Generally, yes.

In England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Guernsey and Isle of Man boilers need to be of the condensing type unless your installer obtains formal exemption from OFTEC. Any engineer registered under the competent persons scheme and registered with OFTEC will be aware of the requirements and whether an exemption may be appropriate.

The condensate can be drained at any of these points:

• Internal stack pipe
• Waste pipe
• External drain or gully
• Rainwater hopper that is part of a combined system
• Purpose-made soakaway

The appliance installer will be able to advise you further.

Although oil-fired boilers of below 45kW output can be installed in a loft space, OFTEC recommends that you avoid doing so.

If you intend to install an oil-fired boiler in a loft space, the installation must comply with British Standards to ensure the safe operation of the appliance, the safety of the technicians who may work on it and to protect the fabric of the building against fire and oil contamination.

You will also need to consider the weight of the appliance, the potential for noise nuisance, and how you will supply oil to it.

Under British Standard 5410: Part 1 1997, you must take into account:

• This type of installation should only be considered if there is no alternative location
• The loft space must have a permanent means of access
• The area between the loft access point and the boiler service area, and the service area around the boiler must have permanent flooring that will withstand the weight of the boiler plus a service technician with tools, and must also have a handrail
• The boiler must be of the balanced flue type and stand in a drip tray with a float that will automatically shut off the oil supply when oil is detected in the tray
• You must be able to isolate the appliance and the oil supply from outside the loft space

It is unlikely that your building has no alternative location for the modern range of boilers, but if you opt for this type of installation we would recommend that your installer read and fully understand the requirements of British Standard 5410: Part 1 1997. You must also seek advice from the building insurers and the local fire authorities.

Yes, you can. When you upgrade an appliance you are not legally required to change your oil storage tank so that it meets current legislation, unless the appliance installation makes the oil tank less compliant than it might be already. But if you have a fire or pollution incident and your tank does not comply with current legislation, you may find complications with an insurance claim.

We would advise that you consider upgrading/relocating your oil storage tank if necessary at the time you replace the appliance. We are able to both advise on this and offer a full tank installation/relocation service.