weil Mclain model 68 replacement and BTU's neede for heat and hot water

mushrat

Hello, I am a new member so please forgive me if this question has been covered. It is time to replace my 29 year old weil mclain model 68 oil fired boiler w/ domestic hot water coil as it has leaking at the cast sections near the coil. I have used many online BTU calculators to find my needed size but none seem to take into account heating domestic hot water. I have a 2 story, 2 zone baseboard radiator 1100 square foot cape, very well insulated with 8' ceilings. just 2 occupants with single bath. The btu calculators are only saying between 48,000 and 60,000 BTU's for this size house but I'm guessing DHW requires more? My woodstove does most of our heating anyway. I am very concerned that I will be upsold on too much boiler. We have had no issues over the years with heat or hot water with our current boiler. Does anyone know what model gold series boiler is most similar to the 68? Thanks for reading and Happy new year!

lchmb

my suggestion would be to size the boiler to the heat load only. Go with a good quality 3 pass boiler with an indirect. Personally I dont put the indirect on priority, just add a mixing valve and run the tank at 150 degrees.. A system 2000 may be another good option for you.. I would recommend against adding a coil boiler...

mushrat

Thanks for the advice, we did consider going with an indirect water heater but we lack the space and we were just told we might need to go with a chimney liner as well because we have no terra cotta liner in it and the BX cable supplying our current boiler does not ground well with the digital controls on the new boilers ...the cost of this replacement already quickly rising..LOL!

lchmb

Not sure why the bx cable would be an issue. I replace all of that as part of my boiler installs but I live in a different state so different rules... Going with a coil, you will pay for it for years to come. I realize the price is high but pay now or pay for the life of it... The only other suggestions I might make, ask for references from whoever you get estimates from. Dont go with the first offer and shop around..it's a big cost... Make sure your contract spells everything out that will be done...

STEVEusaPA

Go with an EK. There's probably an add for Energy Kinetics on the right------------------------------>>>

bob eck

Take a look at the Trio oil boiler sold by F W Webb.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gaD_Nz2dGY&feature=share

http://www.pureproproducts.com/htg/trio_boilers.html

Trio oil boiler has a small foot print. 3 pass cast iron boiler horizontal flue.

Vaughn has a 10 gallon indirect water heater and Superstore has a 20 gallon indirect water heater.

You can locate the water heater away from the boiler. They do not need to be side by side.

The Trio oil boiler can be converted to use natural gas or LP gas in the future if you do not want to burn fuel oil. When going to gas on the Trio boiler you will NOT loose the warranty.

Other boiler manufacturers like Weil Mclain, Burnham and New Yorker if you buy and install a oil boiler and you convert that oil boiler over to burning gas you will loose any warranty left on the boiler.

With the 3 and 4 section these two size boilers can be direct sidewall vented without a power ventor. The Trio oil boiler that is sidewall vented uses an Reillo burner.

Using a low mass (low water volume) boiler cold start and using a indirect water heater is a great way to use less oil than installing a oil boiler with domestic coil in it having to keep the boiler with coil at 160 - 180 degrees 24/7/365 just to take a shower.