New Steam Boiler

Kirk

I came to this site last season,first time I had ever had steam heat .. WOW .. it was great .. you all were such a great help .. my system prob. never ran so good... was nice a toasty all season long .. so here is my question, that I am sure many are asking... this season with the even higher cost of NG would there be any bennifit in exploring a new boiler, higher eff. , current one is 12 years old .. bout 85% .. I know they last forever and the cost would be high to replace it .. but has technology changed much in the last few years? Is there such a thing as a multi stage burner? seems to me once you got the water boiling and the system producing steam that if you scaled back the burner BTU's you might run a more effecient system... similar I suppose to the old coal fired units of the past .. just perking along instead of cycling on and off , haveing to bring that water to a boil every time ..
Well as usual idea, advise and such is great .. For a California boy living in the midwest for the first time.. steam heat is the greatest thing I have played with since sliced bread.... Oh and BTW .. all new vents last season

Steamhead (in transit)

Wait a bit

and check out the Burnham Mega-Steamer when it comes out- should be fairly soon. Initially it will only be available as an oil-fired boiler, but I've let them know I'd like to see it become available with a power gas burner too.

I've never been a fan of atmospheric gas boilers- they're wide open at the base so they radiate some heat to the floor, and also lose more heat than they should during the off cycle. Stack dampers help, but a wet-base oil-designed boiler with a gas power burner is inherently better in getting the heat to the radiators.

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Christian Egli_2

Artificial California sun

Finding the radiance of a trusty steam filled radiator to be equally delicious as basking in the hot California sun is an endorsement no money can buy.

Not that paying the natural gas bill leaves us with anything in the pocket... Gas rates, according to a chart in a mail piece I just received, are pointing downwards. So is oil... but...

12 years is not very old, if there are no other problems, it's a hard cost to justify. Nevertheless, the change may be worth it. Other avenues. Check into heat timer and outdoor sensors to give your system the reset feature that prevents overheating (and fuel waste). Check out thermostatic valves for some of the radiators you might not mind keeping colder.

Thanks for the steam endorsement