Replacing single pipe boiler

J. McInnis

This page is great. Thanks to all of you for taking the time to respond. I'll weigh the info and consult a pro before doing anything rash.
Thanks again
J. McInnis

J. McInnis

Replacing single pipe steam boiler

We are looking to buy a house that has a single pipe steam system with an oil fired boiler. The boiler is in rough shape, but the local gas company will give homeowners a new one if they convert to gas. My question is if there are some boilers that are a better choice for a retrofit, and whether there will be significant problems balancing the system with a newer, more efficient boiler. Thanks for any info.

kevin coppinger_4

well for starters...

the installation in a steam application is CRITICAL. If not done well your efficiency, comfort and sanity(banging) will suffer. The near boiler piping is the key a real steam pro is what you need...heat loss,system flush and total system eval. is needed..not a chop and swap.
I like oil for steam set ups. Be careful about the "FREE" boiler...nothing is free....kpc

Al Letellier

free gas boiler

Age old ploy by the gas company to get you to burn lots of their gas. The boiler may be free, but you pay for the install, and if an independent does the work, he'll probably charge you mark up on the value of the boiler. No contractor worth his salt will work just for labor.
The gas company also typically will use lower efficiency boilers. That way youb burn more gas than you should, and you end up paying for the boiler over the long haul.
Oil is still head and shoudlers above gas as a fuel source. If you still want gas, ask the gas company if they offer an efficiency upgrade. If not, don't fall for this offer, it's not what it seems.

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Steamhead

The boiler isn't the only thing

that affects your fuel efficiency. That said, any new boiler you get will have an annual efficiency (AFUE) of at least 80%. This is true of oil or gas boilers. And don't forget, with oil you have a pro coming to tune the system each year. This way, you can often find and fix problems before they cause the system to shut down. As far as I know, gas companies do not do this annual service/checkup any more.

Once the boiler has generated the steam, its job is done. From that point the system must move the steam to the radiators. Pipe insulation and air venting are key here.

The boiler must be sized and installed according to the maker's instructions. If this is not done, you will have big problems. Go to the Find a Contractor page of this site to locate somone who can do it right.

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Unknown

With all things being equal

Meaning that the new boiler is installed up to specs , and the system is sized and piped correctly , does any one gas steam boiler outperform the others ?

I have only worked with 3 brands - Peerless , Weil Mclain and Burnham , and all of them seem to work just as well producing steam . The Weil Mclain EG uses 3 inch supply tappings , which might work better than the 2 inch tappings Peerless and Burnham use with their steam boilers . The only drawback with using the Weil is you have to be careful what chemicals and sealants are added , so they don't affect the gaskets .