to convert or not

able

thanks for the input and nice job on the smith I havent used one in years the last one I installed was one of the heaviest and quietest boilers I remember installing for a pin boiler I liked it but there are not many suppliers in my area anymore

able

to convert or not

Ilooked at a potential job over the weekend system is a two pipe steam system with a smith mills #20-200 5 section boiler all steam piping is accsesible not in the exterior walls home owner uses approx 1500 gallons of oil a year boiler maintains and has a indirect off it for a 3500 sq ft old farm house it seems pretty efficent to me if gallons are accurate it has 506.5 sq ft of radiation my questions convert to hot water condensing gas with constant circ with thermostatic rad valves replace with new steam boiler change steam traps piping is insulated and I realize there will be less heat emited from radiators at low temp then steam also any body use mpo steam boiler

Al Letellier_21

to convert or not

I would try to bring the system up to peak efficiency checking all traps, vents, wet returns and the like before changing over. 1500 doesn't sound that bad for a farmhouse. I have never been a fan of converting a steam system to hot water. I have never done it without having enough problems and leaks to make it worth it. As much as I hate to see a steam system get torn out, if you are considering gas boiler and all, go the whole route and change the entire system. Take a good look at the old system first and check the possibilities for insulation and other energy saving steps first.
Good luck

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Steamhead (in transit)

I agree with Al

don't convert it. Too many liabilities. That's probably a Vapor system, which was the Cadillac of heating in its day and is still one of the best out there. Have you found any brand names on the system's hardware?

Whoever had that Smith-Mills put in really went first-class. It was one of the best boilers of its day. Nevertheless, a modern steam boiler will be much more efficient.

When you say the MPO steam boiler, you mean the MegaSteam. That's the best residential steamer on the market, but it doesn't have a gas option (yet?). The Smith G-8 is the best gas-fired residential steamer on the market today, and can also burn oil if desired. Here's a photo of one, in the size that system would need if your EDR is correct.

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able

Yes I was refering to the mega steam the system contains mostly U.S radiator capitol four and five tubes and a couple of peerless two collum rads I would leave it oil if it stayed as steam gas only with water conversion the only up side to water would be the ability to zone every room with a thermostatic valve and with a modulating condensing boiler to match the load the old boiler is oversized but still 1500 gallons for a poorly insulated farm house thats 3500 sq ft doesnt seem bad others have told the guy he can save 50 percent on fuel I think maybe 10 to 15 tops boiler does need to be updated so it doesnt fail in the middle of winter but I dont like to tell some one how much fuel there going to save we changed one out a few years ago replaced a peerless monster it had a rating of 900 thousand btus it was down fired checked the load and installed a 300 thousand btu boiler insulated steam mains and installed all new near boiler piping there was no header on the old boiler it was the 2nd in 20 years customer used 900 gallons less I was sweating it the first 10 degree day but system works fine but dont think this other job will see that much savings

Charlie from wmass

Steam can be controled too

There are thermostatic valves for steam rads. we saved a customer 30% by installing them on their system. and they stayed with their original Mills 30 boiler and a tankless. Imagine what they would have saved if they let us upgrade the boiler too? New owners scrapped the whole system rads, valves and boiler. Last I heard they had no net savings for heat since they went for samsung heat pumps and those wall unit blowers in each room. not what I would put in a 1800's stone house but then again it was not my house or my job.

tim smith

Re: oil vs gas, what is your gas rate where you are

Why would you stay w/ oil with it approaching 5 bucks a gallon?? I know natural gas here where we live is appx 1/3 the price of oil. I don't think the other companies were exagerating when they said they could save 50% on his bill with switching to gas. Be that said,if customer wants to stay with old boiler, put conversion burner in old Mills boiler and install an on demand water heater or even gas awh tank. Running that old beast for spring/summer just for Domestic hot water is crazy.. Would be better to change boiler & install Smith as Steamhead said if $$$ feasible. My nickels worth. Tim