gas gun for weil-McLean

innkeeper

I'm a home owner with a oil fired Weil-McLean 576 boiler What is involved in converting the boiler to gas with a gas gun? I already have gas in the home. How can I find out what the cost savings is over oil, and payback.

nicholas bonham-carter

gas conversion info

have you looked on the w-m website for any information as to whether that model of boiler was supplied with a gas burner, and if so what model?

when installed, the new burner will have to be set up with an electronic combustion tester so that the right amount of flame gets to the right part of the combustion chamber. if there is a choice of burner capacities, then measure all the radiators for the total edr, so you can choose the right-sized burner.--nbc

Charlie from wmass

If the boiler is over 10 years old

you would be better off to replace the boiler not just the burner. DO you mean 576? I have seen 566. and 578 and the 78's are pretty old.

Fizz

Just converted W-M boiler to gas in Dec

We have a W-M SGO-6, which we converted to gas using burners referred by W-M site, a Wayne gas conversion gun.  Our boiler is somewhat oversized, with sf rating of 652, our connected load is 520.  According to the Wayne conversion chart for the model gun used, it called for firing the gun at 140,000 x the nozzle gph, which in tne SGO-6 is 1.75 gph which equates to 245,000 btu/hr.  Because the boiler was oversized we downfired to 190,000 btu/hr, and ther results have been good, heat is more even and quieter.  Now the boiler was 10 yrs old, so it was still in good shape.  Hope this helps.

innkeeper

Boiler is 576 but was very well maintained by previos owner.

The boiler is 576 but was very well maintained by previous owner.

I wouldn't mind converting but the cost is about 2.5 times higher.

I am told the WM boiler model is obsolete but sections are the same as one of the current models. I don't know how feasible they are to change, but I think that it might be worth taking a chance as the payoff may be less than 2 years anyway. with the price of oil. I burn 1600-2000 gal a hear depending on the season.  The boiler was originally equipped with a 2.95 gph nozzle but the oil service people have been downsizing it.

The heat has been OK but I have my doubts about the downsized nozzle because the previous owner was pretty good at attention to detail and he had a 2.75 nozzle in the boiler (I think).

Steamhead

You have the 5-76 series 1

the series 1 had a rating of 2.95 GPH (413,000 BTUH) and the series 2 was 3 GPH (420,000 BTUH). 2.75 GPH (385,000 BTUH) is not much less than the rated firing rates of either unit.



Some gas burner possibilities for this boiler are the Carlin 201Gas, Midco RE4400DS or PowerFlame X4-400. These all top out at 400,000 BTUH. It would be a good idea to get in touch with the burner manufacturers to see if they have tested their burners with a boiler like yours, and if any specific air tube, flange etc. need to be ordered.