Installation of Oil Fired Appliances and Systems
Planning the installation
Installation questions test whether you consider the whole system: fuel supply, flue, ventilation, electrical supply, condensate, access and clearances.
Key requirements
- Base and clearances: appliance on a suitable non-combustible base with service access and manufacturers' clearances to combustible materials.
- Fuel line: correctly sized, protected, with a fire valve and isolator; bottom outlet tanks need a fire valve and often an anti-siphon arrangement.
- Flue: correct route, rise, support, terminal position and clearance from openings and combustible materials.
- Ventilation: permanent air for combustion and cooling, sized to the appliance and to the room.
- Electrical: isolator adjacent to the appliance, correct fuse/breaker, and wiring to BS 7671.
- Condensate: for condensing appliances, a suitable drain with trap and frost protection.
- System: pipework, expansion, controls, and flushing/water treatment for boilers.
Traps in questions
- Forgetting the fire valve or placing it where it cannot sense a fire at the burner.
- Sizing ventilation for combustion only and ignoring cooling air.
- Installing a condensing appliance without a condensate route or frost protection.
- Ignoring clearance to combustibles when the flue passes through a wall or roof.
Worked example
A replacement boiler goes into a small utility room with a louvre door. Rule of thumb: treat the louvre as a ventilator only if it is permanent, correctly sized and unobstructed; otherwise fit dedicated permanent vents. Record the ventilation calculation on the commissioning paperwork.