Getting the Best from your Heating System

Equipment manufacturers have worked to raise the efficiency of oil fire heating equipment to a level not reached by those burning other fuels. Technicians responsible for the installation, commissioning and servicing of this equipment will ensure that it operates to its full potential in respect of energy efficiency.

Here are some actions you can take to save energy and run your heating system more efficiently:

  • Make sure your oil boiler and tank are serviced regularly by a skilled technician, who will also be able to give you advice on energy efficiency.
  • Upgrade your system controls
  • Replace your existing boiler with a high efficiency condensing model
  • Integrate your heating system with renewable energy sources
Servicing your Oil Boiler and Tank
Regular maintenance of oil fired appliances by a skilled technician is vitally important. This work requires the use of proper combustion efficiency testing equipment. Service is normally required every year, but for some appliances, six monthly attention is recommended by the manufacturer.
Regular maintenance can keep an appliance operating at peak performance, reducing fuel bills and saving on costly call out fees.

Heating system controls need to be regularly checked for correct operation and this should form part of the annual service.

It is also important that your oil storage tank is inspected annually.

Upgrading System Controls

Accurate system controls can save money by reducing heat wastage. Reducing room temperature by 1°C, you can save up to 10% off your annual fuel bill.
Recommended controls include:
•Room thermostats
•Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs)
•Cylinder Thermostat
•Programmers set to ‘on and off’ time periods
•Programmable room thermostat, which is both a programmer and a room thermostat.

Replacing your Boiler
Consider replacing your old boiler with a modern condensing model, to help save cash on fuel bills.

Condensing boilers recover as much of the waste heat as possible which would normally pass out of the flue into the air in a conventional boiler. They are highly efficient. This is why Building Regulations were changed recently, to ensure that, if you have a new or replacement gas or oil boiler installed in your home, it is a condensing type.

Replacing your old boiler with a modern condensing one will significantly reduce your fuel bills, helping you to cope with today’s higher energy prices. OFTEC believes this could save you up to £230 a year if you use oil. A condensing boiler will also dramatically reduce carbon emissions, which is good for the environment. Oil condensing boilers have efficiencies of up to 97%.

Integrating your heating system
Integrating your oil heating system with renewable technologies can help to bring down the cost of your fuel bill. There are several alternatives, some of which are listed below:

Solar Heating
The UK climate does enable a solar system to pick up heat from the sun for a large part of the year, but it is mostly low grade heat, i.e. well below the flow temperature of a central heating system at 82°C or the storage temperature of a domestic hot water system at 60°C. Solar heating can be used to raise the temperature of cold water supplied to the hot water storage cylinder, the advantage being that the main heating system then uses less fuel to raise the temperature of the water in the cylinder up to its required storage level.
Regional grant schemes may be available to assist toward the cost of installing solar systems.

Ground and Air Source Pumps
Ground source heat pumps work by taking energy from the ground by using a buried ground loop that transfers heat from the ground into a building to provide heating and hot water. This allows temperatures taken from the earth to be boosted to a useful level for the provision of heating and hot water.
The length of the ground loop depends on the size of the building and the amount of heat required - longer loops can draw more heat from the ground. Normally, the loop is laid flat, or coiled in trenches about two metres deep, but if there is not enough space in the garden or grounds, a vertical loop to a depth of up to 100 metres can be installed.

Where the use of ground source heat pumps has been considered, but it is not possible install one, an air source heat pump is an alternative possibility. The only space requirement is an outside wall. Air source heat pumps work by converting the energy of the outside air into heat, creating a comfortable temperature inside the house as well as supplying energy for the hot water system

Heat Recovery Systems There is normally a considerable amount of heat loss in the air that is exhausted from a building. It has risen in temperature as a result of being passed through heated rooms, occupants’ respiratory systems, heat loss from the use of hot water, from cooking operations and from the lighting system. Apart from the heat from the heating system, all these sources are uncontrolled by thermostats and can be a significant source of waste. If this heat could be recovered, the heating system could be run for a shorter period of time and fuel would be saved.
Heat recovery systems work by taking air from the rooms by the use of an extraction system of ductwork and fans, instead of letting it be lost to the outside through open windows or leaks in the structure.

(information above courtesy of OFTEC)