Gas Burner to Replace Oil Burner in Steam Boiler?

DEREK_12

We have an excellent steam heating system and want to convert to gas from oil. In addition to high fuel prices we want to get rid of the underground tank. We don't want fuel oil tanks in our home.

Is it a good idea to keep the boiler, replace the oil burner with a gas burner? Or do I need to take out a second mortgage and replace our old but tip-top boiler too? It's a green metal jacket (with chrome trim!) American Radiator Ideal Oil Burning Boiler #12 (1936) with two 4" take offs into the header, piped into a well vented 4 mains system supplying steam to 19 recessed convectors. System measures 620 sq ft of radiation. The boiler is fired with a Beckett AF burner fitted with a 1.35 gph 80 degree nozzle. Burner is mounted in lower cleanout door. It fires into the boiler cavity, not into a combustion chamber. The heat is terrific. Oil consumption of 1100 gal/year is no higher than neighbors with similar size homes and newer boilers. System is quiet and balanced. HeatWise and Carlin offer gas burners of the 225,000 btu size we require. Replacing the burner & running a new gas line will cost about $2000. Estimates for knocking down our boiler, new gas piping, purchase, install & pipe-in new boiler are $9,000. Either way I have to re-line the chimney and pull the old tank. It's a $7,000 or more upcharge for the new boiler. Plumbers tell me our boiler is sound. The water's been treated with SteamClean for years. Please comment. Thanks.

DEREK_12

Gas Burner to replace Oil Burner in Steam Boiler?

We have an excellent steam heating system and want to convert to gas from oil. In addition to high fuel prices we want to get rid of the underground tank. We don't want fuel oil tanks in our home.

Is it a good idea to keep the boiler, replace the oil burner with a gas burner? Or do I need to take out a second mortgage and replace our old but tip-top boiler too? It's a green metal jacket (with chrome trim!) American Radiator Ideal Oil Burning Boiler #12 (1936) with two 4" take offs into the header, piped into a well vented 4 mains system supplying steam to 19 recessed convectors. System measures 620 sq ft of radiation. The boiler is fired with a Beckett AF burner fitted with a 1.35 gph 80 degree nozzle. Burner is mounted in lower cleanout door. It fires into the boiler cavity, not into a combustion chamber. The heat is terrific. Oil consumption of 1100 gal/year is no higher than neighbors with similar size homes and newer boilers. System is quiet and balanced. HeatWise and Carlin offer gas burners of the 225,000 btu size we require. Replacing the burner & running a new gas line will cost about $2000. Estimates for knocking down our boiler, new gas piping, purchase, install & pipe-in new boiler are $9,000. Either way I have to re-line the chimney and pull the old tank. It's a $7,000 or more upcharge for the new boiler. Plumbers tell me our boiler is sound. The water's been treated with SteamClean for years. Please comment. Thanks.

Please comment

Steamhead (in transit)

Well, as good as you say that boiler is

a properly-installed new one will work even more efficiently. Sure, you could probably have a gas gun put into the existing boiler, but the old boiler wouldn't be any more efficient.

Given the age of the boiler, I'm sure there's asbestos under the jacket. This will have to be removed by a licensed asbestos contractor.

The most efficient residential gas-fired steam boiler out there now is the Smith G-8. This is a wet-base boiler originally designed for oil, but the factory offers it with a power gas burner, taking the guesswork and liability out of the changeover. The wet base presents much more heat-transfer surface to the flame than in the usual atmospheric gas boiler, and the power burner needs less excess air for good, safe combustion. This results in a thermal efficiency (before AFUE is even calculated) that is 6% better than the usual atmospheric type. You would need the 6-section G-8 for your system.

Here's a shot of a 6-section G-8 we installed about a year ago. It's one of the fastest-steaming boilers I've ever seen- less than 5 minutes or so between cold startup and steam production. I doubt your old Ideal is that quick- it was basically a coal boiler minus the grates and with a front plate on the ashpit with a hole for the burner's air tube.

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Dekstrous

can i convert my oil burner to natural?

I have a New Yorker residential low pressure boiler model# cls 4 p4 firing rate 1.35 oil # 2 with a gross output of 154 mbh 483sf of steam. Can i convert to gas without changing the boiler?

Dekstrous

can i convert my oil burner to natural?

I have a New Yorker residential low pressure boiler model# cls 4 p4 firing rate 1.35 oil # 2 with a gross output of 154 mbh 483sf of steam. Can i convert to gas without changing the boiler?