Home Oil boiler servicing Portsmouth
Oil boiler servicing in Portsmouth
Oil heating is almost unknown in Portsmouth, but if you have it, it needs an annual OFTEC service.
The 2021 Census recorded just 32 Portsmouth households heating with oil alone. Mains gas reaches almost every street on Portsea Island and the mainland suburbs.
If you are one of the few, your technician will probably travel in from rural Hampshire or West Sussex, where off-gas homes are far more common, so book early in the autumn.
Portsmouth at a glance
- How homes are heated
- 75.8% of households heat with mains gas only and 11.5% with electricity only. Oil-only heating was recorded in just 32 homes, and 2.4% (2,091) had no central heating. Source
Where oil turns up in Portsmouth
With only a few dozen oil-heated homes, there is no single district to point to. Oil tends to survive in a house where the gas main was never connected, in outbuildings and annexes, or in a property bought from a rural owner who brought the system with them. Some homes also have a disused tank left over from before a gas conversion.
If you find an old tank in the garden, have a specialist drain and remove it rather than leaving it.
What the service involves
Cleaning the burner and heat exchanger, replacing the nozzle and filters, checking combustion and testing safety controls. An OFTEC registered technician should do it; Gas Safe doesn't cover oil.
Bunds and regulations
New or replacement oil tanks must meet Building Regulations, and larger tanks or those near drains, watercourses or the boundary may need a bund to catch leaks. An OFTEC technician can tell you whether yours complies and self-certify a replacement.
Near the harbour and the shore, a leaking tank can reach water quickly, so don't put off a tank that is weeping or bulging.
Tanks
Ask for the tank to be checked for cracks, rust and a secure base. Our heating oil prices guide helps with ordering.
Moving off oil
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays £7,500 towards a heat pump, plus £1,500 extra for homes switching from oil or LPG until March 2027. If gas is in your street, connecting to it is another option.
An MCS installer will start with a heat loss survey. On a larger house with oil, that also shows whether insulation should come first.
Areas covered
Engineers who cover Portsmouth work across areas including Southsea, Fratton, North End, Copnor, Milton, Eastney, Hilsea, Cosham, Drayton and Farlington.
Questions people in Portsmouth ask
Is a yearly service needed for one of Portsmouth's few oil boilers?
Yes, every year. Oil leaves more soot than gas, and a worn nozzle wastes fuel.
Who services an oil Aga or range cooker?
An OFTEC technician with range cooker experience. Ask about it when you book, since not every oil technician services cookers.
Do I need a carbon monoxide alarm?
Yes, it's sensible in any room with an oil boiler, and in rented homes it's a legal requirement where there is a fixed fuel-burning appliance.
Sources
Also nearby: Oil boiler servicing in Southampton, Oil boiler servicing in Brighton, Oil boiler servicing in Bournemouth