direct vent oil-fired hot water boilers

Jim_19

I had the same issues in my home when we switched from a mixture of propane hot air units, wood stove and disconnected electric baseboards to forced hot water. We found a contractor (here on the board!!) who explained the various options and we ended up with a Buderus boiler with direct vent. I would have preferred a chimney but for a variety of reasons it just wouldn't fit.

Been 3 years now with no exterior staining visible. The system runs well and we are currently burning about 750 gallons of oil per year. Very satisfied.

Stan_5

I'm adding a second level to my home and switching from forced hot air to hot water. I can't decide whether to install a new chimney (metal, not masonry) or go to a direct vent oil-fired boiler and save the cost of the chimney. Are there any good direct vented models out there that won't discolor my siding. The termination would actually be through the block foundation, just below the siding. Just in case you are wondering, there is no natural gas availble on my block.

Robert O'Brien

Staining

The problems some DV units have are attributable to not following the installation manual to a tee,DV units are unforgiving ,they must be installed and maintained by the book.When this is done staining is not an issue.How about the new Peerless condensing boiler? Somebody has to be first.http://www.peerlessboilers.com/home/productcenter/index.cfm?fuseAction=details&psID=23

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kevin coppinger_4

do the chimney....

int the long run it will be worth it...more headaches than you will save in money up front...and to be honest in the long run it will be cheaper after you figure the extra service calls in...you also have a lot more choices w/ a nat vent vs. the DV kpc

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Leo

Direct vent

The company I work for installs direct vent Buderus boilers. They are set up with instruments by thge book and cause frustrating problems. Spend the extra now and put up a chimney. Fumes and vapors will be kept high out of the area of people. As far as no gas available I live in the state that lost someone from a direct vent gas system getting pluggedd with snow. It makes no difference what fuel you use a chimney gets it up and out of the way.

Leo

Ragu_4

Stan...

In my experience, direct venting in oil is only a corporate dream that will turn into a nightmare for both you and your heating contractor; it should be avoided at all costs.

On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the best) in oil-fired appllications I'd say: masonry chimney 10, metal chimney 7.5, power venter 1, direct vent 0. Hope this helps.

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Ron Schroeder

Ragu

Metal chimney up middle of house 9.5, masonary up thru middle of house 9.0, metal outside wall 7.5, masonary outside wall 4.0 powervent 5.0 direct vent 1.0 for oil just my take

REF

Direct vent and prevailing winds

I agree that a natural draft chimney is the best. However, if you cannot go that way... then a good DV oil boiler installed correctly will work. We have several accounts with DV boilers and no problems. One huge issue is to install the unit on the correct side of the house. If you install a DV or power vent unit on the prevailing wind side of the home you are going to have problems. I have seen ice going up the side of the local hardware owners home. NICE ice. So, the main thing would be to find the right contractor. Buderus makes a nice unit. OH..remember NOT to hit the reset more than once especially with these units.

HOPE this helps.

Respectfully,
REF

Constantin

Yet another option...

... should you be really concerned about staining or smells, you can always call up your local fuel suppliers and see if any of them carry low-sulfur fuel or B5/B10 Biodiesel mix. I have been running on B5 for a year now, and the difference inside the boiler is amazing.

Instead of black soot, I am now greeted with a small amount of "brown coffee grounds" that the mod-con gas people also report in their boilers. Easy to vaccuum out, and does not sting, stain, etc. the way the sulfurus, black soot that used to greet me before I made the switch.

B5/B10 is usually very-low sulfur fuel (i.e. 50PPM) mixed 5-10% with biodiesel. Since Biodiesel contains no sulfur, the resultant B5 mix should be in the 40's, sulfur-wise. While not endorsed by the manufacturer of our boiler/burner, some research at BNL and elsewhere concluded that anything under B20 (i.e. 20% biodiesel) ought to work OK and not harm any seals in the burner, pump, etc.

I made the switch to B5 because I'd like to ensure the longevity of the equipment and the chimney. The less sulfur in the stack to eat away at the stainless steel, the better.

Unknown

this one

This one job that I got, I wasn't the lowest bidder but make sense.... Other contractors recommended the direct vent on the new boiler ... Told them how much steam were they seeing while doing their laundry loads,,,, a lot they say, then told them how much more will they see looking out the picture window if the exhaust is put there as per others recommeded...
Minor changes in construstion and chimney installed..