will existing system work?

Doug_12

Hello all. I have a very old (1975) gas hot water (radiators)furnace. It is a gravity system. There is no circulator pump on the unit. This unit does only heating for the house, not domestic hot water. I would like to replace it this summer and I am wondering, can I just put a new boiler in its place with a circulator pump, or, would it have to be replaced with another gravity system furnace. I guess I am just afraid that I might do damage to something if I put a circulator pump in something that was not designed for it. I can't for the life of me see whey I could not do it though. Thanks for your help.

Doug_12

will existing system work

Hello all. I have a very old (1975) gas hot water (radiators)furnace. It is a gravity system. There is no circulator pump on the unit. This unit does only heating for the house, not domestic hot water. I would like to replace it this summer and I am wondering, can I just put a new boiler in its place with a circulator pump, or, would it have to be replaced with another gravity system furnace?I guess I am just afraid that I might do damage to something if I put a circulator pump in something that was not designed for it. I can't for the life of me see why I could not do it though. Thanks for your help.

Dale

Hot tech topics

Look and click to the left on hot tech topics to read about gravity systems. If you current system works payback to a new boiler can be pretty long. How long since the heat exchanger flue passages have been professionally cleaned, what is the stack temp? What near boiler piping changes would you need to add a pump, which pump? You may want to go slow on this decision.