Oil Boilers

While the overwhelming majority of the UK is connected to the gas network and so runs gas central heating, there are still about 5% of homes running an oil boiler. It is far more common in places such as Northern Ireland than on the mainland, although some rural communities rely on it there too. Running an oil boiler requires an external storage tank where supplies of oil will be delivered as needed. The Government plans to phase out oil heating, and no new homes after 2025 will be allowed to fit oil boilers. However, it has said that there will be no compunction for homeowners to rip out working oil-fired heating, so we can expect them to be around for a while yet.

Oil boiler technology is relatively efficient in that you get a good return of heat for each unit burnt. The downside, of course, is that oil is a fossil fuel and so when it is burnt, it produces carbon dioxide, so it is not very environmentally friendly. The fact that oil fluctuates in price is also a mixed blessing for the oil boiler owner. Sometimes you can stock up when prices are low, and at other times you may have no option to pay high prices if your tank is running low. There are of course some maintenance and insurance issues with having an external oil tank that need to be considered.

Here at Plumbing and Heating World, we stock a range of Firebird oil boilers. Firebird from County Cork in Ireland has been a global leader in designing and manufacturing at their Plymouth factory. Their range includes not only oil boilers but also solar panels, air source heat pumps, and underfloor heating, among other things.

Oil boilers are available in combi or heat-only models, the combi boiler type supplies both heating and hot water from a floor-standing unit while heat-only boilers can be open vented which means a tank in the loft or a sealed system that will work with a dedicated water cylinder. There are internal and external models of oil boilers. External oil boilers are fitted with weather-resistant casing, and while generally more expensive than internal options, they are ideal when internal space is at a premium.

If you own or are thinking of buying an oil boiler, here at Plumbing and Heating World, we have expert and knowledgeable staff always on hand to give you the best advice. As an independent business, we can offer impartial advice on all your plumbing and heating queries, and we have a commitment to providing the best customer service which includes next day delivery on a range of items to almost all of the UK.