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Advice needed on heating system install

FredCapo
FredCapo Member Posts: 21
in THE MAIN WALL
Hello. I recently purchased a house that I am in the precess of renovating. I am retired and have some experience having helped install several hot water baseboard systems with a licensed contractor. The house I purchased has an oil fired burnham pv84sl with single pipe steam system. I want to put in a nat gas hwbb system. I will try to find someone to take/purchase the vintage radiators. My question is...is it worthwhile to try to convert the burner to natural gas and re pipe for hwbb or just buy a new gas boiler? Thanks for any advice.

Comments

  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 17,532
    You'd spend a lot less money

    by fixing the steam. What exactly is wrong with it now, besides being oil-fired? 
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • FredCapo
    FredCapo Member Posts: 21
    Oil boiler conversion

    Thanks for responding, but we don't want oil or steam. I am just trying to determine if the boiler is a good candidate for conversion. Additionally I have seen some misc comments on Internet saying that the burnham v series is problematic with boiler failures of the casting. This is a 2005 model. Thanks.
  • Snowmelt
    Snowmelt Member Posts: 1,428
    Where are

    You from, i maybe able to take the rads.
  • nicholas bonham-carter
    nicholas bonham-carter Member Posts: 8,577
    no steam-no oil

    why is it you are rejecting steam? when steam systems were being regularly installed, they were sometimes regarded as superior to gravity hot water, because of their efficiency. those old systems were quiet, even, and economical.--NBC
  • gennady
    gennady Member Posts: 839
    Steam to hot water.

    I get these requests all the time. What is about this obsession with steam to hot water system conversion. To do it right costs a lot of money. And still most of conversions done completely wrong and with poor craftsmanship. Instead of fixing steam system, what most of the time consists of installing proper venting,fixing pipe supports and near boiler piping, people run this pex all over, install unbalanced radiators or baseboards and oversized boilers.
    Gennady Tsakh
    Absolute Mechanical Co. Inc.
  • Gordy
    Gordy Member Posts: 9,546
    Steam

    Is actually quite elegant, and others have mentioned ..........
  • FredCapo
    FredCapo Member Posts: 21
    It is an old well built house

    But the second floor steam pipes are outside the wall, the addition is presently heated with electric baseboard, and we have nat gas service. I installed hwbb in my present home with a little outside help and it is fine trouble free. I'm glad you guys like steam heat. I like vintage guitars and vacuum tube amplifiers but I am going forward with nat gas hwbb...burnham or not.thanks.
  • chapchap70
    chapchap70 Member Posts: 139
    New boiler and new piping

    If you are dead set against steam, change out the Burnham for a low mass hwbb system with maybe a wall hung boiler.  Radiant might be the way to go if you are going to rip it all out.

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