Help needed - Oil v LPG

[Bishops]

Hello,

I am looking for some helpful advice about alternative fuel options and came across this forum so thought it would be best to ask the experts as I am getting a mixed response. My property (off grid) has oil fired central heating at the mo with tank in the garden, 15 yr+ boiler, so I want to know what possible alternatives there are. I have read and been told a lot about LPG - what are the benefits for switching or are there better options out there. Also been told that biomass would be good, or is oil still the best?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks

:smilewinkgrin:

 

[happyflyer]

Hello,

I am looking for some helpful advice about alternative fuel options and came across this forum so thought it would be best to ask the experts as I am getting a mixed response. My property (off grid) has oil fired central heating at the mo with tank in the garden, 15 yr+ boiler, so I want to know what possible alternatives there are. I have read and been told a lot about LPG - what are the benefits for switching or are there better options out there. Also been told that biomass would be good, or is oil still the best?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks

:smilewinkgrin:

Bishops are you any the wiser having run this by the experts or are you going to get a heard of cattle and a big tank you will never getting planning permission for, if you are not worried about saving the planet, leave the insulation levels of the dwelling as they are and fit an oil fired boiler, grit your teeth when the tank is empty, good luck, as far as you getting mixed responses before, coming here you have gained some more.

I must admit you have perhaps had a few more here you would not expect for a domestic dwelling, BTW have you checked the cost of a biomass boiler, maybe you should, if you are thinking of ending you days in the property you may get your money back.

IMO like location location, insulation insulation oh and airtightness airtightness, it's no use putting PV or Solar thermal on the roof with a 1" gap under the front door or single glazed windows.

Still lets us all know what you deicide to do, it will be interesting to see if your take on all this has changed.

Tony

 

[Worcester]

Though I'd go one stage further and say that by installing a Biomass boiler, with the RHPP and RHI, you will definitely get your money back (and some )and reduce you're ongoing fuel bills.

 

[Ermintrude]

Bishops are you any the wiser having run this by the experts or are you going to get a heard of cattle and a big tank you will never getting planning permission for, if you are not worried about saving the planet, leave the insulation levels of the dwelling as they are and fit an oil fired boiler, grit your teeth when the tank is empty, good luck, as far as you getting mixed responses before, coming here you have gained some more.

I must admit you have perhaps had a few more here you would not expect for a domestic dwelling, BTW have you checked the cost of a biomass boiler, maybe you should, if you are thinking of ending you days in the property you may get your money back.

IMO like location location, insulation insulation oh and airtightness airtightness, it's no use putting PV or Solar thermal on the roof with a 1" gap under the front door or single glazed windows.

Still lets us all know what you deicide to do, it will be interesting to see if your take on all this has changed.

Tony

For continuos u don't need a big tank! U can use cesspit ! Stuff u get out is suitable for veg patch.

 

[lame plumber]

Must be running batch and not continuous . If u running continuos heat the feed stream. Batch reactors are sluggish and involve slow turn around.

Never get any interesting jobs ! Just same old carp!!!

when you start initially you need a preheat!! and when you drain down the vessels and clean them out they need some heat as well. 3 separate tanks, all run continuously and work quite well, but problems come when you need to remove the sludge build up which kills off the process. probably why the company went toes up, apart from relying on air jets to agitate the slurry in a square holding tank rather than using a stirrer in a round tank!!!!!!!! other issue was the blow off valves failling recently and a rather large lump off methane venting in a hurry Sooo glad I had not got involved any further with their requests for help.

forgot to mention, the boiler also got converted fm lpg to methane so it became self sufficient at heating the slurry once things got going. That was interesting as Remeha werent that impressed initially although they got more interested later on with how things were going with their boiler on cow pooh methane, and offered advice. Gas safe were unsure of rules involved with this one as well!! not surprisingly as it wasnt natural gas or lpg

 

[Ermintrude]

Think from what I have said the process it batch . I.e u fill tank let bacteria work and then empty out. A continuous process is like a pipeline, it never stops. Poop in one end and gas and sludge out the other. It's more dynamic than batch as if u get bleach or chemicals in u just dump that plug. Problem is catalyst (enzyme) retention.

The reactor vessels should get hot during the process? So a jacket of cooling water helps keep enzymes in comfort zone and then the water from jacket used to heat next vessel and fees stream.

Injecting air is very strange! It's anaerobic so should be oxygen free. If you introduce air you generate carboxylic acids and lots of sulphates
Mechanical agitation is the way to go. Freed stock should be at about 12% solids to water to avoid cake, methane gets trapped and then enzyme stops working.

Think if your generating gas it's the people who do gas transporters, not GS ?

Was the gas scrubbed or cleaned before it went into boiler?

 

[Howsie]

I'm not sure about this 'clean fuel' thing peddled by the gas retailers. I've had two houses with oil boilers and they run just as cleanly as gas when set correctly. Also with an oil boiler you can service it yourself, which like gas, is a very simple process that does not need a degree in rocket science and therforesave yourself a bundle of cash annually.

Comparing fuel costs in terms of Kilowatt hours. Electricity is 100% efficient at the point of use, I suspect solid fuel boilers are anything but? The other major drawback with a solid fuel boiler is the inconvenience and lack of flexibility. They could be great in a care home with a caretaker on duty to look after it and dispose of the ash etc etc but in a typical home with adults that work and a house that is uninhabited for large chunks of time then it's going to be wasteful. The furniture won't thank you for being warm.

Julian

Oil should be regulated like gas but won't be. You probably can service an oil boiler, wether you do it right is another thing.

Gassification is the way forward.

 

[Dotty]

Oil should be regulated like gas but won't be. You probably can service an oil boiler, wether you do it right is another thing.

Gassification is the way forward.

Guy's learnt his lesson the hard way Howsie. I booted him yesterday for his cretinous attitude.

 

[SimonG]

Oil should be regulated like gas but won't be. You probably can service an oil boiler, wether you do it right is another thing.

Gassification is the way forward.

It will move like gas if more people attempt to service their own oil boilers without the right gear and end up killing themselves.

Unfortunately people need to die to save lives in the long run.

 

[Dotty]

It will move like gas if more people attempt to service their own oil boilers without the right gear and end up killing themselves.

Unfortunately people need to die to save lives in the long run.

Mmmm I agree, but this discussion is for a whole other thread really.

 

[Lou]

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