Question on steam boiler

dmskinner

Hi - I have an old oil-powered steam boiler, in an old house (1926).  I'm trying to figure out if I need to replace the boiler.  If so, should I convert to gas (I already have a gas line to my house) or should I stay with oil.  My main concerns are economics, and of course a heating system that works well.  I plan to be in the house for some time.



I guess my main questions are:



- do natural gas boilers work well with steam heat? 

- are there any downsides to going with natural gas in terms of efficiency or the system just not working as well as oil?

- how do I figure out how soon I need to replace the boiler?



Its a large house, about 3,500 square feet and bedrooms on 3 floors.



Attached are some pics of the current boiler.  The service man said it looks like it needs to be replaced soon due to its age (35 years?), overheating burn marks, soot build-up.  He also said I should stay with oil, since gas does not work well with steam boilers.

Paul48

Answers

1. Yes

2. No

3. By the looks of that boiler....Next spring.Plenty of time to do your homework.

The service man is wrong about gas. The scorch marks are from them not cleaning the boiler properly("build-up of soot")

dmskinner

Thank You

Thanks Paul48.  BTW, I'm in North Jersey, if anyone recommends a good steam contractor in this area I'll be looking.

nicholas bonham-carter

gas+steam=OK?

a lot of people on this site have gas burning steam boilers, and they work well.

when you install your new gas boiler, it will be important to choose the size of boiler which corresponds to the total of radiation [edr] in your house, and not merely what was there before. in addition, the installer must follow exactly the piping instructions from the maker. there is plenty of imformation on this site on new installations, and pitfalls to be avoided. a copy of "the lost art of steam heating" from the store here will save you money and headaches.

one task will be to get rid of your old oil tank, and it's contents. if you had a diesel tractor/generator, then you could use the oil as fuel, but otherwise it must be disposed of properly, with some paperwork to be filled out.--nbc

Paul48

JStar

does excellent work with steam. He works in your area. The doctor will be with you shortly.....LOL

BobC

Do it right the first time

Steam worked well with coal and oil and it will work just as well with natural gas. In my area natural gas costs about half what oil is going for. I replaced my oil fired boiler this year and so far my cost of fuel has been half what it was in 2010-11 which was similar to this year as far as cold goes.



Make it your job to learn enough about steam this winter so you can select a good installer, the quality of the install is more important than what boiler you choose to buy. If your burner man has been maintaining that boiler for a long time, I would look elsewhere when you replace the boiler. The new system is going to be expensive - do it right and you will be happy for a long time, do it wrong and you will get to pay for it AGAIN.



I suggest you buy the "We Got Steam Heat" book that is for sale on this site and if you really want to understand steam get the "Lost Art of Steam Heat", they will make you an informed buyer and let you recognize a good installer when you see him.



The name plate on your boiler lists the capacity of that boiler at 675 sq ft of steam, i'll bet dollars to donuts that it is too big. make a list of all your radiators and the size of each (height, width, depth, and the number of colums0 from that you can determine the EDR which should match the boilers steam rating. Once you read the books this will all be crystal clear.



Bob

Gordo

Gas Does Not Work Well with Steam Boilers?

I am wondering how your service man came to this epiphany?  It's not true, by the way.



He does have  a good point that your boiler should be replaced.  The W-M 68 boiler line was so bad it nearly caused the company to go out of business. Replace it this spring  if you can.



You can have installed oil-fired type boilers had can be fitted with gas fired burners.

I am sorry to say that your current service man may not be able to make that journey with you.  You may have to leave him behind.



What you see pictured below are Smith 8 series boilers being installed with Carlin EZ gas burners tied to run in tandem on a common header.

dmskinner

Thanks folks!

Nicolas, Bob, Gordo, thanks for the replies.



I did buy a copy of We Got Steam Heat a few years ago when I first moved to my house.  I just pulled it off the shelf and will give it a fresh look.



I'll start the research on the contractors.  Thanks again.  Any further advice is welcome -- this seems like as much an art as a science so I appreciate the learnings.

Paul48

ART

The guys that are good with steam take great pride in their work, and are true craftsman.They won't just throw a boiler in and run out the door. The whole system has to be evaluated, and de-knuckleheaded.

JStar

Steam

I just sent you a private message. In the meantime, here's a link to some of our install pictures.



http://www.facebook.com/ecuacool/photos_albums