Oil burners

[neate]

My Grant's 50/70 oil burner installed in 2005 will need to be replaced soon. With netzero in the offing what should I replace it with? But first.

I live in the country with space to fit a ground source heat pump. A neighbouring farmer got permission to build a small holiday cottage. And with netzero in mind built it with very substantial insulation and installed a ground source heat pump. He tells me that it works fine. I asked him how he heats his farmhouse and he says with an oil burner. I said why not install a ground heat pump. He said that it would not generate sufficient heat to the temperature needed for his radiators. Not as good as his oil burner and that an air source heat pump would be even worse for generating heat. When I meet him next I must ask him what he has in mind for net zero.

In the meantime I'm enquiring in this forum what's the word amongst the trade for replacing an oil burner for the future. The Government have produced the strategy but not the solutions. DO NOT BLAME THEM they don't know the answers and are hoping that capitalism will do its job. Entrepreneurs sensing profit will be working on solutions now and businesses producing heat pumps and the like together with Grant , etc will all be working to provide the answers.

In the meantime what have members heard so far? Is there a new generation of oil burners coming along that meets netzero requirements. I know I can buy an oil burner now and keep it past netzero. But if I do it too early then there could be better solutions not dependent on oil and I would be one of the few needing oil and have to have it delivered, if at all, at great cost.

 

[thetman]

You need to very carefully consider the type of heating distribution you have from the existing oil boiler. The GSHP is not comfortable generating the same flow temperatures as the oil boiler and it needs a very controlled return temperature. Unless you can live with a low temperature distribution system with a high temperature drop then I would stay away from a GSHP for the time being.

 

[Rodders53]

NB This is a DIY forum not a Trade forum (though we're fortunate to have Tradespeople giving their time and advice freely).

I'd ask: how deep are your pockets?
How well insulated and draught-proofed is your home? {That's the cheapest fix, generally}.

A GSHP and the coils to feed them buried on your land will not come cheap and means a lot of disruption over a large area to install or expensive deep boreholes drilled for the pipework.
Upgrading all the pipework and installing larger radiators (or excavating floors, insulating and installing underfloor heating pipework) to suit the low flow temperatures will be another necessary expense.
HW tank may need upgrading to suit the flow temps too.

Your electric supply may need upgrading to cope with the HP and EV charging

Some makers are working toward HPs that can achieve higher water temps without using backup immersion elements or poor COPs. Grant have got into the heat pump game, of course, and they offer 'hybrid' solutions with Kerosene and HP in one. https://www.grantuk.com/products/hybrids/
It's often better to not be an early adopter of such new technologies.

Mind I'm surprised your Grant will need replacing this soon? A simple Kerosene burner replacement will be far simpler, cheaper and last another 18/19 years... by which time alternative eco solutions may have evolved and be more mainstream?

 

[roguetrader]

HVO will be the kerosene alternative.

 

[neate]

Such a lot to think about. Thanks so far to thetman, Rodders53, and roguetrader. I'll wait a bit to see what other advice is forthcoming before I reply more fully.

 

[roguetrader]

New build is perfect for heat pumps in whatever form suits, there is also talk about every new build property having 3 phase electric connections to cope with this, car chargers etc.
But heat pumps are not the golden egg everyone assumes.

HVO will eventually take over from kerosene and there will obviously be a gas alternative to cater for the hundreds of thousands of gas boilers out there.

There are other alternatives of course.