The heating must go!!! But what?

Good day.

We have purchased a semi-detached house from 1971.
130 sqm living space.
Attic converted and the roof additionally insulated and newly covered in '07.
Double glazing from '98 with wooden frames.

The original heating/boiler is still installed (oil), which we want to replace with an efficient one according to today's standards.

There is no gas available at the front door, so we can exclude that.
I personally exclude pellets due to the very high acquisition costs.

In the living area (living room and dining room) there is a nice Swedish stove that is heated with free wood.

What would you recommend to me, especially regarding an efficient and reliable oil condensing boiler?
Additionally, it would be a consideration to combine the oil condensing boiler with solar thermal, basically for domestic hot water heating, where in summer, for example, or possibly the oil consumption is zero because it is off.

I already have some offers, but I would be interested in your response or your thoughts on this!

Thank you!

Best regards

Hello,

There is insufficient information to assess the thermal insulation level of the building. I advise you to consult a qualified energy advisor, as there is certainly further potential. The windows from 1998 are now almost 20 years old. Surely there are now triple-glazed windows that are better than the installed ones, but whether they are cost-effective, the energy advisor will advise you independently and neutrally. Use the government subsidy of up to €800 for this.

The Energy Saving Ordinance (Energieeinsparverordnung) stipulates that heating boilers older than 30 years are no longer allowed to be operated. So the boiler must be replaced in any case. Even if there is no gas connection, one can consider heating with liquid gas. I would definitely check this, as reinvesting in oil ignores the development. On the one hand, oil is more expensive than gas, takes up more space, can cause odor nuisance, must be ordered, poses a hindrance in the resale or rental of the property due to its negative image, causes more fine dust and CO2, etc.

What condition is the Swedish stove in, and what is the medium- and long-term availability of free wood? As an additional heating option, it is great; if a renewal becomes necessary, one can consider a stove with water jackets. For a solar system, the roof surface should ideally be oriented south under 30°. A solar system has the advantage that it supports heating in the transitional period (spring/autumn), and in summer you can turn off your heating boiler. In summer, every heating system runs in an unsatisfactory state and requires more energy. All presented options are supported by KfW through loans or grants.

Best regards, Erik

Measures such as [ST] for hot water are often not worth it - the investment costs are relatively high, the savings relatively low (simply due to the fact that not much hot water is consumed). In my opinion, investing in a new heating system is even mandatory for you - a modern oil condensing boiler will probably be unbeatable in terms of price-performance ratio. Otherwise, check again with [Bafa] to see if there are any subsidies available.

We faced the same decision last year. In the end, it was just an oil condensing boiler with a small water storage tank. Everything else would have become too expensive or would not have fit the house.

We faced the same decision last year. In the end, it was simply an oil condensing boiler with a small water tank. Everything else would have become too expensive or wouldn't have fit the house.

That is why it is important to have the heating load of the renovated building calculated so that the most economical heat generator can be appropriately selected and sized. Of course, besides economic aspects, ecological ones can also be taken into account...

A solar thermal system was also considered in the beginning, but it will not be cost-effective, so there will only be an oil condensing boiler/heater.

The Swedish stove is a few years old and is located in the living/dining area.
Wood will cost me nothing because we have several forests which are free.
It only costs strength and sweat to get the wood chopped ;).

: Which condensing boiler did you choose exactly back then, i.e. brand/type?
With how many sqm living space and insulation/age of the house?

Best regards