Central Heating System

[NewhouseOldhouse]

Hi

I have asked several questions before about my oil heating but i am now thinking of taking the plunge and upgrading the system.

The current system is about 35 yrs+ with original boiler for the oil. The red burner on front of the boiler has been replaced by previous owners and is fairly new.

The last service I got done on the boiler the engineer said that the blades in the boiler are very worn and will not get replacement as the boiler is too old.

The system consists of open fire back boiler, water cylinder in hot press with cold water tank feed above it in loft.

Some of the rads are mircobore piping and some have obviously been added and are the standard plumbing used to rads.

I intend to do some work to add more space in house and will have approx about 35 rads once completed over time. I want to remain with oil and need some advice on the following:

1. What size of boiler KW would I need for my house?
2. Grant Votex apparently are very good boilers?
3. Can I take away the hot water cylinder and water tank in loft and replace with Megaflow system?
4. Will I have to replace the microbore plumbing or can these rads be replaced with new rads and standard plumbing just by connecting?
5. Can I have the heating system setup as a smart system controlled by smartphone?
6. Approx cost - ball park figure £10k?

any advice would be great.

 

[muggles]

Hi

I have asked several questions before about my oil heating but i am now thinking of taking the plunge and upgrading the system.

The current system is about 35 yrs+ with original boiler for the oil. The red burner on front of the boiler has been replaced by previous owners and is fairly new.

The last service I got done on the boiler the engineer said that the blades in the boiler are very worn and will not get replacement as the boiler is too old.

The system consists of open fire back boiler, water cylinder in hot press with cold water tank feed above it in loft.

Some of the rads are mircobore piping and some have obviously been added and are the standard plumbing used to rads.

I intend to do some work to add more space in house and will have approx about 35 rads once completed over time. I want to remain with oil and need some advice on the following:

1. What size of boiler KW would I need for my house?

Impossible to say. You've given zero details about your house's size, age, or construction. Do a proper heat loss calculation to find the answer to this. https://www.heat-engineer.com/heat-loss-estimator

2. Grant Votex apparently are very good boilers?

They're OK. I personally prefer Hounsfield or Navien.

3. Can I take away the hot water cylinder and water tank in loft and replace with Megaflow system?

Maybe. It depends on whether your incoming water mains is up to the job of supplying it, or alternatively whether you're prepared to have water storage and pumps to supply it.

4. Will I have to replace the microbore plumbing or can these rads be replaced with new rads and standard plumbing just by connecting?

Doesn't absolutely have to be replaced, but it's a better job of it can be done. Microbore is fine in a well designed, well maintained system where all heat emitters are fed from the same size pipework, but it often doesn't work so well in systems that have been extended or otherwise altered.

5. Can I have the heating system setup as a smart system controlled by smartphone?

Yes

6. Approx cost - ball park figure £10k?

Again, impossible to say without much more information. Is the boiler going in the same place as the existing one, or being moved. If it's being moved that can have a huge effect on the cost. Same with the cylinder. You might need to upgrade your water main. How many radiators are being added? Etc etc etc. You'd be much better off getting someone round to actually look at the property and give you a price from there.

 

[rbranco]

Yes it can be remote controlled using nest/hive/tado/evohome etc but things like weather comp are not possible that I can see on oil boilers as they do not modulate, system just has to be designed well with correctly sized boiler so that it does not keep cycling.

With 35 rads it seems its going to be a very large house so you will need to have multiple zones, it will be quite a big boiler for that amount 35kw+ probably, but you will need so spec up the house etc to be certain and also know your HW requirements on top.

Will you have any UFH?

 

[NewhouseOldhouse]

Impossible to say. You've given zero details about your house's size, age, or construction. Do a proper heat loss calculation to find the answer to this. https://www.heat-engineer.com/heat-loss-estimator

House is about 3000 sq ft bungalow, built early 80's and it normal block construction. I recently got the cavity walls insulated which was never done!!

They're OK. I personally prefer Hounsfield or Navien.

OK will look at those.

Maybe. It depends on whether your incoming water mains is up to the job of supplying it, or alternatively whether you're prepared to have water storage and pumps to supply it.

Mains water may need a pump at where the water connection is along the road as its not really powerful at all. Water storage and pumps might be an option.

Doesn't absolutely have to be replaced, but it's a better job of it can be done. Microbore is fine in a well designed, well maintained system where all heat emitters are fed from the same size pipework, but it often doesn't work so well in systems that have been extended or otherwise altered.

Do you mean replace as in lifting concrete floors or can they be jointed at the points they join the rad? The heating takes a while to heat the rads (I assume its the old bolier as I have noticed this yr it takes longer compared to last yr).

Yes

This is good to know as would want this.


Again, impossible to say without much more information. Is the boiler going in the same place as the existing one, or being moved. If it's being moved that can have a huge effect on the cost. Same with the cylinder. You might need to upgrade your water main. How many radiators are being added? Etc etc etc. You'd be much better off getting someone round to actually look at the property and give you a price from there.

Boiler will be going in same place inside a space in house, cylinder will be in the same place as well. currently have about 20 rads will add a further 15 rads.

thanks

 

[NewhouseOldhouse]

Yes it can be remote controlled using nest/hive/tado/evohome etc but things like weather comp are not possible that I can see on oil boilers as they do not modulate, system just has to be designed well with correctly sized boiler so that it does not keep cycling.

With 35 rads it seems its going to be a very large house so you will need to have multiple zones, it will be quite a big boiler for that amount 35kw+ probably, but you will need so spec up the house etc to be certain and also know your HW requirements on top.

Will you have any UFH?

No UFH, but on that can this be installed on a current oil rad system?

 

[rbranco]

No UFH, but on that can this be installed on a current oil rad system?

There is no reason why not but it will need a manifold and low loss header most likley.
You are planning to add a further 15 rads, so you will need a boiler for the total size but if its fitted before you have those installed it will need to be derated until which time you have it all done.
Seems you will need a load of piping to replace the microbore and maybe split the house into separate heating zones.

 

[muggles]

I think £10k is an ambitious budget for this

 

[rbranco]

I think £10k is an ambitious budget for this

Agreed, its OFTEC regulations you may be allowed to do the commissioning yourself but would probably void any warranty.

Off bat base figures
- boiler - 2/3k
- 15 radiators (basic) probably around 2-5k, depends on sizes and types etc, is it inside/outside etc
- various controls for 2 zones and HW, pumps/valves etc, 500+
- do you need a new HW tank - 250+ (depends on size, vented/unvented etc)

So you can see, prices start to go up and up, the biggest part is labour, taking up floors, new piping/wiring etc etc.