Oil to gas conversion question.

Navi

Hi All,

I live in Northern New Jersey and have had oil heat since the past 23 years, the boiler is a Weil -Mclain Psog-3 114 BTU , steam boiler and as been regularly serviced by the oil company .5 years ago the internal fiberglass gasket was replaced as well as a side metal plate which basically rusted and was dripping water. The boiler was in the house before we moved in and i called Weil - Mclain and they said that the unit was shipped out from the factory in September on 1996.

I'm concerned about the efficiency of the unit considering the age and the oil service guys don't basically help in any way ( they just perform the basic service and that's it ) And yes we have a new gas meter in the house which is about 10-15 feet away. ( gas is only used for hot water and cooking )

I'm considering switching over to gas heat since i don't know how long this unit will last, questions i have is can this unit be converted to gas by changing the gun ? how much will this cost and will it be efficient , I'm aware that i will have to line the chimney and get rid of the oil tank which also has about 50% oil left in it . So basically can my unit be converted to gas , is it recommend considering the age ? If i change over to gas how much is the approx expense for a new boiler/ chimney liner/ tank removal or retro fit the existing boiler with a gas gun and lining the chimney / tank removal .Would anyone in this forum know if a reliable company who will do the job the correct way?

Would anyone please suggest new gas gun make and cost and or a new gas boiler made by weil mclain or any other reliable company.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide much appreciated. And also if you can recommend any company who can help in my area.

EBEBRATT-Ed

Check "find a contractor" on this site" Contact @clammy or @EzzyT

ethicalpaul

Hi Neighbor!

You're looking at a few different contractors probably. My house had its chimney lined by Chimney Pros in northern NJ and it seems fine.

Maybe that boiler is an amazing workhorse from the past (others will know that) but for me, I'd be getting quotes from steam contractors who you will find in the "find a contractor" section on this site for a new gas boiler, Peerless or Weil-Mclain probably. Make sure your contractor measures your radiators to see what size unit you need.

The efficiency will be about the same, and the operating cost might be slightly less, but for me the real benefit is not having to store hazardous materials in your basement anymore plus the reduced maintenance requirements of a gas boiler. When you sell the house it will go a lot easier with a new gas boiler as opposed to an old oil burner or retrofit situation.

EzzyT

@Navi you can reach me at 2018878856

Steamhead

That model number should say "P-SGO-3", correct?

This type of boiler will run nicely with a Carlin EZ-Gas or Midco EC-200 burner, properly installed in place of the present oil burner. We've converted quite a few of them. The overall efficiency is better than a standard gas boiler because 1- there is more heat-transfer surface available to the flame, 2- you have much better control over the combustion air, and 3- less heat is lost out of the base.

SGO boilers can be had without the burner, so if one of these fails, the same burner can be installed in the replacement SGO if it's the same size.

EzzyT

Depending on the overall condition of the existing boiler, the near boiler piping and if the size is comparable to the equivalent direct radiation of the system then a conversion on the existing boiler would be a go. Otherwise a new boiler would be your best choice and at that time you can do the conversion. As @Steamhead has said a wet based boiler will always outperform a atmospheric boiler. 

Fizz

I had a SGO-6 whice we converted to gas in 2016 using a Wayne P250 AF which worked-out well. We sold the house 2 yrs ago and new family loves the performance. At the time we down-sized the BTU to accommodate 480 SF...no problems.

Navi

thank you all for your replies i will contact you Ezzy , appreciate your help

EBEBRATT-Ed

People downgrade pin boilers but the Weil Mclain is pretty good IMHO. They have been around a long time and seem to hold up pretty well