# Forum Home Renovation Heating & Cooling  Removal of oil heater

## ZoomJC

I have a pair of Vulcan Oil heaters in perfect working condition - back to back either side of a brick wall, sharing same flue - that I want to have removed as I had recently put in ducted RC/AC. 
Who would I get to do the job and would these heaters be of value to anyone?

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## wozzzzza

if you had only told me a couple months ago i would have come around and ripped them out for you and taken them before you get swamped with people wanting them.

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## ZoomJC

Shame about that. Is this a plumbing type job though, in the event that I actually have to get someone in to disconnect them safely? Anyone else experienced in removing them want them?

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## China

Dirty filthy job, but they are fairly well sort after, I pulled one out last year and took it to the tip, then found out out I could have sold it 10 times, ( god knows why any body would want one )

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## wozzzzza

> Dirty filthy job, but they are fairly well sort after, I pulled one out last year and took it to the tip, then found out out I could have sold it 10 times, ( god knows why any body would want one )

  they are brililant heaters, i was looking for one for months earlier in the year and couldnt find one so i thought, stuff it, and went and got a second hand gas one instead.

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## ZoomJC

> Shame about that. Is this a plumbing type job though, in the event that I actually have to get someone in to disconnect them safely? Anyone else experienced in removing them want them?

  Bumping this...anyone experienced in removing these suckers?

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## Bloss

There is no real safety issue in removing these - just some simple precautions. Surprising if you really have two heaters - more likely a single heater with dual outlets into the adjoining rooms. 
They usually have cable with a regular plug for the fan and electrics - switch off and unplug it. I have never seen a hardwired one, but if yours is then you'd need an electrician to disconnect it legally. Sometimes the plug has to be removed or simply cut-off so that the cable can be pulled back though an access hole, but often just comes out of the bottom of the heater and is plugged into an adjacent GPO. 
The face plates come off both sides (usually just lift up and out then away from hooked brackets on unit, but I have seen them with screws into the sides too) and you need to disconnect the oil line - after making sure the tap on the outside oil supply tank is closed. The fuel oil is similar to diesel and is not especially volatile - although of course no naked flames, cigarettes etc while you are around the job! The line comes in through the side and has a compression fitting that just unscrews. 
A small amount might leak from the disconnected oil line, but you can just bend over and flatten the end. Usually the heaters are simply sitting in place or have a few screws on a flange to hold them. So long as the power supply and oil line are out of the way and any screws removed it should just pull out one side or another. 
If you plan on selling it on ebay or somewhere for later us rather than simply throwing away then it is worth removing the firebricks/ heat reflectors etc from inside before you start pulling it out as they break easily. There is a market as there are gas conversion kits still available for them and they are quite OK as a fan assisted gas heater. 
Just do it.   :2thumbsup:

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## GraemeCook

Good advice above;  apart from the electrical disconnect you can diy. 
Removed my parents old Volcan a few years ago.   Only problem was that the empty oil tank was not totally empty.  A few litres of fuel oil goes a long, long way. 
Also, you may have difficulty disposing of the old oil tank - probably too polluting for the local tip.   If someone takes the heater, insist that they take the tank! 
Cheers 
Graeme

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## Bloss

> Good advice above;  apart from the electrical disconnect you can diy.
> Removed my parents old Volcan a few years ago.   Only problem was that the empty oil tank was not totally empty.  A few litres of fuel oil goes a long, long way.
> Also, you may have difficulty disposing of the old oil tank - probably too polluting for the local tip.   If someone takes the heater, insist that they take the tank!
> Cheers
> Graeme

  Only needs to worry about electrical if it is hardwired - and that would be unusual. Oil can usually be sold too and at a good price - not far off the current heating oil price - around $1.50 a litre. It will be old, but will work in most tractors or can re-used in heaters (still many around and in use). The tanks were mostly 200 litres and as Grahame says there can be quite a bit left. The weight is significant too (~900gms/l) - so the oil needs to be removed before trying to take down the tank (which itself can be 60kgs or more). 
These tanks are still sought after by farmers or small landowners to store diesel or to be cleaned out an used as water carriers - less so as the price of plastics has dropped, but there is still a market (eBay it). Remember that the stuff is an environmental contaminant and as Grahame also said a little goes along way. If it gets into the soil you have to remove the soil - nothing will grow.

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## gettoit

> There is no real safety issue in removing these - just some simple precautions. Surprising if you really have two heaters - more likely a single heater with dual outlets into the adjoining rooms. 
> They usually have cable with a regular plug for the fan and electrics - switch off and unplug it. I have never seen a hardwired one, but if yours is then you'd need an electrician to disconnect it legally. Sometimes the plug has to be removed or simply cut-off so that the cable can be pulled back though an access hole, but often just comes out of the bottom of the heater and is plugged into an adjacent GPO. 
> The face plates come off both sides (usually just lift up and out then away from hooked brackets on unit, but I have seen them with screws into the sides too) and you need to disconnect the oil line - after making sure the tap on the outside oil supply tank is closed. The fuel oil is similar to diesel and is not especially volatile - although of course no naked flames, cigarettes etc while you are around the job! The line comes in through the side and has a compression fitting that just unscrews. 
> A small amount might leak from the disconnected oil line, but you can just bend over and flatten the end. Usually the heaters are simply sitting in place or have a few screws on a flange to hold them. So long as the power supply and oil line are out of the way and any screws removed it should just pull out one side or another. 
> If you plan on selling it on ebay or somewhere for later us rather than simply throwing away then it is worth removing the firebricks/ heat reflectors etc from inside before you start pulling it out as they break easily. There is a market as there are gas conversion kits still available for them and they are quite OK as a fan assisted gas heater. 
> Just do it.

  I can't get professional help to remove my Vulcan oil heater and will have to do it myself.  Is it safe to use angle grinder to cut flue?  What is the safest, cleanest, easiest way to remove flue which has length of about 3 metres inside and continues through roof cavity and becomes external chimney?

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## Smurf

> Dirty filthy job, but they are fairly well sort after, I pulled one out last year and took it to the tip, then found out out I could have sold it 10 times, ( god knows why any body would want one )

  They're also useful in workshops, garages etc. Huge heat output with no need for a gas pipe or high capacity electrical supply ($$$ to install either of those...) and if it's only used occasionally then running costs won't be a problem. 
As for removing the flue, I've only ever removed wood heaters not oil, but once it's disconnected from the heater I found the easiest way was to get on (or in) the roof, lift the whole thing out and drop it onto the ground from there. Obviously make sure there's no people, animals, parked cars etc where it's going to land and don't do this if you plan on re use of the flue. Easy though when I've done it and not too much mess.  
Note that the above has always been with freestanding heaters not the built in type. Not sure if they use a different type of flue or not?

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