Can I add hydronic furnace to steam system with IWH?

agurkas

I have W-M WGO4 series 3 oil steam boiler with 80 gallon IWH. We are converting the boiler to gas.

We also have furnace that heats rather large living room with vaulted ceiling. That furnace is close to being dead, so I was thinking about replacing it with hydronic unit with a loop from the W-M boiler.



Good idea? Bad Idea?



Also, 1st floor of the original part of the house has both steam and forced air. Do I get HVAC people to install hydronic furnace 1st and then get steam guy to come in and tune/balance the steam system next?

JStar

Boiler

You can tie a circulated loop off of the steam boiler as long as the capacity does not take away too much from its ability to maintain steam for the rest of the system.



Where are you located? We may know somebody who can handle all of your systems.

agurkas

Boston

I am in Western suburb of Boston (128 and route 2)

Jamie Hall

There are several

really good folks who service your area -- use "Find a Contractor" and search by state.  Don't be put off by distance -- the ones I know will pretty well cover the whole state, including your area.



As to what to do and who does what -- any of the good steam guys you find above can do the whole show for you.  No need to split the work up.

agurkas

I hear ya, but...

I hear ya. One nice guy from Western Mass I did communicate with. BUT there is an issue with what happens if system goes out mid-snow storm and this person is 2-hour drive away from our place. Not a workable scenario. So I need to find someone closer.



The challenge I have with steam folks I came accross closer to Boston: they either never get back to you even after several attempts to contact or they are so damn grumpy and rude, that I wonder if they understand they are in service business.



It has been a month plus and I am yet to find someone who can do steam, let alone finding someone who can just take my entire HVAC + steam system and put their mastery to work.

Jamie Hall

If that nice guy

from Western Mass is who I think he might be, a) he is one of the very best in the business and b) I wouldn't worry about the two hour drive.  Again, if it's who I think it is, he and I have a very workable solution to that particular problem: he does all my normal service, yearly -- but I also have a service contract with my oil dealer, and if things go wrong in the middle of the night in a blizzard at 20 below, I call them.  Then I can call him at his and my convenience to fix the fix the oil dealer service guys fixed...

RobG

Wow

Jamie that last sentence was a real tongue twister. Can you say that three times in a row quickly. 



Rob

Charlie from wmass

If a system is properly installed

and reasonably maintained there are seldom emergency service calls. Some people are happy to have me go to P-town or Rutland Vt. others choose to go with local people. There are several listed in find a contractor closer than I am.