Moving a boiler and oil tank

R

Redser

Guest
Our boiler and tank are very inconveniently situated, and we'd like to move them about 20 feet down the garden while we're having it landscaped this summer.

Can anyone tell me if this is too big a job to be worth considering? Are we likely to have to get a new pump, since in its new location the boiler will be 20 feet further from the house and about 3 feet lower than it is now? Also, will the loss in efficiency because of the increased distance be big?

Finally, can anyone recommend a good plumber or landscaper in Louth (or Meath!)? We seem to have terrible luch with finding tradesmen, each one we've had to do work so far has messed up, and we've had particularly bad luck with plumbers, but I don't know how to go about finding a reliable one!
 
Redser said:
Our boiler and tank are very inconveniently situated, and we'd like to move them about 20 feet down the garden while we're having it landscaped this summer.

Can anyone tell me if this is too big a job to be worth considering? Are we likely to have to get a new pump, since in its new location the boiler will be 20 feet further from the house and about 3 feet lower than it is now? Also, will the loss in efficiency because of the increased distance be big?

Finally, can anyone recommend a good plumber or landscaper in Louth (or Meath!)? We seem to have terrible luch with finding tradesmen, each one we've had to do work so far has messed up, and we've had particularly bad luck with plumbers, but I don't know how to go about finding a reliable one!
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Homewise have tradesmen listed with reviews from people that have used the tradesmen moving the boiler is not a very big job especially if you can dig the trench for extending the pipes further down the back yard.
Whether the pump has to be replaced is down to how old it is if it's fairly recent then it should be fine. I have to do the same job myself fairly soon so if you get a few quotes post back and let me know how you got on.

http://www.homewise.ie/

Good Luck ;)
 
Can I ask a question about the oil tank and boiler? Our oil tank is fixed on three blocks high, I've noticed that some are much higher than this. Is there a reason why this is so? is the flow of oil into the boiler better from a height ( it would make sense I suppose ) as the previous post asked about moving both the oil tank and boiler, this is something we thought about doing as well but wondered how much trouble it would be. As it is positioned only about eight feet from the back door and in the way, only sometimes when you move things from their original position they dont work any more or give trouble. At the moment it works so am reluctant to start moving it. (but would like to )
 
A good boiler needs not to be placed outside, it would be a waste of energy. Has any one read the FT on monday about the oilprice predictions for the second half of this year-10 weeks away? Every drop counts.
 
heinbloed said:
A good boiler needs not to be placed outside, it would be a waste of energy. Has any one read the FT on monday about the oilprice predictions for the second half of this year-10 weeks away? Every drop counts.
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Tell us more post the link if possible.
Thanks
D
 
Have moved tank, but not my boiler.

Dug the new trench myself, called the oil company to empty the tank, plumber had the changeover done in an hour, and the oil company refilled the tank.

Plumber advised that there was no need to use mortar when building new 'legs' for the tank. With the weight of the tank and oil, blocks laid on each other was fine. Just make sure it is not at an angle of 45 to the horizontal !
 
moving both the oil tank and boiler, this is something we thought about doing as well but wondered how much trouble it would be. As it is positioned only about eight feet from the back door and in the way,
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Same here. It is the first thing you see when looking out of the kitchen and dining room windows. The plumber obviously took the easy option with utter disregard for suitability of location. As per the original post, How much should it cost to relocate it say about 15 feet?

A good boiler needs not to be placed outside, it would be a waste of energy.
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Unfortunately I did not have the option of placing it inside as it was a spec.built house.

Has any one read the FT on monday about the oilprice predictions for the second half of this year-10 weeks away? Every drop counts.
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I've read many of your in-depth posts, Heinbloed: Before I landscape my garden and/or reloate the boiler, I would prefer to install an alternative source of heat production. You seem to be against wood pellet boilers due to the climate here. What about geothermal? I've read somewhere that there is a type that goes straight down into the ground without a network of collector pipes - my house has radiators, is geothermal suitable for rads? if not the above, is there any other alternative you favour?
 
To Dobber22:
I -or better the FT Germany - was refering to the following report, done by Goldman&Sachs: [broken link removed]
An oil price peak of $70-80 is announced for the second half of this year.
I think, following yesterday's and the last two weeks developements in Nigeria, that this a point worth to be considered.
Pipelines in "uncivilised areas" like the Arktis and the rainforrests are a tricky thing to keep under controll, to depend on. And looking at the Ukraine, a nuclear power state that isn't able to pay for gas, well......
Japanese courts are closing down Mickey Mouse reactors build on earth squake zones.....
So calculating the savings that could be made by including today's energy prices in this calculation is wrong, we're better off to expect the worst case scenario.
Even those who tried to make their best, the EU energy advisors, where totally wrong when making their future energy price calculations only two years ago. Energy prices won't go down, and their increase in line with inflation is most unlikely, IMHO. So going for the zero energy option in the building industry is about the best option we have to protect or enhance the values of our investments. Be it a speculative matter or just our private home.
 
To Geegee:
An avarage insulated house can be heated with low temperature heating, but in a costly way. Expensive heat exchangers have to be employed and supplied with electric energy. You would be better off adding some extra insulation and top of the range windows, and if all this cheap investment is done go for a solar panel for suplementary heating and domestic hot water supply.
If you want to go for geothermal heating go for the deep well method, the real Mc Coy. This would provide you with much higher temperatures(radiators!) 365 days per year but the drilling is expensive. Check the geothermal map of the SEI to find out if your area might be suitable for a medium depth solution. The city of Cork is now drilling into an aquifer at around 100m depths, any well driller can do the job, one wouldn't have to go for mining technology.
 
You would be better off adding some extra insulation and top of the range windows, and if all this cheap investment is done go for a solar panel for suplementary heating and domestic hot water supply
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It is a new house. Can solar panels also provide space heating aswell as heating water?
 
Yorky said:
Further to earlier requests, how much would it cost to relocate a boiler say twenty feet from its existing location?
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Let's see what's involved:

Dig out and pour new conc. base
Excavate trench for oil feed and flow and return pipework.
All materials- pipework, insulation, fittings, concrete, cable.
Making connections, rewiring the control unit, commissioning and making good on completion.

I'd say anything from €400 up- depending on the actual conditions and extent of work involved.
 
If you really have to move the boiler away from the house -instead of into the house- then at least use the apropiate pipe insulation. The standard foam rubber used inside a house is not suitable for outside, esp. when it is placed underground. Check this manufacturer's homepage for details and explanations, but your plumber should know anyhow:
There are many more underground pipe manufacturers out there, I only use this page as a reference.
 
Yorky said:
I've written to the manufacturer about this but can anyone else advise on the most effective insulation to use around pipes buried in the ground?
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Armaflex do a suitable product which can be glued around joints and seams to provide a continuous insulation which is impervious to water ingress. It's expensive (don't know what price exactly) and you'll have to order it from someone like Heatmerchants.
 
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