oil or LPG

[aconnor2]

hi
does anyone know whether the regulations regarding the storage of oil in a bunded oil tank used for central heating is the same as the storage of LPG bottles?
and which i should probably opt for as i have to store the chosen fuel inside a brick built shed?

 

[gas4you]

The regs for storage of LPG are more stringent than a bunded oil tank if inside a shed.

I would go for LPG but this will open an age old debate about fors and against both.

LPG will let you cook and use a gas fire.

Oil installers will have different views to me. Listen to them both then you will have to decide.

 

[aconnor2]

hi cheers for the reply
i would prefer LPG for its versatility but if oil is less stringent on the regs its a good fall back choice?

 

[gas4you]

Why does the oil tank or lpg bottles have to be stored internally?

You need to get replies from our oil colleagues on here first before making a decision

I'm only gas registered.

 

[aconnor2]

it needs to be stored in a shed cos i have no land around my house just a path to a shed which is about 5m away from the house?

 

[djbobbins]

I work in the energy industry, recently moved to a house off the gas grid and am on rom a long term price point of view I'd guess oil will be cheaper than LPG... With mains gas prices as they were 3 months ago, the first fill up on my oil tank (about 870 litres) was actually cheaper per kWh than mains gas, which is a bit wacky - but oil has climbed a bit since then whilst mains gas has dropped.

The only thing I miss is being able to cook on gas. Am thinking about a gas hob and propane cylinders (also provides a bit of back up against our twitchy rural power supply going awol).

 

[wilhelm]

i would bang a metal tank in your shed. i see loads....obviously installed before the united kingdom went health and safety barking mad. they been in 20 years etc. metal tanks are still made . or if you want to go mental, a bunded metal tank.

the world is your oyster. get a general builder to do it. cash in hand, they know the score.

 

[doitall]

LPG cannot be stored inside a building. unless you take the walls down that is

 

[JPH/01]

oil tanks in a building should be in a purpose built compartment,view relevant oftec regs, I also come across a few and issue warning notices to the house holder !.

 

[wilhelm]

good for you.

are the regulations retrospective? ?? no.

punters pay you for a boiler service/whatever not the bill of rights.

 

[JPH/01]

I try to do a good safe job, by making the house holder aware of a potential fire hazard you have complied with your duty of care, the warning notice is just for writen proof if ever needed( after a fire ? ).
Your advice is irresponsible wilhelm , what happens if aconnor2 wants to move on and a H.I.P is required ?, in all my time in this job I have yet to see a builder do a proper job of a tank installation.
That said I agree that we have gone health and saftey mad, making it all but impossible to use common sense and your own judgement .

 

[simond]

You would be mad to run space heating off LPG cylinders. The cost of LPG when supplied in cylinders is a disgrace, up to 100% more than the bulk rate. All this expense and YOU have to change them over. You could get thru one a fortnight in the winter.

Oil would be vastly cheaper than individual cylinders, but if you have no storage within OFTEC rules then that is ruled out.

Personally my company would have nothing to do with a customer flagrantly installing a new job without following the rules in terms of LPG or Oil storage. We could get in a lot of trouble; if the arrangements already exist this is less of an issue.

Bear in mind, as someone said earlier, when you come to sell the property the buyer's surveyor will pick up on the arrangements and your prospective purchasers will be knocking substantial sums off your house to put in electric heating.

Which is where you should be looking now.

 

[doitall]

Personally I disagree simond.

What the op should be looking at is an air source unit.

 

[chr15]

Knock the shed down and put in a bunded oil tank--problem solved.

 

[simond]

Doitall

I haven't come across domestic air heat pumps, can you point me in the direction of some info?

It sounds interesting, but surely you need to have a fantastically well insulated dwelling or you end up with virtually electric heating anyway?

Simon