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Should I replace my old Weil McClain?

jlbk
jlbk Member Posts: 14
in Strictly Steam
My current property is 3000 sq ft with 17 radiators of various sizes totaling approximately 400-450 sq ft of radiation. The existing boiler is huge and old. 300k btu input. If my calculations are correct, I need a 150k btu boiler that’s rated for 454 net sq fr of radiation. What are my savings with the smaller and newer boiler? Should I wait for it to die first?

Comments

  • EdTheHeaterMan
    EdTheHeaterMan Member Posts: 8,324
    edited February 2022
    There may be some savings, but as a rule, a steam boiler, even an oversized steam boiler, is pretty efficient at sending heat to the radiators. So not a big savings compared the the cost of a new boiler installed properly. There not a lot of moving parts on the old steam boilers that are not on the new boilers. Keep the Low Water Cutoff (LWCO) clear by flushing the blowoff valve weekly while there is steam pressure on the boiler (even just a few ounces of pressure is all you need). Be careful it's hot steam and water coming out that valve

    The time to consider getting a new boiler is when the old boiler starts leaking.

    Just my opinion

    Edward Young Retired

    After you make that expensive repair and you still have the same problem, What will you check next?

    dabrakemanHap_Hazzarddelcrossv
  • kcopp
    kcopp Member Posts: 4,462
    If you keep adding Red Bull to it Im sure it will last a few more years....
    CLambluketheplumberEdTheHeaterMandelcrossv
  • Hap_Hazzard
    Hap_Hazzard Member Posts: 2,846
    kcopp said:

    If you keep adding Red Bull to it Im sure it will last a few more years....


    Just another DIYer | King of Prussia, PA
    1983(?) Peerless G-561-W-S | 3" drop header, CG400-1090, VXT-24
    bucksnortEdTheHeaterMandelcrossv
  • Hap_Hazzard
    Hap_Hazzard Member Posts: 2,846
    To answer your question: "not right now."

    I started looking around for replacement boilers, not because there's anything wrong with my Peerless, but because it's 40 years old and nothing lasts forever. What I found was that the models I was interested in were currently unavailable from most of the places I looked at, so shopping around for the best price was impossible.

    Save your money and wait for things to get back to something approximating normal.
    Just another DIYer | King of Prussia, PA
    1983(?) Peerless G-561-W-S | 3" drop header, CG400-1090, VXT-24
    EdTheHeaterMan
  • The Steam Whisperer
    The Steam Whisperer Member Posts: 1,233
    If you know what the current peak design heat loss for the structure is, I have efficiency curves for both atmospheric and power burner boilers so you can get a pretty good idea what the potential savings are...this is assuming that the current boiler isn't heavily limed up or has a hole in it.
    To learn more about this professional, click here to visit their ad in Find A Contractor.

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