Best setup for a steam heat and hot water - oil/gas/both?

blazin202

Hey guys/gals - Want to get your knowledgeable opinion on whats the best setup for efficiency. Best boilers out there/ ones to stay away from - etc. Its pretty hard when people quote the job if they just quote whatever they know which maybe the best or might not.

My current setup is steam heat with oil boiler doing heat and hot water heater. I burn through about 3,000 gallons of oil a year. 200 gallons each month the summer alone. I do have gas coming into the house for stoves. I dont want to do a tankless hot water heater since there are tenants that will just run the hot water to no end. Also not looking for extreme highend equipment but middle of the road stuff - good quality.

Thinking would keep oil if it made sense or maybe doing oil for heat and maybe gas for hot water or just all gas. Curious to see what you guys recommend.

Zman

What are your fuel costs for the different optons?
When you say gas do you mean Natural gas or propane?
That is a whole lot of fuel.
How big is the house? How is it insulated?
Carl

blazin202

Hey - fuel cost is oil is around the $2.50 mark ( right now- last year it was up around $4.00)

im thinking natural gas - its .43 cents per therm (raw cost) on the gas bill but with all the taxes, fees, bs - actual cost is about .80 a therm.

house is 3 floors and about 4,000 sq ft. Its a 1929 built in new york - with stucco exterior and wood lath/plaster walls. i couldnt tell you what isolation was used but its all original. the windows were upgraded at some point.

Big Ed_4

IF I had steam the boiler to buy is the only true residential steam boiler on the market .The Burnham MPO Three pass , positive pressure true steam boiler .. Size to the radiation ... Either use the Riello oil or gas burner .or go back and forth when one is cheaper.. Repair all steam leaks ...Leaks cost ...

BobC

Your lucky, we are paying about $1.50 a therm up in Boston, gas and oil are almost at parity but gas is a lot less of a maintenance problem.

Remember to do anything you can do to find and kill all sources of air infiltration, that will save more fuel than anything else.

Bob

nicholas bonham-carter

Not only will insulation help your fuel bill, but also tennant comfort levels.
Making sure that your system is well vented, and balanced, can make a difference of up the 30%, depending how unbalanced your system is now. When that is done, then you could change to a gas burner for the boiler. I don't think the tankless water heater will encourage any more waste of hot water than any other form of hot water.
The worst boiler to buy, would be one installed by a trunk slammer knucklehead with little knowlege as to what he is doing. Other than that, boilers are all of fairly equal quality, as long as the installation instructions are followed at the minimum. Your current boiler may be good for anothe 20+ years. Post some pictures of it so we can see any problem areas.--NBC

vaporvac

Hey @Big Ed , has the Burnham finally made the move for gas with the Megasteam?
@blazin202 , why are you considering replacement? Be sure to add all your sq ft of radiation (edr) and size any new boiler by that and NOT the current output btu. Also be carefull to have the water lines the same. As NBC says, PICS of rads, near boiler pipin gnad generally pipes would help!

Fred

From what I can see, the MPO is only for Hot water Heat and only approved for oil???

vaporvac

I saw that Fred, I thought maybe he meant the MST.

Steamhead

That's what he meant= the MegaSteam. And no, as far as I know Burnham is still being obstinate regarding gas burners on the MegaSteam.

RobG

Where in NY are you located? We may be able to recommend some quality contractors.

blazin202

Hey - im in westchester county, ny by yonkers