Is this boiler too old?

CPyne

The boiler in the house I just bought is a "hydrotherm" gas boiler from 1959. Does anyone know if a new boiler would be significantly more efficient? Eveyone seems to have advice on this, but opinions have ranged from "a new one will pay for itself" to "you'll notice no difference". Does anyone have experience with this and know if it is possibly worth replacing this old one?

Thanks!
Charlie

Mark Eatherton1

You should see...

a minimum of a 30% reduction, and possibly as high as 50% reduction depending upon numerous variables.

ME

.

I just replaced a boiler from 1970 and got a condensing, modulating Munchkin wih outdoor reset. On the coldest days it's using nearly as much gas as the old boiler. It does better on less cold days, averaging about a 20% saving. This is just one story, of course; some people may save a lot, but we aren't saving enough to pay for the new boiler. The problem in this business is that people suggest that you'll save a lot, but can't and don't give any guarantees.

One argument in favor of a new boiler is comfort...you may have gotten used to the up/down feeling of old-fashioned stop and go heating with overly hot water, but the difference with reset (almost continuous circulation using variable-temperature water) is quite striking. (I ran my boiler without reset one day just to remind myself what it used to be like.)

Paul Mitchell_2

1959...

How old is your car. ? This system is 46 years old. Let it go. Savings will be significant depending on system you install.

Steamhead

Charlie, is this

a steam or hot-water system?

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CPyne

Its a hot water system.

Steamhead

Then you might want to look at a condensing boiler

but as R. Kalia states, your mileage may vary. Also the condensing boilers are more complicated than standard ones. This could lead to servicing issues. Those of us who are not "early adopters" are watching this technology closely to see how it holds up over time.

If you have a choice between gas and oil, take a close look at costs per BTU in your area. Here in the East, oil is cheaper per BTU than gas. Also, an oil-fired boiler can be retrofitted with a gas burner, but a gas one can't be changed to oil.

The most important thing is proper installation. Try the Find a Professional page of this site to locate a good installer near you.

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