need new boiler:

jb

We live in an 80 yr. old house with hot water radiator heat. When we moved in 15 yrs ago the heat was wonderful. Over the last 5-6 yrs it is not. We have had three very reputable companies come out and they all recommend a new boiler. The estimates range from $2700 to $4700. All three companies will use a diff boiler: Burnham, WeilMacClain, Dunkirk. (I've read somewhere that the Dunkirk has been recalled.) Two will replace the expansion tank which hangs on the ceiling in the basement near the boiler. We have 13 rads in the house: 8 are cast iron ranging between 5-17 ribs, 24-36" tall, the other 5 have like "plates" in them. The cheapest bid does not include moving the thermostat which is in a room that gets full sun. That guy is hestitant about moving it bec of the age of the house and who-knows-what's-in-the-walls. He suggests hiring an electrician for that job. But that still can't cost $2000. One guy will use a BG100 pump, the other a Taco3450rpm. We currently have two pumps bec there is an addition on the house and one pump and one thermostat control that part. Can anyone give some good advice and not confuse us any more? Thanks in advance. jb

LongTownFellow

I'm a homeowner and just went through this. This is my experience.

I initially called about 14-16 different contractors using the yellow pages and recommendations from family/friends. About 10 got back to me, 6 came out to inspect my job (4 said they weren't interested). Four submitted written bids. Each contractor had a piece of equipment that they recommend (i.e., Utica, Weil Maclain, Burnham). Some of the contractors stated they would install what I wanted, but it would cost more (for example, I was told that Burnham is better than Utica or Weil MacLain and would cost between 500 and 1000 bucks more for a basic boiler). Their bids came in between 2,700 and 3,500 for a basic, no frills 80% efficient atmospheric boiler. One guy was an outlier at 4,500.

I selected the contractor I went with for several reason, only one of which was price. The other reasons were: Professionalism, knowledge and courtesy during visits to my house; thoughtful responses to my questions; recommendations from contractors who didn't want to bid my job; the fact that the OWNER of the company would be the one installing my boiler; removal of the old equipment; replacing all the little stuff with new (expansion tank, back-flow valve, air eliminator, circulator) and the willingness to install a more fuel-efficient boiler than the standard tried-and-true 80% atmospheric models.

One bid was just way high - I guess they didn?' want my job. Another bid said that they would not remove the old boiler (even though there was no asbestos), but they would recommend someone to do that. How was I going to get this monster out? One bidder was just so unprofessional - even tho the price was low, I did not have a lot of confidence after meeting with him.

Bottom line: Who you select is just as important (if not more important) than how much you pay (within reason, of course).

I also encourage you to do your homework, and check out the boiler manufacturers web sites (they all have one), and look at efficiencies and warranties. My installer gave me a 1-year guarantee on the install.

I ended up going with a high efficiency Utica USC-4 sealed combustion, piped in a pump away setup, for about 4 grand (the normal efficiency Utica was 3 grand). Not sure I?ll ever get the payback for the high efficiency, but I got sealed combustion (which I wanted) and a rebate check from the gas company (for an 85%+ model).

The installer was great. The installation was neat, timely, and inspected. I would recommend him to anyone.

Al Letellier

To homeowner

What a refreshing letter you wrote. It would be so much easier for the real pros out there if everyone took your approach. Dan preaches it all the time and a lot of us try to practice professionalism and it's nice to see that you recognize that. And I'm sure I speak for a lot of us "pros" out here. Quality never comes cheap and the sweetness of low price is forgotten long before the bitterness of poor quality. Congratulations on doing your homework and getting what sounds like a quality contractor to do your work. You won't regret it a bit.

To Learn More About This Contractor, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"

Steamhead

And

you mentioned that the heat has not worked well for the past 5-6 years. If I were doing that job, I'd want to know why, and see that the problem is fixed. If you have a problem somewhere in the system, a new boiler will not cure it.

Try the Find a Contractor page of this site to locate a Wethead near you. If you're in the Baltimore area, e-mail me!

To Learn More About This Contractor, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"

heatboy

What are you getting for your money?

What is the heat loss of your home? Your bids sound pretty low for the system you are describing. The boilers you mention all pretty much the same boiler with different jackets. You say there is a new tank going in. What else?

Pressure reducing valve/back flow preventer?

Isolation valves for the pumps? B&G 100 (great pump) cost 4 times what a 007 costs.

Low water cut-off?

Is your contractor able to set up the boiler and do a start-up, then handle all service work in the future?

Has anyone offered you efficiency/comfort upgrades like reset technology?

How about domestic hot water? That's always a good option.

Lot's of questions that need to be answered. A real professional would have laid all of this out to you before the bid process had even begun.

hb

To Learn More About This Contractor, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"