Repair or replace oil steam boiler with a new gas boiler?

random12345

A relative of mine has a two-family rental with two steam boilers. This is in the Boston area. One of them is gas, and the other is oil. The oil tank has started leaking and needs to be either removed or replaced. The gas boiler is an EG, and has a 1994 date on the label. The oil boiler (Weil-Mclain P-SGO-4) was manufactured 12/26/97. It's 25.5 years old at most, but probably less than that. Does anyone know how long they stay in inventory on average?
Gauge glass is leaking. So is the tankless heater cover plate. I cleaned off the mud on the glass today, filled up the boiler all the way into the riser, removed the vent pipe and looked through the top and checked the bottom for leaks. Didn't see any, but didn't open the burner door either to look inside so may have missed something. I'm thinking a technician should be able to install a new tankless heater gasket and cover plate and seal the leaky gauge glass. If the tech does not spot any cracks/holes and everything else is in working order, should he get a new oil tank and hold onto this boiler, or is it time to get rid of it?
If he does get a new gas steam boiler, what are your thoughts about the existing piping? Is it worth it to get rid of the tee at the top? The current tenant says all the radiators get hot, no noise, no other complaints about the heat. Doesn't mean much I know, but it's what I'm working with at the moment. EDR of the radiators is 234 2/3 sq ft.

Mad Dog_2

New need main vents...Will look at rest of pics later  mad Dog 

random12345

Yes definitely. If I can get the old ones off I can do that myself. Appreciate any insights you might have. Thanks.

Steamhead

How long is each steam main? What pipe size are they?

random12345

@Steamhead From the tee going right, main is around 27 ft, and the return coming back is about the same. Going left main is 10 ft and return is the same. Mains are 2”, returns are 1”. A couple of the runouts from the main supply more than one rad. Riser from the boiler is also 2”, so is header, equalizer is 1.5”. Is it worth it to get rid those two tees and repipe with two separate risers from the header one connected to right main the other to the left?

The EG boiler for the other unit was installed October 2000, and has pretty much the same piping configuration. 

Steamhead

First thing I'd try is a Gorton #1 on the long main and a Hoffman #4A or similar on the short one. If the present vents are roughly equivalent to a #4A, you can keep one on the short main.

The steam piping isn't great, but the first thing to do is the vents. That will reduce the boiler's run-time.

And of course you should vent the mains for the other boiler too.

Long Beach Ed

Your answer depends on what kind of landlord the owner is. If he invests in his buildings, and is planning to keep them, he should replace the boiler. Gas is more efficient, less trouble and free of tank problems. Usually it's cheaper. A 25 year old boiler has probably earned its retirement.

But a new boiler won't get you more rent. If the landlord is cheap, he'll patch up the old one, install the cheapest tank he can find and perhaps get another ten or fifteen years out of the oil boiler.

I own many rentals. I put the best equipment in them and maintain them well. I don't want to replace a boiler in January. I can say that over 35 years and a thousand tenants, I never had one without heat for more than an hour or two. That means I sleep well at night.

random12345

Thanks to everyone for the input. As it turns out, my relative handed off the project to his GC, and he didn't want to hear a single word I had to say even after I had spent hours measuring the radiators, testing the boiler for leaks, and getting estimates from steam pros in our area. I warned the GC that most plumbers do not know what they're doing when it comes to steam systems, and that I had found several installers who did, having already been through this before with our own steam boiler replacement. He thought I was arrogant. In hindsight, perhaps I should have phrased things differently. Maybe "most plumbers" do follow the manual, what do I know? I told him the boiler was nearly 100% oversized, not piped as well as it could be, and inadequately vented. No response from him, so I'm out! No idea what he's going to do and don't care either at this point. I wouldn't be surprised if he simply slots in the same size gas boiler and doesn't address the piping or venting. Missed opportunity for my relative and his tenants but not my problem anymore. On the plus side, this project motivated me to finally start reading the Lost Art, and I'm working my way through it. "Avoid Bullheaded Tees."

Steamhead

I bet he uses whoever is cheapest, like most landlords.

ChrisJ

No good deed goes unpunished.........

KC_Jones

The fire museum I did an evaluation for, and wrote a 20 page report including venting charts and such, is now fundraising to put in mini splits. The boiler is basically brand new and installed wrong, along with a whole host of other issues in the building, venting being a big one. Glad I spent all those hours doing free work for a non profit, to have them listen to the "experts" instead.

EBEBRATT-Ed

@KC_Jones & @random12345

been down that road before myself. It's usually relatives and friends that do not believe you. They will get a cheap job and it won't work. The question is when the installer won't respond to the job when it won't work they will call you back in the middle of the winter will you fix it up. Me I think I would go over one time......just to laugh