Over four million properties in the UK aren’t connected to the gas mains. These four million properties need to find an alternate source of heat and warm water.
The most common solution is an oil tank heating system. Despite many perceived negatives of using an oil tank, the people using them in their property will be benefitting in several ways.
If you are on the fence about using an oil tank, let us settle a few of those concerns while giving you a few things to consider.
What is an oil tank heating system?
Oil tank heating systems offer a cost-effective option for heating a building. They are safe and clean for the environment, and with the correct maintenance can last twice as long as other fuel systems.
Choosing to have an oil tank heating system in your building can be a clever investment in the long term. For this reason, they are becoming increasingly popular in the UK.
How does it work?
The oil is ignited in the combustion chamber of the heating system. A heat exchanger chamber warms up cold water, this is either from the mains in the combi system or a from a cold-water tank in the conventional system. The water is then ready to be used in your property to supply hot water and heating.
Busting the myths
Before we get into the details about oil tank heating systems, we're going to bust some myths about them.
Safety: Despite the idea that oil tanks can be an unsafe choice for heating a building, they are safe if properly maintained. When maintained correctly, the oil tank is unlikely to have any major faults.
Price: Oil tanks aren’t as expensive as people expect them to be
Lifetime: As mentioned above, they will last a long time. They have an estimated lifespan of 30 years, compared to just 11-14 years for propane and natural gas tanks.
Environmental: Thanks to modern technology, oil tank heating systems have become more environmentally friendly.
How much does it cost?
The price of an oil tank varies depending on the size you need for your building. For smaller buildings, we have 650-litre tanks such as the 650 Litre Bunded Oil Tank that will cost you £741.31 ex. VAT (Value Added Tax).
For larger buildings, we have larger sizes such as the Tuffa 3500 Litre Bunded Oil Tank. This size will cost £2,138.88 ex. VAT.
The size you need depends on several factors:
- The size of your property
- How often you have the heating on
- Whether your oil boiler is efficient
Your tank should have a gauge to show how much oil is left. If it doesn't have a gauge, these can be bought separately. The price for a gauge varies depending on which type you choose. Here are two examples available on our website:
Purchasing heating oil
Once you have your tank, you will need to purchase oil. Oil prices can vary day-to-day, with several factors effecting the cost of oil.
You can check oil prices on websites such as Home Fuels Direct. They show up-to-date average costs, as well as showing live heating oil prices in your region. Home Fuels Direct can also provide you with oil for your oil tank.
Maintaining and installing your oil tank
As we've touched on already, oil tanks that are well maintained do have a longer lifespan. The installation and maintenance of the oil tank can play a part in this.
Installing an oil tank is complicated. There are strict rules and regulations that need to follow when you install an oil tank. Therefore, you need to get an OFTEC registered technician to install the tank.
You can find your nearest OFTEC registered technician here
You may have been put off buying a property that would need an oil tank heating system. We hope this has cleared any concerns you had, while showing you how beneficial oil tank heating systems can be.
If you’d like to find out more about the oil tanks we have available, please contact our sales team on 01777 858009 or email sales@kingfisherdirect.co.uk.
