Our oil fired boiler, we are told, has reached the end of its working life after 25 years.It is difficult to find somebody who can give us an impartial view as to whether this is the case.Most companies are just interested in selling a new boiler.
Should it need changing we are wondering whether to convert to a gas boiler. This would mean installing a gas tank but luckily we have space.
We would welcome any advice on the subject,relative costs, or details of somebody who could advise.
I wouldn't go for oil or gas. We switched to wood pellets a while back and have never regretted it. Cheaper to run than both oil and gas, no smell, no mess and very efficient. Only chore is emptying the ash pan once a month (max!).
Our system was made by Okofen who are easy to find on the web. Not the cheapest but worth the investment, we reckon. What with the tax breaks and the saving in the cost of fuel I reckon it will have paid for itself in 3 years. They now make a boiler that provides central heating, hot water and electricity though it's not on the market here yet.
Wood gasification boilers are an even better option. They are made for burning wood on the principle of generator gasifying (burning wood to generate gas) with the use of a gas exhaust ventilator, which withdraws the combustion gases from the boiler. Alternatively there are pellet boilers which ensure total combustion of supplied wood pellet fuel while maintaining emissions which are safe for the environment. The specially constructed burner is made of heatproof steel and a fuel container of 255 litres enables the boiler tooperate for up to 170 hours.
Both systems are far superior to gas or oil, that is to say more efficient. They are many times more environmentally friendly since they are using rather than belching out the emissions. The life of the burner/boilers is longer that gas or oil because of the type of steel made for their construction. You do not need an unsightly external fuel tank.
I wish I could afford one or the other rather than extolling their merits.