Gas vs. oil?

JB_4

Hi all.

I'm currently running an oil burned steam one pipe system.

1. Can this converted to gas by just switching burners?
2. Is it worth it? I read so much marketing material from oil and gas companies I cant make heads or tails of it.

thanks for any advice.

michael_15

Switching systems

You can convert by switching boilers, yes.

I'm not sure it's worth your trouble to switch. It's a toss-up which is cheaper/better right now. What matters just as much is the tuning of the system itself.

If the boiler needs replacing and you're getting an offer from some gas company to have a free boiler and free installation, then I'd switch, mostly because I'm a cheapskate. I'd make sure they do it right, though. The previous homeowners at my house had NSTAR (the local gas utility here) come in and switch from oil to gas but they did a terrible job sizing the boiler and setting up the piping.

Here around Boston, both oil and gas (the house now has a gas boiler and an oil furnace heating two different zones) cost me around $1.50/100,000 BTU.

-Michael

Steamhead

Mike's right

you have to look at how much gas costs per BTU, and see if it's cheaper than oil in your area. If it isn't cheaper per BTU, then switching isn't a good idea on a cost basis.

That said, let's take a look at your system. If you have a very old boiler, especially a round one, it is probably not very efficient. Depending on what you now have, a new boiler using either fuel might save a lot.

If the current boiler is a decent design but has an old-style burner, upgrading to a flame-retention burner could save you 15-25% on your fuel. Flame-retention burners get more BTUs out of a given quantity of oil so they use less oil to give the same amount of heat.

If you decide to replace the boiler and the cost per BTU of oil is less than or equal to gas, I'd stay with oil. If gas got cheaper per BTU, you could just change the burner. But you can't change a gas boiler to oil. Lastly, with oil you have a choice of suppliers, but most gas companies operate as monopolies, and most are no longer regulated.

Also take a look at your system. Once the boiler has generated steam, its job is done. From that point, the system must move the steam to the radiators. Venting and insulating the steam mains is critical to moving heat efficiently.

Here's a link to an upgrade we did on a system similar to yours. So far the lady reports saving 33% on her oil consumption, with much greater comfort.

http://forums.invision.net/Thread.cfm?CFApp=2&Thread_ID=22035&mc=10

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

STEVE N

JAMES....

YOU CAN CONVERT WITH A MIDCO GAS POWER BURNER OR A WAYNE BURNER. ID STICK WITH OIL. 5 YRS AGO I CONVINCED MY 84YR OLD MOM TO GO TO GAS. I PUT IN 90+ EQUIPMENT IN, AC AND A GAS H20 HEATER. SINCE THEN SHE HAS HAD ALMOST 75% INCREASES IN GAS COST. MOMMYS NOT HAPPY!

STEVE

Rich Kontny_2

And she

cut him out of the will, as well.

J.C.A._3

Just an addition,

to the thread from Steamhead.....

Please don't consider the cost per btu as the only associated cost. Gas, as a fuel is inherantly cheaper when compared to oil, but please add in the delivery charges and minimum monthly costs as well as the "adjusted" costs during high demand months.

My building just switched from an oil system to seperate gas boilers for all 4 units and the "delivery charge" for my 4 room unit is about 1 and 1/3rd times what the actual fuel charge is. Hidden costs sometimes seem harmless, but if you read deep into the bill, they are far more than the fuel itself.

I can't wait till I own it and toss out the "grossly oversized, gas company supplied unit" that was installed. They force-fed the owner a boiler that is so far oversized that I feel a bit sore in the nether reigions. (I've run my heatloss and I can say in great confidence that what they gave him was 2 and a half times what I would EVER need.)

Please consider the source BEFORE converting. It may well be in your best interest. JMHO. Chris

RonWHC

The short answer to your

first question is - yes, you can. There is no short answer to your second. Actual fuel price per btu + efficiency of operation must be considered.

A gallon of #2 oil has approx. 139,000 btus. The typical oil bill has 3 entries. Fuel cost, tax(es), total cost. You pay for the oil tank once.

A therm of gas has approx. 100,000 btus. The typical bill (no such thing) can have 4 to 9 entries. Just use the bottom line for comparison. You pay for the gas meter every month.

Since you have a steam system, forget gas condensing equipment. New oil fired boilers are rated up to 86% AFUE. That is an artificial number that means something to someone. But, it is about the only comparison a homeowner has when selecting equipment. The Feds had to give the gas boys an exception, early on, to the 80% rule for their steam atmospheric equipment. They are getting better.

Converting an existing boiler to a gas power burner is tricky on steam. The bottom end burners have difficulty providing enough input to steam properly, w/o impinging & creating CO. A new flame retention oil burner, if you don't already have one, will do the job easily.

Looks like you have some homework to do.

Unknown

James B the answer is yes

if the oil boiler is in good shape it can be converted using a Power Gas conversion Burner.

What is the Make and Model of your boiler and the nozzle rating in GPH?

Different Power Gas Burners are better for different boilers give me the info on your existing boiler and approx how old it is and I will try to help you out.

The next thing after that is finding someone who knows how to install a gas conversion burner. Properly installed and tested you can get 80% to 83% combustion efficiency with a power gas burner.

A properly done conversion to gas can be labor intensive and the cost becomes prohibitive depending on boiler condition.

If you go with a new boiler gas and oil boilers in my estimation are pretty equal until you get into the high end stuff as far as condesning and higher efficency ratings.

Something to keep in mind also is who will service the boiler. Most oil installers will probably also service after installation. Many times that is not the case with gas installations.

Kal Row

dont touch a thaaang!!.. but...

keep the filter and nozzle clean - make sure you oil person tests the combustion with a tester - not just by looking at it – and check/change the main steam vents


only take oil delivery on those "unseasonably warm days"

or

tape a couple of electric heating pads to the bottom of the tank with insulation and then foil, and when you get a load of really cold oil, set the heat on "low" until the tank is 50 degrees - in fact - big box stores (HOME-DEsPOT & sLOWES) sell a tape on thermostat to operate a heater, or they sell the heater tape with the tstat built in - it goes on at 38f and off at 50f



cold fuel oil doesn’t atomize very well - even jet engines using a light fuel like JET-A, heat the fuel on the way to the injectors - by cooling the hot engine oil with the incoming fuel - via a heat exchanger

i happens all the time - the boiler is fine - then you get fuel in January out of a freezing truck, and all **** breaks loose...COLD FUEL DOES IT EVERY TIME!!!!

I always wondered why no one has engineered this for the home, to wrap the fuel supply line a couple of turns around the bottom of the boiler's condensate return below the Hartford loop, - would of course have to provide for fuel expansion when the boiler goes off but is sill hot.... you guys are just waiting for me to blow myself up first, aren't ya...



i you want to really have a more efficient system, you will have to revamp it all – will take years to pay off though

Alan_11

No such thing as free

Just because the gas co. offers free boilers, it may cost you as much to have it installed as a oilfired system installed by your local full service oil company. Get prices both ways, and compare.When you factor in the " be right over "response most oil companies give you (they have to try harder like Avis cause their not a monopoly ) and other extras like hot water storage tank,service contracts, budget payments. price caps and so forth you might decide oil is your fuel of choice.When it's below zero outside ,in the middle of the night and the heat is out, will the gas company fix your problem?

ed wallace

gas conversion

I meet a person last week did an oil to gas conversion 2 yrs ago keyspan boston region charged $4,500 to install a free hot water gas boiler was done in copper pipe