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Advice Needed

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  • 08-03-2016 8:38pm
    #1
    SuperVegan
    Registered Users Posts: 14 ✭


    Getting a new Kitchen and we are connecting to mains gas for cooking.

    Should I convert to gas central heating while I am at it?
    or with the very low cost of kerosene oil these days, is changing to gas heating a mistake?

    My current boiler is a 15 yr old non condensing Firebird Popular 120, running 12 rads (6 big, 6 medium) throughout a 1700 sq ft bungalow built in 1970 with recently pumped (beads) cavity walls and rockwool in the attic. Some single glazed teak windows and some 15 yr old pvc double glazed windows.
    I'd rate the insulation over all as fair-ok.

    so,
    Is the best option to:

    1. Leave well enough alone.
    2. Convert to Gas.
    or
    3. Upgrade my existing oil boiler.

    Thanks for any advice :-)
    Tagged:


Comments

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    #2
    Wearb
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 6,258 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wearb


    People will have different ideas on this, but if it's in good nick and looked after, I would not change it.

    Please follow site and charter rules. "Resistance is futile"



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    #3
    Dtp1979
    Registered Users Posts: 12,789 ✭✭✭✭Dtp1979


    120btu heating 12 rads. Your boiler is massively over firing and oversized. Put in a gas boiler while you have a chance. A 24kw gas boiler would be more than enough and when the system is hot, the boiler will modulate its output down to what is required to keep the heat up. An oil boiler will never do this


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    #4
    SuperVegan
    Registered Users Posts: 14 ✭SuperVegan


    Dtp1979 wrote: »
    120btu heating 12 rads. Your boiler is massively over firing and oversized. Put in a gas boiler while you have a chance. A 24kw gas boiler would be more than enough and when the system is hot, the boiler will modulate its output down to what is required to keep the heat up. An oil boiler will never do this

    When you say massively over firing and oversized. What are we talking about here? Is it not very efficient? Would a bigger rather then smaller boiler not make sense?
    What size oil boiler should I have?


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    #5
    sky6
    Registered Users Posts: 1,444 ✭✭✭sky6


    If you change to gas you won't regret it provided you buy a good quality Boiler. gas burns a lot cleaner and so the boiler doesn't suffer the problems an oil boiler does. Also no worries about supply.


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    #6
    Dtp1979
    Registered Users Posts: 12,789 ✭✭✭✭Dtp1979


    SuperVegan wrote: »
    When you say massively over firing and oversized. What are we talking about here? Is it not very efficient? Would a bigger rather then smaller boiler not make sense?
    What size oil boiler should I have?

    I'd say at max 90,000 btu. Oversizing a boiler causes it to short cycle therefore making it much more inefficient. If you've the chance, go with nat gas. If changing oil boilers, fit a grant vortex 50-90


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