Need help on how to shop for new oil heat boiler

DRW98

My oil company says i should be prepared for my 25 yo+ Weil McLain Gold boiler to leak and need to be replaced at anytime, and recommended getting proposals for a new boiler. We have oil heat and an indirect water tank. The house is in NY, old (built 1928), and about 2100 sf living space with hot water radiators. Any suggestions on how to start this process , who to call etc? I got an initial ball park estimate of $K to $K for the job. I plan to sell the house within 5 years and prefer not to pay for the gold standard system. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Hot_water_fan

No prices are allowed. New oil boilers aren't cheap, but do your best to get one that's the right size. Here's one way:
https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/article/replacing-a-furnace-or-boiler

Mad Dog_2

Hi DR..Don't be so sure...Its very hard to predict its death.  Can you put up some pictures for us?  Where in NY are you?  We have several really good installers here.  Mad Dog 🐕 

WMno57

Suggest you ask the oil company what specifically they saw on your boiler that leads them to believe it will leak soon. Or are they saying it will leak soon because its 25 years old and claiming 25 years is near end of life for the boiler? If the later, either they don't know boilers, or they think you are gullible. Which should take them out of the running to be your boiler installation contractor.
Get a second opinion:
Is there a contractor near you on the HeatingHelp Find a Contractor Tool?
https://www.heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/state/NY
If not, what town are you near, we might be able to recommend someone.
You are welcome to post a picture of your boiler here on this thread. Not as good as an in person inspection, but we may be able to identify some problems in the photo.

Mad Dog_2

Amen!  Mad Dog 🐕 

DRW98

DRW98

I trust the oil co inspector (I’ve been with them 10 years).  He saw some signs of leaking water, didn’t say that failure was imminent but said that I should be prepared as it could fail at anytime.  I’m taking his advice to be proactive. I’m central Westchester, near White Plains.  Thanks. 

STEVEusaPA

I can't say if/when that boiler may leak. It's either starting to leak, and the place can be determined, or it isn't. Could be a component like a relief valve dripping. I would also get some bids from other companies. And I'd definitely seriously consider an EK.
You should replace the current system with a system that will provide you with the most comfort that you can afford. Right now most real estate markets are hot and it doesn't matter. But down the road, a junk system may affect the selling price of your home, where potential buyers may want you to replace the system, or drop your price. And with an EK, it could easily be converted to gas, if that has to happen in the future.
I had a customer with basically a failed steam system. Cracked, leaking buried returns, wasting water, poor heating, using a ton of oil. But they were selling "probably next year". Well that went on for over 10 years. The money he could've saved on oil, and the comfort delivered with a properly installed/commissioned steam system would've out weighed the cost of the replacement. In the end, they had to put a brand new system in to sell the house. What a dumb waste.

WMno57

Nice looking boiler. The oil company company inspector needs to show you the leak and identify by name in writing the part that is leaking. You are not out of line to ask for this. If there is a leak, the following should be checked and corrected if found so it doesn't kill the next boiler.

• Flue gas condensation caused by incorrect burner setup
  
• Flue gas condensation due to boiler not piped primary secondary or other boiler protection method
  
• Boiler filled with softened water from household water softener
  
• City water with high chlorides (road salt) (ask city for water report
  

jesmed1

We have two Weil-McLain golds exactly the same age as yours. They could start leaking tomorrow, or you could get another 15 years out of them. If you plan on selling the house in 5 years, there's no reason to get a new boiler now. There's a good chance the one you have will last until then.

So don't replace them until they do fail. Meanwhile, (1) do the heat loss calculation per the link that Hot Water Fan gave above, and (2) consider other options like converting to natural gas. Here in the Boston area we would have saved 25%-35% per heating season over the last 10 years if we had been burning natural gas instead of oil. And right now, gas is 45% less expensive than oil. So check your local prices and compare gas vs. oil on a per-BTU basis. One way to do that is to calculate cost per 100,000 BTU. For oil, there are 140,000 BTU in a gallon, so divide price per gallon by 1.4, and that's your oil cost per 100,000 BTU. For gas, 100,000 BTU is one therm, so find the price per therm from your local gas company (for residential heating, because the rates vary depending on the use) and make sure to add in all the supply & distribution charges. Our local gas company has three different line items that you have to add up in order to figure the total price per therm.

I'm now looking into the option of removing our Becket oil burner and installing a Carlin EZ Gas burner instead. Swapping the burners lets you keep your existing boiler, and just change the burner to accommodate a different fuel. That's a relatively low-cost option for switching to gas. The more expensive option is buying an entirely new gas boiler, but I wouldn't buy a new boiler until the old one bites the dust.

Mad Dog_2

That's a very open-ended, ambiguous statement.  Its a Hot water boiler. Its under constant pressure.  Leaks are going to be rather obvious. I'm sure he's a great trusted man, but a few other opinions can't hurt.  Mad Dog 🐕