ᐅ Do radiators connected to an oil heating system also warm up without a circulation pump?

Hello!

I am taking over a house at the turn of the year.
The installed oil heating system (manufacturer MAN) is from 1973 and will have to be replaced in spring.
However, the circulating pump is currently broken.
The heating technician only wants to replace the heater in an emergency during the winter (we still have a proper winter here) and says a new circulating pump would cost €120.
Apparently, the radiators can still get comfortably warm without a circulating pump.
My question is: wouldn’t running the oil heating without a pump waste a lot of extra energy? Am I not just throwing away the €120 for the pump on heating oil?

Have a nice evening!

Buchenhunter

Hello,

Buchenhunter schrieb:
..Supposedly, the radiators can get comfortably warm even without a circulation pump.

If one was installed, there was surely a reason for it 😉

Buchenhunter schrieb:
...Now my question: Doesn’t running the oil heater without the pump use a lot more energy? Am I just throwing away the 120€ that the pump costs on heating oil?

On one hand, yes; on the other hand, no. Without a pump, the heat generator probably won’t deliver its full output. Result => short cycling! higher consumption!
On the other hand, it’s likely that the heating surfaces are undersupplied because the required volume flow is missing. Result => insufficient room temperatures, lower consumption! The truth is probably somewhere in between and can only be answered with a proper calculation. 😉
“Real” and functional gravity (thermosiphon) heating systems (without a circulation pump) are technical monuments and should be preserved! 90% of existing systems are flawed installations with significant potential for optimization. Improving the energy efficiency of existing buildings is, however, much more challenging compared to new construction!

Best regards

Hello Beachhunter,

A quick question upfront: is the heating system still in use? I ask because, according to the 2009 energy saving regulations, all heating systems installed before October 1, 1978, generally need to be replaced. 😱
So, my recommendation is to replace the heating system immediately! I would contact 2–3 heating contractors and get some quotes. Another reason to act quickly is that there are subsidies of 400 € available for boiler replacement until December 31, 2010.

Now the question remains whether to continue using oil or possibly switch to gas?
The previous price linkage between gas and oil has been removed, so it is expected that gas will be cheaper than oil in the medium term. This is also because gas reserves are expected to last around 60 years, much longer than oil. Besides, gas produces significantly less CO2 emissions compared to oil. Given the lifespan of gas condensing boilers and ongoing technological developments, you will likely have to reconsider this in 20 to 25 years anyway.
I would check if gas supply is available on your street or even already in your house. Overall, including installation, hydraulic balancing, etc., I would estimate an investment of around 5,000 €.

I hope this helps. Of course, we are happy to answer any further questions you may have. 😉

Best regards

Erik

Hello Erik,

...Due to the lifespan of gas condensing boilers and technological advancements, you will have to *replace it within 20 to 25 years* anyway...

There is definitely a typo here 😉

Kind regards