OFTEC trained oil commercial heating

What we can help with on oil plant

• Servicing of suitable commercial oil boilers and burners, including combustion checks and safety device checks. See commercial boiler servicing.
• Breakdowns and lockouts: fault finding on ignition, photocells, oil pumps, nozzles, controls, pumps and pressurisation units. See plant room repair.
• Planned maintenance: oil plant can sit in the same schedule as gas, LPG and hot-water plant. See planned preventative maintenance.
• Warm air and space heaters running on oil in workshops, warehouses and agricultural buildings.
• Replacement planning when an oil boiler is near the end of its life. See commercial boiler installation.
• Mixed-fuel sites: many rural sites have oil plant in one building and gas or LPG in another. Where gas or LPG work is needed, Gas Safe registered engineers (985448) can help. See LPG commercial heating and commercial gas safety inspection.

What a commercial oil boiler service covers

An oil boiler service follows the same aims as any commercial boiler service: safe, clean combustion and a plant that starts reliably. The oil side brings its own checks. On a typical visit our OFTEC trained engineers:

• isolate the plant and check the oil supply from the tank outlet to the burner, including the filter, isolating valves and the fire valve that shuts off the oil if there is a fire at the appliance;
• replace the burner nozzle where needed, clean the burner head and check the electrodes, ignition and the photocell or other flame sensor;
• measure the oil pump pressure and check it suits the nozzle and the boiler output;
• clean the heat exchanger and flueways where the design allows, so soot does not build up and cut efficiency;
• take combustion readings with a calibrated analyser and set the burner air for clean combustion, including a smoke test where the burner type calls for one;
• check the flue, terminal and combustion air openings, and test the boiler safety controls and thermostats;
• look at the visible parts of the tank, bund and supply line for leaks, damage or water, and tell you about anything the building operator should deal with;
• write up the readings, any defects and what we recommend, so you have a record for insurers and the next visit.

Our guide to the annual service of an oil-fired commercial boiler goes through each step in more depth.

Oil burner faults: a quick guide

This is a rough guide to what common symptoms usually mean. It does not replace a visit, and burner parts should only be adjusted by a competent engineer.

Writing down when the plant locks out, what the lockout light shows and when the last delivery was makes fault finding much quicker. Our lockout log sheet is a simple way to do that.

Oil storage rules for business premises

In England, businesses that store more than 200 litres of oil above ground are covered by the Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) (England) Regulations 2001. In short, the tank needs secondary containment, such as a bund, that can hold at least 110% of the tank's contents, and the tank, bund, pipework and fill point need to be kept in good condition. Other parts of the UK have their own rules. The building operator is responsible for meeting these rules. On a service we note anything we see on the tank, bund or supply line, such as rainwater in an open bund, a damaged sight gauge or a weeping joint, so it can be put right.

Simple habits help: keep the bund clear of rubbish and rainwater, check the gauge regularly in winter, order before the tank runs low, and keep the area around the fill point and vent clear for the delivery driver.

Getting oil-fired plant ready for winter

• Book the service early. Late summer or early autumn leaves time to fix defects before the plant is relied on. Oil plant can sit in the same planned maintenance schedule as gas and LPG plant.
• Keep the tank above the bottom. Running the tank very low pulls sludge and water towards the outlet and lets air into the line, which is a common cause of lockouts on the first cold morning.
• Protect exposed oil lines. Long runs across yards and outbuildings should be protected from damage and checked for leaks before winter.
• Set and test frost protection. Village halls, churches and seasonal buildings that sit empty for days need frost protection that works. See our frost protection guide and our churches and community halls page.
• Clear vents and terminals. Check flue terminals and plant-room vents are not blocked by nests, leaves or stored stock.

Schools and care settings off the gas main can also use our school heating winter checklist and care home winter readiness guide.

Replacing an oil boiler or changing fuel

When an oil boiler is near the end of its life, there are usually three options to look at:

• Like-for-like oil. A new oil boiler sized for the building as it is used today, with the burner, flue and controls to match. The tank, bund and supply line should be checked at the same time, since a new boiler on an old supply can bring the same faults back.
• Oil to LPG. Where mains gas is not available, LPG means new or converted appliances, a tank position agreed with the LPG supplier after their own survey, and new pipework. Our LPG commercial heating page explains how we support LPG sites.
• Oil to mains gas. Where the gas main is close, a new gas supply and gas boilers may be an option. Gas work is carried out by our Gas Safe registered engineers (985448).

Whichever route you take, the old oil tank must be taken out of use safely. Our commercial boiler installation team can survey the plant and talk you through the options, and our replacement planning guide sets out the steps.

Warehouses and workshops with oil-fired warm air heaters can read our industrial and warehouse page, and pubs and hotels off the gas main our hospitality page.

Commercial oil heating questions