Home Oil boiler servicing Bristol
Oil boiler servicing in Bristol
Very few Bristol homes burn oil, but each needs a yearly OFTEC service.
Just 262 Bristol households heated with oil alone in the 2021 Census, 0.1% of the city. Almost every Bristol street has mains gas, so oil is far more common in the rural areas around the city than within it. The OFTEC technician who comes out may well be based outside the city.
Bristol at a glance
- How homes are heated
- 75.0% of Bristol households heat with mains gas only, 13.0% with electricity only and 1.3% (2,420 homes) from a district or communal heat network. Oil alone heats 262 homes. Source
The service
An OFTEC registered technician cleans the burner, replaces the nozzle and filters, checks combustion and tests controls. Gas Safe engineers are not qualified for oil unless also OFTEC registered.
Ask for the combustion readings in writing. They show how efficiently the boiler is burning, and comparing them year to year can reveal a problem before it causes a breakdown.
Tank
Ask the technician to inspect the tank, its base and the pipe to the boiler at the same visit. Plastic tanks can crack and steel ones rust, and a leak can contaminate the ground. Clean-up is expensive and may not be covered by insurance if the tank was neglected.
Larger tanks, or tanks near drains, watercourses or the house, may need a bund. Our heating oil prices guide helps you plan when to reorder.
Switching
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays £7,500 towards a heat pump, plus £1,500 until March 2027 for oil or LPG homes with no gas main.
Homes on oil often have gardens with room for an outdoor unit. Get insulation sorted first, then ask an MCS installer for a heat loss survey before your next major oil repair, so you can compare the two costs.
Areas covered
Engineers who cover Bristol work across areas including Clifton, Bedminster, Southville, Bishopston, Redland, Easton, Fishponds, Horfield, Kingswood and Keynsham.
Questions people in Bristol ask
Can you find a technician for my postcode?
Yes. Give us your postcode and we pass your request to OFTEC registered technicians who cover it.
How often does an oil boiler need servicing?
Every year, ideally before winter. Oil burners soot up faster than gas, and a worn nozzle wastes fuel and can cause lockouts.
What about LPG?
LPG boilers are gas appliances and need a Gas Safe engineer with LPG on their registration. 617 Bristol homes used tank or bottled gas only in 2021.
I've bought a house with a disused oil tank. What now?
Have a specialist drain and remove it, and keep the disposal paperwork for when you sell.
Sources
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