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Viessmann oil to gas conversion?

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JKoeth
JKoeth Member Posts: 2
in THE MAIN WALL
Hello all, in 2005 I installed a Viessmann Vitorond VR2-40 in my own home. I converted from a one pipe steam radiator system to a constant circulation, hot water radiator system. I installed a viessmann mixing valve and lined the chimney with a stainless liner. I love the system, comfortable and efficient. Unfortunately, heating oil costs a little more now than it did in 2005. I have natural gas at my house and would like to convert with a riello gas burner. My dilemma, Viessmann did not rate the VR-2-40 for gas. I spoke with Viessmann and I was told that if I wanted to use gas, I should have installed a Vitola. Buderus and Biasi cast iron boilers are rated for use with oil or gas. I just can not get it through my head that this conversion can not be done. Am I being foolish? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

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  • Aaron_in_Maine
    Aaron_in_Maine Member Posts: 315
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    Maybe

    It is possible that it can be converted but if you did it you give up any warranties because it is only rated for oil. I have seen old equipment that was never rated for gas but that didn't stop someone from putting a burner in there but their warranty was probably long gone when they did it.

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

  • JKoeth
    JKoeth Member Posts: 2
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    yeah....

    The warranty aspect doesn't bother me as much as the safety aspect. Because it's not approved no one can tell me if it will work properly. Will the flue gas from the natural gas cause any damage to the cast iron block or stainless liner? I'm sure it will not, but hearing it from a manufacturers representative would put my mind at ease. When I did speak with our local Viessmann representative, he said if I want gas I should put in a condensing boiler, better efficiency. I agree, but I just want to change fuels, not abandon a great heating system that was very labor intense and costly, and only seven years old.
  • Paul Pollets
    Paul Pollets Member Posts: 3,656
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    Conversion

    The flue pathways in the Vitorond were designed for oil combustion, not gas. You should have considered the Vitola, if you wanted to do a gas conversion, as the rep said. Putting a gas burner on the Vitola will void the warranty for both the burner and the boiler, and risk proper combustion within the appliance. It is a huge safety hazard, to say the least. Your homeowner's insurance would not cover any damages resulting from such a conversion.
  • Tim McElwain
    Tim McElwain Member Posts: 4,625
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    Do not make a decision

    yet let me look into this as I seem to remember a Riello installed in a Viessmann Vitorond that I was aksed to do a combustion setup on a while back.
  • AlexS
    AlexS Member Posts: 69
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    insurance?

    I'd really like to know where everyone gets their info about homeowners coverage... I hear this phrase all the time across multiple trade forums, and from what I've found, it's just not true.  I've discussed this with my own State Farm Insurance, and as long as you're not convicted of arson, you'd get paid...



    Sorry for the off-topic, btw...
  • tim smith
    tim smith Member Posts: 2,752
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    Re: converting to gas

    I suspect it is the same reason that Burnham megasteam is not rated for gas. They cannot get proper flue gas travel through the boiler with a gas gun. Or, possibly they feel pre purge wont clear any unburned gas out properly and then you stand chance of very hard fireup, seen several times and not good.  I wish Burnham could or would set the megasteam up for a specific gas gun, nice little steamer.
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