Converting from oil to gas heating

chewy · 29 May 2009, 06:49

Hi,

I've currently got oil fired heating and am looking to convert to gas. One of the main reasons is I'm sick of the huge tank sat in the garden.
Have looked at moving the tank onto my drive but apparently it would have to be a bunded tank as its a new installation. The pipe run wouldn't be the easiest either.
I could move the tank myself but I think it could be a ball ache, that and on the drive the oil would be easy to pinch.

So my question is can anyone recommend someone to convert it from oil to gas. I don't have gas to the house but it is in the road.

Thanks.

Erin · 06 June 2009, 20:29

Have you thought about burying your oil tank. Amazingly our local building regs don't even require a bund if it's buried. Might be worth looking into and would certainly be cheaper than a gas connection and boiler change.

Bigmuz7 · 06 June 2009, 21:05

Well I can see why you want to do it,.. my folks did it many years ago during one of the last oil shortages when the prices went silly (25- 30 years back)

In those days they just exchanged the burner unit on the boiler, which was able to burn both oil and gas

Is gas going to be more efficient? , does it give more bang per buck ?

Ian Sharlot · 06 June 2009, 22:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erin

Have you thought about burying your oil tank. Amazingly our local building regs don't even require a bund if it's buried. Might be worth looking into and would certainly be cheaper than a gas connection and boiler change.

But a tank to that spec ain't cheap, is it?

chewy · 07 June 2009, 00:04

About £1200 fot a tank.
Getting gas could be cheaper, only just back home so I'll have to speak to British Gas ad see what they say.
The only reason I'm looking is without the oil tank it'll free up a bit more of my garden.

Nos4r2 · 07 June 2009, 00:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erin

Have you thought about burying your oil tank. Amazingly our local building regs don't even require a bund if it's buried. Might be worth looking into and would certainly be cheaper than a gas connection and boiler change.

Local building regs might not spec a bund, but increasingly more oil companies won't deliver to underground tanks as they can't be checked for damage, rust or in the case of plastic tanks, cracking.

You'd be shocked at the cleanup bills for a kero tank emptying itself into the ground. It can easily exceed the value of the house it's attached to...

codprawn · 07 June 2009, 03:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

Local building regs might not spec a bund, but increasingly more oil companies won't deliver to underground tanks as they can't be checked for damage, rust or in the case of plastic tanks, cracking.

You'd be shocked at the cleanup bills for a kero tank emptying itself into the ground. It can easily exceed the value of the house it's attached to...

That's if they find out.

We had a tank with about 600 gallons in it hidden away at the top of the garden. When I looked at it last year the tank had collapsed and was bone dry - maybe the fuel evaporated or was drunk by squirrels - who knows but my trees are still thriving!!!

Nos4r2 · 07 June 2009, 09:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

That's if they find out.

We had a tank with about 600 gallons in it hidden away at the top of the garden. When I looked at it last year the tank had collapsed and was bone dry - maybe the fuel evaporated or was drunk by squirrels - who knows but my trees are still thriving!!!

If you receive deliveries into it, they'll find out.

codprawn · 07 June 2009, 15:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

If you receive deliveries into it, they'll find out.

True they may notice 1/2 of it is missing and it's full of leaves............

Nos4r2 · 07 June 2009, 16:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

True they may notice 1/2 of it is missing and it's full of leaves............

Flippancy aside, if a tanker driver notices damage to a tank (and they are inspected before every delivery) then it has to be reported and can't be filled.

I spoke to someone a few weeks ago who had a steel tank rot through in between deliveries and lost the full contents which reached the water table.
The clearup bill was £27,000.

codprawn · 07 June 2009, 16:44

I agree about the costs - they go way too far these days. I wouldn't like the bill for this one:

A few months ago a tanker leaked oil in New Quay(West Wales). 300 gallons ran down the street and was heading for the local beach. There was an uproar - the public told to keep away - homes evacuated etc etc.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/5391094.stm

There was real panic it would hit the beach. "Oil booms and absorbent pads are in place to try to prevent any oil working its way into the sea."

What summed it up was this comment

"Much of the oil, which flowed down a narrow pathway between houses, has been soaked up by sand laid by environment officials."

And what exactly is a beach made of??? Suprise suprise the oil did reach the beach but none made it into the sea...............

They had a cleanup company on who basically said that it would evaporate anyway - "let's face it this isn't crude oil is it"!!!

Bigmuz7 · 07 June 2009, 18:50

And its just gone back to where it came from in the first place

how many people ever think of that ...