Boiler/hot water question

frankjc

Hello I have a Burnham oil-fired boiler forced hot water heat with the coil for domestic hot water. My coil has become clogged and I have decided that I am going to have a 50 gallon electric hot water heater installed and not use the coil anymore. What should I do about the coil should I cap off the pipes should I leave the water connected to it? Is there any harm if there's no water in the coil in the boiler fires up? do I have to do something to the boiler so it's not looking to make hot water anymore?
Thank thank you

Jamie Hall

You can cap one pipe -- but do NOT cap both of them. No need to have water in it, no need to connect anything to it or leave any connections, no harm to the boiler for not having water in the coil. So you're good there.

However... there is probably an aquastat somewhere on the boiler or the piping which kept the boiler hot so you'd have hot water when you wanted it. That you do not need, or at least you want to adjust it. There are two schools of thought on keeping the boiler for a hot water system warm. One says no, don't bother (cold start). The other says better to keep it warm, but not hot (warm start). There is merit to both, and not much to be said either way as to fuel use.

STEVEusaPA

You’d be better off with a small indirect.

frankjc

Thank you. Is the warm start option better, to keep the water warm for heating?

STEVEusaPA

If you add an indirect, you'd essential be warm start. If you pipe in boiler protection, you'd only be condensing a short time and it wouldn't be much of a problem.

frankjc

I thought of something else. I get water hammer when my washing machine runs. It will sometimes make the relief valve in this picture spit a little water. Is this going to be bad for the new water heater, if that valve is no longer connected?
I am just going to go ahead and have water hammer arrestors installed

STEVEusaPA

Don't see a picture.
You should check your incoming water pressure.
Either way, but especially if you have a back flow preventer on your domestic service, you should add a domestic expansion tank, charged to the same pressure as your water service, on the cold line before the water heater.
Water hammer arrestors are also a good idea, in addition to the properly charged, domestic expansion tank.

EdTheHeaterMan

Is the cost of the water heater that much less than a replacement coil for the boiler?

The clogged coil is probably due to no maintenance! That said the water heater tank will need to be replaced in about 10 years.

What ever you decide, do the recommended maintenance to make your DHW device last longer... whatever kind you choose

I would certainly want you to purchase the more expensive job if I owned the company solving your problem. As a salesman I would make a larger commission on the higher price project.

Just saying

https://www.supplyhouse.com/Weil-Mclain-590-921-904-Tankless-Heater-Coil-E-624

https://www.supplyhouse.com/Bradford-White-RE250T6-1NCWW-50-Gallon-Energy-Saver-Electric-Residential-Water-Heater-240V?gclid=CjwKCAjwh7H7BRBBEiwAPXjadtKIKwnKxDO3J-EvxYn8aD6oaaihL-Www3GXiIjE3NcvNxFfwazBvRoCaQMQAvD_BwE