PlumbSet Oil Boilers

Oil Boilers

Innovations in the manufacture of oil boilers have resulted in efficiency rating which can now exceed the best gas boilers. An important part of an oil boiler is the oil burner. We will only install oil boilers which use the state-of-the-art RDB3 Riello oil burner. Used in our Grant boiler installations, these boilers achieve in excess of 93% efficiency.

These high-efficiency boilers come in 2 basic types:

Standard hot water and heating boiler.
Combination boiler.

If you don't already have an oil boiler in your property, should you consider a gas boiler? Gas boilers are cleaner and smaller, and require no tank. They have made great strides in efficiency.

Standard

Takes the place of most boiler installations currently in the UK. Connects directly to the central heating. Your hot water is heated in a hot water cylinder usually found in an airing cupboard. This type of system is usually fed by a small cistern in the loft. The majority of installed boilers of this type achieve only 70% efficiency. Oue new boilers achieve efficiency levels in excess of 90%.

Combination

These boilers are similar in design to system boilers (see the description on the gas boilers page). They operate on a sealed system. The main difference between this type of boiler and standard boilers is that domestic hot water is heated directly in the boiler, removing the need for a hot water cylinder. One big advantage of this type of boiler is that hot water can be delivered uninterrupted and at mains pressure for as long as the customer requires it.

Oil boilers rely on the heat from the burner being retained within the body of the boiler. Manufacturers have recognised the advantages of oil burner design and they have used this to create a latent heat store which enables a combination boiler to deliver hot water immediately a tap is opened. Another significant advantage of oil burner technology is that flow rates (volume of water coming out your tap) in excess of 22 litres per minute are typically obtained, about twice that of gas boilers.

Boiler type	Advantages	Disadvantages
Combi	Hot water on demand No cisterns or pipework in the loft space Continuous hot water supply No need to heat 'stored' hot water Space saving Mains pressure hot water All cold water outlets supply mains drinking water	Hot water flow limited to about 18 litres/minute Hot water flow is reduced when additional outlets are opened Central heating system has to be pressurised which may lead to leaks in older pipework No failure backup for hot water (i.e. no immersion heater) Hot water temperature can be reduced if the incoming water temperature is very low No 'airing' cupboard, though a small radiator can be installed in a cupboard to provide heat when the heating is on

Commissioning and servicing

For commissioning and servicing of oil boilers we recommend Vale Burner Services Ltd.

Oil boilers we recommend

Grant

Vortex Kitchen boiler The Vortex Pro Kitchen boiler range has become the market leader in oil-fired condensing boilers, achieving gross seasonal efficiencies of 93-97% gross.

The Vortex Pro External Module range has some of the highest efficiencies availble in the market today.

The Vortex Pro Internal Combi was voted Which? Best Buy Boiler for 2008.

The Vortex Pro External Combi can save up to 30% on fuel bills when used as a replacement boiler.