Buying a house with an old oil boiler
Hi all - I know nothing about oil heating or boilers - but the home we are buying has an oil boiler for forced water baseboard heating and (I believe) also serves as the water heater. Can anyone comment on if the setup looks good? I have no idea how old it is, but it's definitely not from within the last 18 years (it was here when previous owners bought it). From what I've googled, it seems to be cast-iron which seems good. Anything look like a problem to you? Or anything in particular I need to check on or ask more questions about?
Thank you so much for your help
Comments
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Well it's piped correctly.
It is a cast iron wet base boiler. Probably 20 years old, minimum.
It's got a Tiger Loop on the left side as part of the oil lines to the burner. That could be for practical purposes, or it could have been installed to mask an oil related issue. Where is the oil tank? If buried, is it steel or fiberglass?
The boiler itself is a Weil McLain WTGO-3 or 4 with a Beckett AFG burner. It might never die, but it's not exactly the epitome of efficiency. Trust me, I have a WTGO-3 but with a Riello burner.
Mine is from '96 and I moved in in 2001, and it's been on my list for quite some time to upgrade. Not because it's irreparable, there's just much more efficient oil fired systems out there.
Hopefully you're in an area with a plethora of oil dealers and you can find a good company to service and maintain your system until it's time to upgrade.
I can't tell if it's the camera or not but it looks a little dark around the burner door. It could need a new rope gasket or a new chamber depending on the condition.
Any history? Copies of combustion reports or anything? I see foil tape on the flue so it has been tested at least once.
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Get yourself a competent oil burner tech, and/or oil company to go over it.
First thing I'd want to know is if the boiler's pressure gauge is working, because it looks like it's showing 0, and you don't want to dry fire that boiler.
The air scoop is garbage and the vent above it is leaking, I'd cut that out and press in a beter air eliminator.
You're probably over pumped.
If the boiler isn't leaking, it could last 20 more years or 20 more minutes.
Best to find the company who has been serving this burner/boiler and see if they can provide some info.
Most buyers get a home inspection (before the market went nuts) so you could ask the seller to get something from the oil company about service and it's perceived condition.At least it's pumping away…
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I would definitely get it checked out by a competent oil burner technician, or at least review the service history if you can find it.
Nitpicking aside, that is a well-made, mostly well installed, efficient boiler/burner combo that nearly anyone competent can work on and that uses standard parts. Most home heating systems are not installed exactly by the book, and they still work reasonably well. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".—
Bburd
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I'm not a Weil McLain fan however I would not recommend you to replace it. It appears to be in good working order and installed with only minor/insignificant flaws. 18" approch pipe for air scoop just means it is 50% efficient on air removal, so the water needs to circulate multiple times before all the air is removed. Discoloration around the door is is something that can be addressed. I agree with those that say you need to find a competent fuel oil burner repair person/company. The fuel oil dealer can be a good source for that. Service agreement with automatic delivery from a larger fuel dealer has its benefits, but the fuel costs more form those companies. Lower cost "Fuel Oil only" dealers (does not provide other services) may save you on fuel cost but you might run out of oil, put your own fuel additives in, need to pay cash to the delivery driver and find your own repairman. If you are lucky, you will find something in between that provides you what you need without the overpriced fuel.
Your heater looks fine. I worked on many with little to no problem over my career.
Mr. Ed
Edward Young Retired
After you make that expensive repair and you still have the same problem, What will you check next?
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Thank you all so much! I have no experience with oil so this system makes me a bit nervous - but your feedback is reassuring. We will definitely have it inspected. Hopefully we can just have it maintained regularly for a few more years!
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Oh, and the oil tank is not burried - attaching picture here.
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I was taught that overhead fuel lines on a basement tank were not a good idea. Three reasons:
- Fuel unit "gear set" can cause a vibration in the fuel lines that may be amplified if connected to the basement ceiling/upstairs floor joists. That can be annoying.
- Harder to prime the fuel unit.
- More likely to have nuisance failures due to air being trapped in the overhead fuel line.
All three of those concerns are eliminated by the Tiger Loop with flex line connections to the fuel line. Tiger loops were not invented when I was told about overhead fuel lines.
The top of the tank looks messy, but that is normal. I don't know why, but just about every oil tank looks that way after 10 years or so. Just keep an eye on the bottom of the tank. If the bottom looks damp or wet from fuel oil, then it is time to stop using that tank. Looks fine now from this angle.
So no repiping is needed Mad Dog. I agree with you Matt. (See: MadDog below)
Edward Young Retired
After you make that expensive repair and you still have the same problem, What will you check next?
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It looks very typical...not bad at all. You could just get the burner tuned pump, nozzle, filter and brushed and vac'd..Combustion test..good oil company can do all of that. If you don't have air problems don't repipe anything. Save that money for a Future New Boiler..Run it till it leaks someday. Mad
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awesome - thanks so much!!
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How does someone go about finding a "Competent oil burner tech" ?
How will they know they're competent?
Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
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@ChrisJ the stock answer is: the same way one finds a competent electrician or dentist. Recommendations from neighbors, friends or real estate agents. Yelp reviews. Etc.
The "find a contractor" link on this site would be a good place to start. If that didn't turn up anyone local I would probably ask the manager or an experienced counter person at a local HVAC supply house.
None of this is guaranteed to work of course, but if there is doubt about their competence, we can probably figure it out on this board.—
Bburd
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