oil boiler Archives -

Boiler Filter Replacement – As with virtually any component associated with a HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning system, your oil or gas boiler needs to be properly maintained in order for it to run at its optimum efficiency levels. An often overlooked form of boiler maintenance which must be carried out fairly regularly is the process of boiler filter replacement.

Boiler Filter Replacement

Luckily enough, boiler filter replacements are reasonably easy to carry out. Despite the fact that there are a great many different types of gas and oil boilers on the market, the boiler filter replacement process is fairly standardised and does not offer a whole lot of variation from the norm. Your plumber will be able to replace a boiler filter regardless of what kind of boiler you own.

What does a Boiler Filter do?

A boiler filter is a device which is attached to your boiler and used to remove unwanted elements (dirt, dust, allergens etc.) from the air which circulates through a building. They are typically located where the return air duct of the HVAC system meets with the boiler itself.

You may, on occasion, hear of boiler filters being referred to as ‘furnace filters’. This is what they are known as in America, but ‘boiler filter’ is a much more commonly used term in places like Ireland. Please note that the boiler filters being discussed here serve a different function to the similarly named MagnaClean Filters which are used to remove black iron oxide from radiator systems.

Different Types of Boiler Filters:

There are several different kinds of boiler filters to choose from which vary in terms of pricing and effectiveness. The main types are outlined below as a guide to help you figure out what kind of boiler filter best suits your specific needs:

Fiberglass Boiler Filters:

Boiler filters which are constructed from fiberglass are the cheapest option available to you. Although they are inexpensive to purchase, their main drawback is that they only filter about ten percent of dust particles when operating. They also need to be replaced quite frequently (every month or so), meaning that they are not considered sound long term investments by most professionals.

Pleated Boiler Filters:

A pleated boiler filter could be considered a ‘level up’ from a fiberglass boiler filter in that they are more effective when it comes to air filtration. Pleated boiler filters will typically remove between thirty and forty percent of air based particles and tend to need replacement every three months based on typical use.

Electrostatic Boiler Filters:

Generally believed to be the very best boiler filters that money can buy, electrostatic boiler filters remove about 90% of unwanted particles (dust, allergens etc.) from the air. Another great advantage of electrostatic boiler filters is that they are a once off purchase which doesn’t need to be replaced. They do. however, need to be washed about four times a year in order to prevent excessive grime build up, but this is fairly easy to do. If you choose an electrostatic boiler filter you aren’t throwing out old filters regularly so are doing your bit for the environment by not generating waste.

Precautions to be Taken Before Carrying Out a Boiler Filter Replacement:

How to Change a Boiler Filter:

Whether you have a gas boiler or an oil boiler the process of boiler filter replacement tends to be very similar. For health and safety purposes, such tasks should be carried out by trained professionals. Your tradesperson will carry out the following steps when carrying out a boiler filter replacement:

If you wish to organise a gas or oil boiler service call DeWAR Plumbers on our phone number 01 514 3344. Alternatively, you can send us an email to organise a time and date that suits you.

Upgrading An Oil Boiler – When is the Best Time?

Running a household that is energy efficient while keeping the cost of your fuel bills as well as utilities down as low as possible can be a tricky balancing act. A key area where you can improve upon both of these is in relation to your home’s central heating system. Your oil boiler is considered the lynchpin of your central heating system and should be looked after accordingly. Taking care of the oil boiler is the key to having a home heating system which keeps fuel bills down to an acceptable level while maintaining economically and environmentally responsible levels of energy efficiency.

In a great many cases, all you have to do in order to get the optimum performance out of your oil boiler is make sure that you avail of an annual oil boiler service as well as the odd minor repair service when necessity demands it. While this will be enough maintenance for most oil boilers, in the cases where your oil boiler is quite old or has been ignored to the point of severe deterioration more drastic action may be required. In some cases an oil boiler has simply outlived its usefulness and a full oil boiler upgrade service is the only economically sound option that you can carry out in order to get your home’s central heating system back up working at its best possible levels of energy efficiency.

When is an Oil Boiler Needed?

As carrying out a complete oil boiler upgrade is a comparatively more costly and time-consuming process than standard oil boiler maintenance, it is a good idea to make sure that you are not getting one frivolously. Since no two households’ central heating systems are exactly the same, we cannot simply state outright whether or not you need an oil boiler upgrade as opposed to merely carrying out some simpler, shorter term oil boiler maintenance.

However, there are several specific circumstances where you can be pretty sure that you need one. Read on to see what they are.

How Fuel Efficient Should an Oil Boiler be?

As with pretty much every aspect of a home, every household’s oil boiler is unique; whether it is down to model/design or a question of condition and maintenance, all oil boilers convert fuel into usable heating energy at different levels of efficiency. This difference can range anywhere from being minuscule and unnoticeable to a drastic difference in fuel consumption.

Generally speaking, any oil boiler which has a fuel to energy conversion rate of more than 80% is referred to as being a high efficiency condensing oil boiler. This means that the vast majority of fuel burned by the oil boiler will be converted directly into usable heating energy. Some particularly high-efficiency oil boilers, such as those made by Worcester Bosch, can convert over 90% of the oil they burn, making them some of the best oil boilers on the market.

So long as your oil boiler is converting upward of 80% of its burned fuel into usable heating energy for your home you have little to worry about and will not need to consider upgrading it for quite some time as it is still running at a fairly efficient rate and not wasting much fuel and money (in terms of heating bills). However, it is strongly recommended that oil boilers which are 10-15 years old be considered for replacement as their efficiency rating will have almost certainly dropped significantly through general wear and tear (even if they have been serviced regularly and taken care of properly). In addition, as home central heating technology is constantly improving, the oil boilers of today work far better than those of a decade ago. Even a (relatively) poorly maintained high-efficiency oil condensing boiler will burn fuel more efficiently than a well-kept oil boiler that is more than a decade old.

As a rule of thumb, it is the general consensus that any gas boiler which is graded as being in excess of 80% fuel efficient is referred to as being a high-efficiency boiler. The higher the percentage o fuel which is directly converted into usable heating energy, the higher the gas boiler’s rating. For example, the Worcester Bosch high-efficiency gas condensing boilers which are stocked and installed by DeWAR Plumbers convert over 90% of their fuel into heating energy. To this end, they are considered A-rated boilers.

If you are not what exactly your oil boiler’s fuel efficiency rating is, you can find out this information here so long as you know what its make and model are.

How to tell if your Oil Boiler is Running at Full Efficiency:

Just because your oil boiler is a high-efficiency model from a reputable brand that does not necessarily mean that it will continue to run at this high level of performance forever. Even the very best oil boilers on the market will need to be looked after in order for them to maintain their fuel efficiency rating. Much like any machine or electrical appliance that you will encounter, oil boilers can and almost inevitably will deteriorate in terms of efficiency over time due to natural wear and tear.

However, there are several ways to maintain your oil boiler’s high levels of fuel converting efficiency. The main one is having the oil boiler serviced by a professional engineer on a regular basis (once a year should do the trick) in order to check on the boiler and ensure that everything is running smoothly in relation to the fuel burning process. Such services also identify any potential problems that an oil boiler may be starting to show signs of, allowing them to be quickly and efficiently ‘nipped in the bud’ with as little expense to you as possible.

Even though a gas boiler is a satisfactory make and model which burns fuel at an efficiency rating upward of 80% out of the factory, that does not mean that the prospect of you potentially needing a gas boiler upgrade service is completely out of the question. Like all machines and household appliances, gas boilers can and will deteriorate over time. This will happen very gradually if you take care of your gas boiler with regular servicing and appropriate levels of maintenance. However, if the correct measures are not taken to ensure that your gas boiler is being properly taken care of, its fuel efficiency levels can plummet dramatically in a relatively short space of time.

When having your oil boiler serviced, be sure to keep in mind that it is highly recommended that any engineer that you have carried out the service is a fully accredited OFTEC (Oil Firing Technical Association) member. While this is not a legal requirement in the Republic of Ireland, it is still preferable as this additional qualification is a sign of a knowledgeable and experienced oil engineer.
DeWAR Plumbers are OFTEC accredited oil engineers.

How often is your Oil Boiler Breaking Down?

In this day and age, having an oil boiler which breaks down sometimes, let alone often is unacceptable. Boiler breakdown is a sign of serious problems located within a central heating system which should be addressed in a swift and efficient manner. In addition to improving upon fuel burning efficiency, having your oil boiler serviced regularly will help you identify the potential for boiler breakdown before it happens and saving you the trouble of your oil boiler failing at an inopportune time.

Frequently repairing an old oil boiler can be a very costly and time-consuming process, especially if replacement parts are becoming rare and tricky/expensive to order in. In such scenarios, you should weigh up how much it is costing to carry out repair works relatively frequently in relation to simply biting the bullet and getting an oil boiler upgrade carried out. In the long run, the oil boiler upgrade service will most likely be the more sustainable and economically viable option.

Are Heating Controls worth getting for Oil Boilers?

To put it mildly, heating controls are a fantastic upgrade for any home central heating system’s oil boiler. They give the homeowner greatly improved management of your central heating, by means of timers and an advanced regulatory thermostat, allowing you to finely tune the system to suit your own specific daily needs. When used properly, heating controls can save anywhere up to one fifth of the total cost of a household’s central heating bills – a substantial saving.

While some people see upgrading their heating controls as an alternative to getting a full oil boiler upgrade service, in truth the two work best when combined. Having both done will give your home the very best in terms of home fuel efficiency, repaying great dividends in terms of your annual home heating bills.

Are there any Grants Available When Upgrading Gas Boiler?

You can contact the SEAI (Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland) in order to find out if you are entitled to monetary relief when upgrading either your oil boiler or your central heating system’s controls. Every year they help people save thousands of Euros off the price of such upgrades by means of their BEH (Better Energy Homes) scheme. All money paid out is subject to an individual home’s specific circumstances. Click here to find out more about the SEAI, BEH and their associated monetary relief initiatives.

To make an inquiry about an oil boiler upgrade feel free to call DeWAR Plumbers on our phone number 01 514 3300 or send us an email so we can determine a price for you.

Tips for Boiler Maintenance During the Summer

Boiler Maintenance – Last year, Ireland was lucky enough to have one of the best summers it has experienced in many a year. Early indications have hinted that this summer could be every bit as good, with sunshine expected to be the norm for months on end. When the weather is warm and sunny there is little need for gas boilers or oil boilers to be switched on in order to provide heating.

Boiler Maintenance Tips

However, that is not to say that you should ignore your gas or oil boiler maintenance entirely just because the weather is good. The summer is, arguably, the most important time partake in boiler maintenance. Irish weather can change quickly and dramatically, catching people off guard. When this happens, many people can get caught out, finding themselves in a position where their gas or oil boiler is not up to scratch after months of not being used.

By taking the following precautions and establishing a summer boiler maintenance schedule, you can ensure that your oil or gas boiler is in correct working order should the weather decide to turn foul on you all of a sudden.

Use Your Heating Controls

As your gas/oil boiler is used a lot less frequently (if at all) in the summer than it is in the winter, you should make sure that you adjust your heating controls to coincide with this fact. You should turn down your home heating system’s thermostat to a low level for the duration of the warm summer months as well limiting how often your heating controls allow your heating to be turned on. This frugal approach to your heating system during the summer will allow you to save a lot of fuel and money off the cost of your home heating bills without leaving you in the cold.

Remember though, you should always consult with your gas/oil boiler’s instruction manual before making any adjustments to your home heating system’s operations via heating controls. By following the instructions carefully, you will be ensuring that you don’t accidentally make matters worse for yourself by messing up the settings or breaking something.

Check On Your System’s Pumps

Even when the weather is great over long periods of time during the summer and the heat provided by your oil or gas boiler is not required, it is still good practice to turn it on intermittently in order to make sure that its moving parts do not seize up and cease working properly. If left idle for too long, boiler parts can accumulate all manner of dirt, dust, and grime which makes it more difficult for them to operate properly when your boiler is eventually needed.

It is a good idea to leave your boiler running for a duration of five minutes or so every few weeks to ensure that such dirt does not accumulate. Doing this also allows you to check and make sure that your boiler is still in proper working order and has not seized up in any way. When ‘exercising’ your oil boiler or gas boiler in such a way, be sure to turn up your thermostat to a high level while you’re at it. Doing so will give your home heating system’s piping and radiators a similar ‘work out’, lessening the chance of dirt and sludge accumulating in this areas and thereby reducing the likelihood of you needing to avail of a power flush service in the near future.

This is a quick, easy and inexpensive piece of maintenance which can save you a lot of effort in the long term.

Help Yourself Save Money

Generally speaking, old boilers are much less efficient when it comes to converting fuel into usable heating energy than newer ones. For example, a state of the art thigh efficiency condensing boiler converts more than 90% of the fuel it burns into usable heating energy, meaning that it produces very little waste. By contrast, the non-condensing variety of gas or oil boilers (that are maintained properly) tend to convert a maximum of 78% of their fuel into usable energy. In practice though, this percentage is usually significantly lower, meaning a large proportion of the fuel you buy is being wasted. With this in mind, since 2008 any oil or gas boiler upgrades carried out are legally required to be of the high efficiency condensing boiler type. This not only cuts down on the cost of home heating bills but is also more environmentally sound.

If you have plans to get your gas or oil boiler upgraded to a high efficiency condensing model, you should consider having the job carried as part of your summer maintenance routine. Plumbers tend to be less busy in the warmer months, so offer reduced prices on oil and gas boiler upgrades. There is also less chance of you ending up on a waiting list which makes the whole process a lot more convenient. You could potentially save a few hundred euro by simply choosing an opportune time to have your boiler upgrade carried out. This is before you begin to reap the savings associated with the fuel efficiency of a condensing boiler.

If this sounds like a good idea to you then you should not hesitate to contact DeWAR Plumbers via email or on our phone number 01 514 3344 and find out what savings you can make by availing of a gas boiler replacement.

Alternatives to a Boiler Upgrade

Alternatives to a Boiler Upgrade – There are a great many problems which can arise in relation to gas and oil boilers. Do not despair though, as with many potential problems come many potential solutions! When a boiler stops working properly, it is human nature to expect and fear the worst; that your boiler is broken and it will need to be replaced.

Boiler Upgrade

Replacing a gas or oil boiler is a time-consuming process which is best avoided if there are other solutions available. There are often less intrusive (and, indeed, costly) alternatives to carrying out a full scale boiler upgrade. The following situations are examples where replacing a boiler in its entirety may not necessarily be your best option:

When Your Boiler is in an Awkward Location:

In some cases, your gas or oil boiler may be situated in a poorly chosen location, making any potential removal of said boiler extremely difficult to carry out. In the past, many homeowners would have their boilers installed somewhere ‘out of the way’ in order to take up as little space as possible, with little regard for future ease of access.

Such boilers can be very hard to get at, particularly if they are ‘walled’ inside a sturdy protective structure. In these cases actually getting at the boiler is a challenge in itself as structures may need to be torn down and later rebuilt during the course of the operation. This is a time consuming, awkward and expensive process. When you take all of this into consideration, the idea of replacing a boiler can be unappealing.

When Low Water Pressure Discourages Boiler Upgrades:

In very rare cases, some high efficiency condensing boiler installations may not be possible due to there being insufficient water pressure in the region. Condensing boilers need high levels of water pressure in order for them to work at their maximum output. Unfortunately, some areas simply do not have sufficient water pressure for them to work properly. If you find yourself in such an uncommon situation, you should make sure that you do everything in your power to ensure that your existing boiler is working at its optimum levels of fuel burning efficiency

In such cases, it is essential that you have your boiler serviced regularly by a professional engineer and that any repairs that are needed are done quickly and efficiently, before they can become much larger and more expensive to rectify problems (such as boiler breakdown).

When You Can Save Money in Other Ways:

The most common reason cited by people who want to upgrade their oil or gas boiler to a high efficiency condensing model is that they want to take advantages of the long term monetary savings associated with needing to use less fuel to heat up their homes.

However, the relatively high start up cost of having a new oil or gas boiler installed may not be the most economically viable option in all cases. If your current boiler set up is a quality brand and model and has been maintained very well, there is a chance that it might not be a long way off a high efficiency condensing boiler in terms of converting fuel into usable heating energy.

A perfectly maintained non-condensing boiler may only be as little as 10 or 15% less efficient than a new condensing boiler. In such cases, the savings you make in relation to fuel saved in the burning process may take a while to accumulate to the point where they offset the cost of upgrading your boiler to a high-efficiency model.

In such cases, you might be better off ensuring that your current boiler remains in tip top shape by having it serviced by a professional on a regular basis and have any minor repairs carried out as you go. On the other hand, in the case of such non-condensing boilers, replacement parts may be more difficult to source as non-condensing boilers find themselves becoming less common, with high efficiency condensing boilers replacing them on the market.

Think About Installing Heating Controls:

One particularly useful and effective means of reducing your central heating bills without installing a new high efficiency condensing boiler is by installing heating controls. Heating controls are useful because they give you a much more precise level of control over your central heating system. You can use them to time when your heating comes on and off and what temperature it should run at, meaning you only need to use up as much fuel as you see fit.

When used correctly, the average household can save roughly 20% off the cost of their home heating bills when they have heating controls installed. There are also grants available which can greatly limit the cost of having such heating controls installed.

Consider a Power Flush Service:

In many cases, the main cause of a central heating system not heating up rooms properly is not a result of something going wrong with the boiler itself, but clogged piping and radiators. Over time, limescale and all manner of dirt can accumulate in your central heating system, causing all manner of problems, most notably a decrease in the system’s heating efficiency.

A power flush service is a process that involves running warm water as well as gentle cleansing chemicals through your heating system in order to clear out any blockages. You can find out more about how power flushing a heating system works here.

Which Option Is Best For Me?

It is always a good idea to discuss your boiler and general central heating system requirements with a fully registered gas installer or an OFTEC (Oil Firing technical Association) registered professional before deciding on what option is best for you.
By calling DeWAR Plumbers on our free phone number 1800 911 333 or sending us an email, you can get expert advice in relation to all of your home heating needs.