steam boiler—options other than oil

jeff klaverweiden

Jonathan_15

steam boiler—options other than oil

I'm considering alternatives to my old oil burner. I have a two pipe steam system in a 1920s house. Cast iron radiators. The system looks like it was a refit done somewhere in the 40s. My oil fired boiler is killing me with the current price of fuel.

What are my alternatives?

I'm thinking natural gas, but have heard that electric boilers are very efficient but there are compatible with hot water systems. Is that true, or are there boilers that are capable of generating steam for a system like mine?

Thanks,
Jonathan

Steamhead (in transit)

If your boiler is that old

a properly-installed new one will be more efficient regardless of what fuel it burns. Some boilers can burn either oil or gas, which would future-proof the system.

But if the system itself needs work, that can also raise its fuel consumption. Fortunately, fixing things like this is usually pretty easy.

Your 2-pipe system is probably a Vapor system. These are very efficient and flexible when set up properly- they were the Cadillac of heating back in the day.

Where are you located? Can you post some pics of the system?

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Jonathan_15

steam boiler—options other than oil

Attached are some pics. I'm located in State College Pa.

The furnace is new as of 1995. We burned through 1200 gals. last year. We heat 2500 sq. ft. our thermostat is set for 65 at night and when we are not at home. 67 when we wake up and when when we are home in the evenings.

Just had new storm windows installed. They saved us about 75 gallons last year.

I think we are still running high on our fuel usage.

The photo of the radiator is pretty much standard for our house. If it's not tall, it's short and long. They are all roughly the same square footage, between 6 and 12.

Jonathan

Steamhead (in transit)

That Smith BB-14 Boiler

is regarded very highly by some people I have a lot of respect for. So I doubt the boiler is the cause of your high oil consumption, unless it hasn't been cleaned and tuned properly, or is oversized for the radiation you have.

The piping around the boiler is wrong though. It needs a proper header like the one in the pic I've attached, which is a current-model Smith G-8 boiler we installed last fall. The header dries out the steam so it contains no entrained water. Dry steam has maximum BTU-carrying power.

That's definitely a Vapor system. It is designed to run on a maximum pressure of maybe 8 ounces on the coldest day of the year. It looks like the valve on the radiator has been replaced- are there any originals left, and can you find a name on them, or on any original radiator traps? Are there any strange-looking devices in the piping around the boiler? Have you found any names on them? This will help us ID your system.

Also, how does the air get out of this system? Are there vents on the steam mains, or little radiator traps piped between the steam mains and the dry (overhead) returns? If the air can't get out easily, the steam can't distribute with any efficiency.

I'm in Baltimore, but have done some work in nearby Bellefonte (thanks, Patrick!). It's a bit of a trip but can be done if there's no one in your area that knows Vapor. Wonder if they've finished the US 322 Narrows project yet?

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

jeff klaverweiden

coal fired steam boiler