Camray 3 efficiency?

[scoobydoo99]

I was on the verge of changing out my camray 3 for a grant condensing boiler, but following it blowing the door open after a failed start, I had it serviced.

The chap who serviced it said it wasn't really worth changing it out as the camray tested at 90.3% net efficiency and 85% gross. Also because our camray is in our garage and never really cools down because its connected to a heat store, it's in excellent condition despite being 15 or 16 years old.

I'm now thinking it isn't worth ripping it out and fitting a condensing boiler for only a few % fuel saving. In the last few years I've replaced the motor, fan, oil pump and capacitor, and the parts are readily available off eBay.

I'd have thought the camray 3 efficiency would have been closer to 70 or 75%, anyone else seen a 15 year old non condensing boiler with efficiency as good as this ?

 

[oilhead]

If the government really understood the operation of oil boilers, they would never have insisted on going down the gas route of condensing. Your efficiency is not untypical. Your nett efficiency would increase to about 98% with a Grant condensing boiler so it is almost a 10% increase. You do the maths, but factor in increased service costs to your sums.

 

[scoobydoo99]

P.s. it's an oil boiler - thought I'd mentioned this in the original post, looks like I forgot does that make a difference?

 

[Danoil]

I see many like this on a daily basis, normally with efficiencies of around 83-85%. The Camray 3 is a cracking boiler and in my opinion better to have a good, reliable, older boiler that's slightly less efficient. I was actually servicing a 40 odd year old B.O.A today that we have serviced from new, its in extremely good nick and still had an efficiency of 80%

 

[scoobydoo99]

Thanks, that's good to know, I'll probably use the money I'm saving to replace the heat store as I'm looking to add an air source heat pump and I need a second coil in the tank.

 

[Boilerman2]

It is well known in the oil industry that the Goverment would not allow any oil fired standard efficiency boiler have a SEDBUK rating higher than band "C" HOWEVER it is also well known that most oil fired standard efficiency boilers built after 1990 have a true SEDBUK rating of band "B" some such as the Grant Multipass can achieve a band "A" (not recognised by the Goverment of course!!)

 

[oilhead]

Can't agree about band A for the multipass, but would have one any day over a Vortex.

 

[Boilerman2]

Try running a Multipass 90/140 at 90,000btu - you will be amazed at the efficiency!! deffo into the realms of Condensing!!

 

[Danoil]

Try running a Multipass 90/140 at 90,000btu - you will be amazed at the efficiency!! deffo into the realms of Condensing!!

I would also agree with this, would this be your boiler of choice? Mine Personally would be the camray quartet. Regularly see efficiencies of 90% gross on these and the larger the boiler the better the efficiency as well, in fact, more efficient than the camray 5 that replaced it! Good strong boiler, easy to maintain, very little problems and most parts stocked on van or off the shelf at merchants. How anyone would try to convince a homeowner it's a worthwhile exercise to replace one is beyond me!