going to book a service, will a gas analysis test be done as standard?

agusta · 16-01-2019 5:20pm

There is different standards of service.You will need to ask if the service technician has a flue gas analyser.If he doesnt have one,then you need to get someone else.Ideally try and get someone recommended.
A service will flue gas analysis will certainly make it safer and more efficient.
I dont see anything major wrong with burning 2500 litres per year. it is higher than normal.It really is down to how long the heating is turned on,hot water requirement,heat requirements etc.It can be improved though

Wearb · 16-01-2019 6:01pm

tweek84 wrote: »

It does happen, i inspected a government job that hadn't had it boiler cleaned out in 5 years, the service was carried out by a reputable and well know company.

I would like a look at the printout from those services to see if it was well spoofed. As I said, not that easy to do. And yes it does and can happen.

OFCH Alternatives for 70's Bungalow

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