Oil Boiler Service - what should it include?

[oilman]

Nozzles are like tyres on a car as far as warranty goes, they are not covered. If you speak to the manufacturers' technical departments, you will know they have more trouble with new nozzles and adjustments than with old and no adjustments.

 

[wilhelm]

so oilman, remember, the old nozzle started life as a new nozzle.


I like old nozzles,and i like new nozzles

which is better ??

only one way to find out!!!!!!!!

 

[kevplumb]

It is safer to follow the manufacturer's definition of a 'service'.

which is what i e mailed him

 

[wilhelm]

ffs



job done.

 

[baxpoti]

In this pile of vitriol I don't see any mention of manufacturer instructions.

Riello are the manufacturer and Potterton (a manufacturer) part of Baxi group (also a manufacturer) paid for the course.
What has sulphuric acid got to do with this topic?

 

[namsag]

I never read the oil topics , first time.
Its good to see they generate the same friendly good humoured banter as the gas questions

 

[Boxerman]

wow, what I thought was a fairly simple question has drawn some intersing and heated comments

Thanks to kevplumb for the instructions

I'm guessing the boiler is around 20 years old and after 3 years since the last service the oil usage seems to be increasingh so getting it done now makes sense. I just hope they do a good job so will have plenty of biccies and tea ready to keep them happy. (Maybe even a bacon buttie too

 

[oilman]

They won't be able to eat biccies and butties, hands get too dirty with oil boilers, don't be too generous, they will deduct eating time from the allocated time for the job, so you get less "service". Tea won't come amiss though.

Take no notice of wilhelm (no one else does) he spends time with the bottle.

 

[Boxerman]

Well everything seems to have gone OK, boiler old but in good condition apparently. The only thing out of the ordinary was that the boiler isn't fitted with a fire cut-out switch/valve so if my house ever goes up in flames the oil will keep on flowing which doesn't sound too good and might invalidate any insurance claim!!! He's coming back to me with a price, any ideas what sort of cost to expect?

 

[oilman]

If it has a hand wheel valve, but not a remote operated type that is very common and just as reliable/unreliable. Cost depends on the amount of work and maybe £150 all in. If he needs to work out a price that's surprising.

 

[grib]

Surprising how few houses I see going up in flames ... but it's always a good selling point to mention what could happen if it did eh !! after all someones got to keep Mr.KBB in Rolls Royces or Aston Martins or whatever it is he must spend all the extra money he gets since OFTEC decided the old wheel head valves didn't do the job ....

As for nozzles.... how many people change nozzles but don't check the oil filters.... too many !!! I've had customers ask why I want to see the tank coz the last bloke/company never did ! (I've also been told they never took the top off to clean inside and I actually had one 8yr old boiler with no test hole in the boiler and no test hole drilled in the flue ... !!! )

My old man had the same nozzle in his boiler for 12years and it was still giving the correct readings, but he changed it anyway.. hang the cost. Obviously not a course of action I'd recommend for a layman but he had a van full of nozzles (and a vacuum) should a problem arise.

 

[grib]

They won't be able to eat biccies and butties, hands get too dirty with oil boilers, :

Oilman... try "nitrile gloves" oil proof and keep your hands clean so when the biccies come out you just whip off the glove and hey presto ..

 

[oilman]

Oilman... try "nitrile gloves" oil proof and keep your hands clean so when the biccies come out you just whip off the glove and hey presto ..

I'll have to get back to you, just have to have a chat with my grandmother, she has forgotten what to do with eggs. Apart from that, disposable PVC gloves are tougher than nitrile.

 

[Boxerman]

Update......................boiler now not working Thermal cut out switch is tripping and can't see anything obvious, fair play to the heating engineer he's coming back out this afternoon to take a look, hopefully something simple

 

[Agile]

Your oil boiler experience is obviously different from mine. The Worcester Danesmoor and Heatslave models run cleanly for several years in most cases without attention. The Heatslaves are run harder being combi, but even so two years is not unreasonable. There are many other boilers can run for extended periods too.

I do agree that some boilers can run for extended periods even if they have not been serviced. But that does not mean that they should not be serviced anually. Its usually the case when it was spot on to start with!

However, annual servicing is recommended by the manufacturers, OFTEC and is a warrantee requirement.

Servicing, particularly on oil, is to ensure operation at the peak efficiency as well as to to try to prevent avoidable breakdowns from clogged filters and particularly from sooting which can be expensive to clean out.

Luckily for me, all the other engineers on here, agree that annual servicing is advisable.

Tony