Matching a second hand oil burner to oil boiler

redbeaard

Hello

Short question: Will a Riello 40 g38 fit a Grant Module 90-120 from this ad http://www.donedeal.ie/heating-for-sale/grant-oil-burner-90-120-and-oil-tank/6759076

House is old stone walls, 2 story, about 100m2, very badly insulated, 8 rads. Heat is really only needed to keep the damp out in the winter as only occupied in summer.

Question background:
The oil boiler in my granny's house next door packed it in a few weeks ago. It was rusted to bits in an outhouse and must have burst a pipe somewhere inside it as the place was flooded. The 2 different plumbers who saw it just said it was competently f**ked without really looking at it.

The house is only used as a holiday house by my 2 aunties these days so don't worry, my granny isn't over there freezing in the middle of the night

The Riello burner was taken out of my uncle's house a few years back and was working perfectly.

So now I've been tasked with getting this fixed using as little money as possible. They're already feeling the pinch from the property tax, second home tax the soon to be water charges and are also worried (with very good reason) about the septic tank inspections coming up so they really need this done on the cheap.

All advice appreciated.

Dtp1979

redbeaard wrote: »

Hello

Short question: Will a Riello 40 g38 fit a Grant Module 90-120 from this ad http://www.donedeal.ie/heating-for-sale/grant-oil-burner-90-120-and-oil-tank/6759076

House is old stone walls, 2 story, about 100m2, very badly insulated, 8 rads. Heat is really only needed to keep the damp out in the winter as only occupied in summer.

Question background:
The oil boiler in my granny's house next door packed it in a few weeks ago. It was rusted to bits in an outhouse and must have burst a pipe somewhere inside it as the place was flooded. The 2 different plumbers who saw it just said it was competently f**ked without really looking at it.

The house is only used as a holiday house by my 2 aunties these days so don't worry, my granny isn't over there freezing in the middle of the night

The Riello burner was taken out of my uncle's house a few years back and was working perfectly.

So now I've been tasked with getting this fixed using as little money as possible. They're already feeling the pinch from the property tax, second home tax the soon to be water charges and are also worried (with very good reason) about the septic tank inspections coming up so they really need this done on the cheap.

All advice appreciated.

Sorry to put a dampner on this for you but nobody on here is going to tell you to stick a burner onto an oil boiler and leave it work stay without out calibrating it first

shane 007

A G3B is the wrong burner for that boiler anyhow.

redbeaard

Thanks for the heads up guys.

Dtp1979 wrote: »

Sorry to put a dampner on this for you but nobody on here is going to tell you to stick a burner onto an oil boiler and leave it work stay without out calibrating it first

That's OK, I did intend on getting a fully qualified professional to do the necessary work to install it but I was not aware that it was a big job to calibrate it. Or is it a big job? Is it possible even?

A G3B is the wrong burner for that boiler anyhow.

Balls. I should have know it was too good to be true. Do ye think I should give up looking for a second hand boiler to fit the burner? Is it a matter of roughly matching the outputs and taking into consideration condensing and non-condensing?

shane 007

You can adapt a G3B to suit a G5T but the set up & blast tube would have to be changed by somebody who knows what they are doing.

DGOBS

G3B can be made to suit that appliance (but only at the 90k range) doesn't have the umph for above that range

Get a qualified technician in to fit your burner and tune it in for safety and efficiency

redbeaard

Thanks for the info everyone.

If it were up to me I would go ahead with proposed burner and boiler and get a qualified technician to do the install (€150 for burner plus about €100 for technician, they're cheap enough up here in Donegal) but after running it past the aunties, who are holding the purse strings, they decided to hold off for the moment in the hope that a very cheap second hand alternative comes along. I guess it's possible as so many people are upgrading to condensing boilers these days.

DGOBS

Fools gold, why buy a cheap oil guzzler, when you could buy a condensing boiler that through reduced fuel usage will pay for itself over the older boiler?

scudo2

DGOBS wrote: »

Fools gold, why buy a cheap oil guzzler, when you could buy a condensing boiler that through reduced fuel usage will pay for itself over the older boiler?

Bit like bringing a horse to water........

redbeaard

DGOBS wrote: »

Fools gold, why buy a cheap oil guzzler, when you could buy a condensing boiler that through reduced fuel usage will pay for itself over the older boiler?

I agree. I'm just after renovating a house here myself and I did a little maths on the efficiencies of boilers.

Example:
€500 spent on oil per year
1% of 500 = 5
for every 1 % diff in efficiency = €5 per year
difference between old non-condensing boiler and new must be about 10%
over 10 years that €500

For me it was just the decision of weather or not to spend that bit extra on a top of the range Grant or go for cheaper but less efficient Firebird.

Unfortunately my aunties just don't have the money at the moment for something new, as stated in first post.

Billy Bunting

redbeaard wrote: »

Thanks for the info everyone.

If it were up to me I would go ahead with proposed burner and boiler and get a qualified technician to do the install (€150 for burner plus about €100 for technician, they're cheap enough up here in Donegal) but after running it past the aunties, who are holding the purse strings, they decided to hold off for the moment in the hope that a very cheap second hand alternative comes along. I guess it's possible as so many people are upgrading to condensing boilers these days.

As a "Donegal Technician" I'm not sure about the "cheap enough up here in Donegal" statement, pay peanuts and you get a monkey, fitting a new burner to an old boiler isn't as simple as you think as you have read, but your statement is one that i come across ever so often from so many "blow-in's" who seem to want to cut corners or look for something for nothing.

redbeaard

Billy Bunting wrote: »

As a "Donegal Technician" I'm not sure about the "cheap enough up here in Donegal" statement, pay peanuts and you get a monkey, fitting a new burner to an old boiler isn't as simple as you think as you have read, but your statement is one that i come across ever so often from so many "blow-in's" who seem to want to cut corners or look for something for nothing.

Haha, I'm not sure if you calling me a "blow-in" but I can assure you I'm Donegal born and breed

I'm basing the €100 on what the local, fully qualified technician charges for a days work.
Perhaps I'm wrong to presume that it would only take a day?

I think you'll agree that that's cheap enough when compared a lot of the rest of the country.

Billy Bunting

redbeaard wrote: »

Haha, I'm not sure if you calling me a "blow-in" but I can assure you I'm Donegal born and breed

I'm basing the €100 on what the local, fully qualified technician charges for a days work.
Perhaps I'm wrong to presume that it would only take a day?

I think you'll agree that that's cheap enough when compared a lot of the rest of the country.

I didn't refer to you as a blow-in.

"Fully qualified" in what ? €100 for a days work ??? does he pay taxes ? trade registrations??? insurance??? i could go on, and on and on!!

redbeaard

Billy Bunting wrote: »

I didn't refer to you as a blow-in.

"Fully qualified" in what ? €100 for a days work ??? does he pay taxes ? trade registrations??? insurance??? i could go on, and on and on!!

Well, tbh, I can't comment on his exact qualifications but he is certified to commission boilers and has the RGI cert or whatever it is for installing gas. They have a reputable business and from what people say around here he is very good at servicing and fixing boilers. Now, that said, I don't know how complicated it is to fit and tune a burner so I don't know if I maybe need somebody else entirely with even more qualifications?

As for taxes, registrations and insurance, I have no idea.

Billy Bunting

redbeaard wrote: »

Well, tbh, I can't comment on his exact qualifications but he is certified to commission boilers and has the RGI cert or whatever it is for installing gas. They have a reputable business and from what people say around here he is very good at servicing and fixing boilers. Now, that said, I don't know how complicated it is to fit and tune a burner so I don't know if I maybe need somebody else entirely with even more qualifications?

As for taxes, registrations and insurance, I have no idea.

He has an RGI cert ? he's certified to commissions boilers. with who ???

Sounds like many of the "Certified" Technicians i run around after. :rolleyes:

You need a Oftec Registered Technician to do the work your looking to do, anyone else your just plucking straws.

Good luck.

DGOBS

if he's charging €100 a day, somethings not right!

redbeaard

DGOBS wrote: »

if he's charging €100 a day, somethings not right!

Maybe he's just sound!

Just kidding, before ye jump on me :-D

I really haven't thought much about going rates for plumbers before now but now that ye mention it there is a large cash economy here. I was talking to several brickies and roofers recently and they were saying their going rate is €100 per day or €80 cash in hand. I have no idea if this is typical of all rural Ireland or Donegal or just this area. I always presumed it was typical of all rural Ireland or at least areas that have been ravaged by unemployment and emigration.

Dtp1979

redbeaard wrote: »

Maybe he's just sound!

Just kidding, before ye jump on me :-D

I really haven't thought much about going rates for plumbers before now but now that ye mention it there is a large cash economy here. I was talking to several brickies and roofers recently and they were saying their going rate is €100 per day or €80 cash in hand. I have no idea if this is typical of all rural Ireland or Donegal or just this area. I always presumed it was typical of all rural Ireland or at least areas that have been ravaged by unemployment and emigration.

http://touch.boards.ie/thread/post/90116900

redbeaard

Cheers Dtp1979, interesting debate there.
I'm not going to continue it here as this thread has gone well off topic already but clearly €100 a day is a bit ridiculous even with the very low overheads I expect some of the lads around here have but questions would have to be asked about insurance etc.