Should I Replace my Boiler?

nicholas bonham-carter

many have said here that when the old coal boilers were converted to oil and then to gas the burners may have been oversized ,"just in case".therefore you may not have the ideal situation.
no prices are usually discussed here except as a multiple of your annual fuel bill.but it's hard to believe that you could replace the boiler for the figure you mentioned, which was twice that of putting on a pump.
if you do nothing with this system then at least make it run as well as the original installer intended which might mean de-rating the burner and checking the thermostat anticipator setting.
the fact that your boilerman is aware of this site is a very good sign!
you probably should buy the hudronic books available here which will enable you to make a more informed decision.
we have the same sort of system and i am also wondering what to do.--nbc

Karl_9

Should I replace my Boiler?

I have a "Hardin Lavin" gravity feed boiler in the basement of a 2 unit building. It is cast iron, insulated in asbestos, was originally oil and was converted to gas. I assume the boiler is as old as the building (80-100 years). Gas bills are pretty high

I can have a new boiler installed for $2k or just a recirc pump installed for $1k or do nothing.

Any advice?

Thanks

Karl

JERRYG

boiler replacement

A professional heating person can best direct you as to where your money can be most effectively used.Yes you do have an old boiler,but the fuel bills may not be due entirely to the boiler.Remember that a new boiler can will give you an increase in combustion efficiency and increased efficiency in how the heat is controlled.But it does not make the building envelope any tighter.
Take a good hard look at the condition of your building before investing everything in the heating

Brad White_203

Hard to beat

that kind of advice.

Well said, Jerry. Well said.

k

Their advice is excellent. For me the decision was simple; I refused to dump thousands of dollars up my chimney again this winter. So I put in a new high efficiency boiler.

Besides if your boiler is 50+ years old, you need to replace it before it fails one cold night...

Karl_9

I replaced the windows a few years ago and insulated the attic. The heatng professional I spoke with recomended I post a question here for a second opinion.

Thanks

Brad White_202

Well then, here is a third, Karl

Rather than discuss price (a no-no in this forum), if the cost to replace a circulator is X and to replace the boiler is 2X, I would replace the boiler.

As Sven pointed out, you are on borrowed time, the mortgage on that boiler burned years ago. Given that you have improved your home envelope (not perfectly, there is always more to do as you know), I would seek a good ModCon boiler with outdoor reset and an excellent installer most of all.

Size it to your actual current heat loss to capture all of your improvements.

You will save money and be more comfortable. Imagine that situation reversed, spending a lot more money and perhaps experiencing bursts of heat rather than a tempered, proportional heat output. Such a deal.

ScottMP

Around me

it would cost that much just to remove the asbestos..

Its a no brainer.

Scott

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