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Oil / Gas Boiler Replacement Grants Available Through SEAI

Gas Boiler Replacement Grants

Boiler Replacement Grants

Save up to 20% on your gas bill and get one of the boiler grants when replacing your gas boiler or oil boiler. You must apply for the SEAI grant in advance of any work being undertaken.

Now is an ideal time to replace an old and inefficient gas or oil boiler with a new gas boiler. The SEAI Grant for the heating controls is €600 and the grant for Oil boiler or Gas boiler with the heating controls upgrade is €700.

There are boiler replacement grants available for homeowners who upgrade their old oil boiler or gas boilers to a high efficiency condensing boilers (i.e. – with a “seasonal” efficiency of 90% or more.)
The government scheme called Better Energy was launched in May 2011 as part of the new government jobs initiative. The level of grants available increased on March 10th 2105.

Under the scheme Irish householders can get a grant of €700 Euro towards the cost of a new high efficient oil boiler or gas boiler replacement. The boiler replacement grants are only available if you also qualify for a grant towards upgrading your central heating controls. The grant available for just an upgrade of heating controls is €600.

Figures from OFTEC – say that condensing oil boilers upgrades could save as much as 18% in oil costs for heating and hot water. So if you currently spend €2000 a year on oil – you could save around €360 a year. You would recover the initial cost of the boiler and fitting in about 3.5 years. With winter on the way – anything that reduces the cost of heating has to be a good thing.

Check List for Heating Controls

If you answer No to most of the questions below its time to save money by installing heating controls:

Remember you must use an SEAI registered contractor and apply in advance of any work being undertaken. When applying you must specify the contractor.

Annual Oil Boiler Service Checklist

Annual Oil Boiler Service Checklist

It is highly recommended that you get your oil boiler serviced once per year and the engineer should follow the steps in the oil boiler service checklist. An oil boiler service guarantees that your heating system is running at its optimum levels of efficiency and makes sure that no oil (and, to that end, money) goes to waste needlessly when your oil boiler is in operation. The service nips small problems in the bud which could potentially lead to expensive repairs being needed or a complete oil boiler breakdown in the future.

The main things that are done during an oil boiler service are inspections of the oil boiler’s pipework, clearance area and ventilation. After that, the oil boiler is inspected, cleaned and reassembled. Finally, the oil boiler is given a combustion test to make sure that it is in proper working order.

While it is not a legal requirement in Ireland, it is strongly recommended that any oil engineers you have carried out an oil boiler service are registered with OFTEC (the Oil Firing Technical Association). All DeWAR oil contractors are fully registered with OFTEC.

Below you will find an in-depth oil boiler service checklist which explains everything that you should demand/expect from your oil servicing engineer when they are carrying out an oil boiler service.

Annual Oil Boiler Service Checklist:

 

Visual Inspection:

• Look for oil leaks from the tank itself as well as piping and fittings found above ground level.
• Look for visible damage in the form of corrosion on the gas boiler’s outer shell, flue, electrical controls, piping and any other components.
• Look for cracks in the firebox and on the target wall (where the burner fires too). This can be done either by opening the boiler top or looking through the inspection port.

Check the Following:

(Before running these checks, the fuel filter should be replaced)

• Check that the oil shut-off valve is working.
• Check that air inlets to the oil boiler room/oil burner are of sufficient size and are not blocked.
• Check for cracks and other forms of damage on the burner refractory.
• Clean and adjust (when necessary) spark electrodes.
• Clean the burner diffuser and air tube.
• Check the ignition transformer, porcelain and HT cable for cracks and deterioration.
• Check that the draught stabiliser is working properly.
• Check the flame photocell and clean it if necessary.
• Check and clean the oil boiler’s side heat transfer surfaces.
• Check that the high limit thermostat is working properly.
• The burner nozzle should be replaced.
• The burner’s pressure and diffuser plate should be adjusted to obtain the correct length and shape in regards to the burner’s flame.
• Check that the flame failure device is working properly.
• When all of the aforementioned aspects of the oil boiler service are completed, a combustion efficiency test should be carried out. This is done to make sure that the oil boiler is operating at its maximum levels of efficiency.

System Checks:

• Check that the time clock is working properly.
• Check that zone valves and thermostats are working properly.

Please note that while this is what usually takes place in relation to an oil boiler service checklist, no two oil boilers are the exact same. Some systems might need certain specifics which are slightly different to those outlined above. In all cases, it is considered best practice to conform to the manufacturer’s guidelines when having an oil boiler service carried out.

DeWAR Divisions

DeWAR Gas Service Head Office

68 Rathgar Avenue,
Rathgar,
Dublin 6,
D06KN53
Phone: 01 514 3344

DeWAR Gas Service

Disclaimer * We cannot be held responsible for any pipework, mechanical or electrical equipment not installed by us. If there is any earth bonding issues we can advise you of same.