Looking for a new residential oil boiler

gh0st

We currently have a Weil McLain Gold series from the early 90s. It's sprung a small leak between the sections of the heat exchanger and the local service company said the entire thing has to be replaced.

The house is 1100sqft with two zones for hydronic baseboard heat. The boiler is also used as a source of tankless hot water.

The local place sells Weil McLain and Peerless. They spec'ed out a Peerless WBV-04 as a replacement for us.

We're looking to stay in the house for awhile, so I don't want anything that is only going to last a few years. Would this be a good option or are there better ones out there?

STEVEusaPA

OMG,are you in Alaska? A 4 section? Unless you are somewhere where it gets super cold, the smallest boiler is too big.
I'd recommend an EK.
https://energykinetics.com/#boiler-products

gh0st

Haha, not in Alaska, just Connecticut

HVACNUT

Agree with @STEVEusaPA, the 4 section is too large. Even the 3 section has a max firing rate of 1.10 GPH which is 154K BTU input. 
And don't go with a tankless coil again. Spend a little more and get an indirect water heater. 

MaxMercy

gh0st said:

Haha, not in Alaska, just Connecticut

I'm in CT, and my house is a two story Colonial about 2800sq, and my boiler is a 154K that shipped with a 1.10 and a 1.25 gph nozzle included that I downfired (with OK from Slant) to .85 gph, and it's still short cycling more than I like except on the coldest days.

Follow the advice here and make sure your boiler isn't too big.

EBEBRATT-Ed

@gh0st

The most important thing is to get a good installer. The installer should do a heat loss of the house and not base the sizing off the old boiler.

EK is good if you have an EK dealer in your area. Otherwise Peerless and Weil McLain are both good

Hot_water_fan

Agree with getting the sizing right - you’ll probably be limited to the smallest oil boiler and it’ll still be way oversized. 

You can give this a shot, it’s quick and easy. 

https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/article/out-with-the-old-in-with-the-new

Consider separating the domestic hot water and the boiler, boilers are extremely inefficient at heating water and oil is an expensive fuel. A heat pump water heat is more efficient and if placed next to the boiler could be a thermal purge of sorts during the winter and dehumidifier during the summer. Even a run of the mill electric tank water heater probably matches oil and tankless coil fuel cost, maybe even approaches oil and indirect. 

jimna01

In Connecticut with $0.20 /kwh hour electric rates any form of heating water by electric restive heating is a trip to the poor house. My 3-pass cast iron boiler heats my house and DHW with an indirect water heater. I burn maybe 550 gallons of oil per year. The gas company recently brought natural gas into our neighborhood. I ran the numbers. I could replace my oil burner with a gas burner , but I don't gain anything in efficiency. Perhaps its better for the environment but I need to spend $XXXX for the conversion (mostly the cost of running the gas line to the house.) Based on my oil consumption I will pay a premium per therm for the gas because I don't use enough. I just can't make the conversion numbers work. Never mind putting in a modulating or combi boiler. When I ran those numbers I would need to live in my house for 22 years to get payback. I am 66 years old. I sure hope in 22 years I am still healthy and active. But I am not betting the cost of a an efficient well designed gas system , I would rather use that money for fun stuff.

MaxMercy

jimna01 said:

Never mind putting in a modulating or combi boiler. When I ran those numbers I would need to live in my house for 22 years to get payback.

If what I have read about the lifetime of a mod/com boiler, I don't know if I could have ever recovered the investment. I installed a standard boiler and am planning on another 30 years.

Fizz

How have things been with your current set-up? If heat is good and hot water plentiful, stay with what you got. Has it been short cycling? If ain't broke don't change; find nearest WM boiler to yours, pretty sure they still make your size.