Gas vs oil efficiency

Steamhead (in transit)

do you have a steam or hot-water system?

If the former, I'd wait for the new oil-fired Burnham Mega-Steam boiler which is due out this fall. If this boiler is everything Glenn Stanton says it is (which we have no reason to doubt) it will be worth the wait.

If you have hot-water, don't count on being able to use one of the newer modulating/condensing boilers. These have definite requirements on how and where you can exhaust them. The specifics of this depend on what Codes are used in your area and who made the boiler you're considering.

It's possible you may find there is no place to exhaust such a boiler that meets local Codes and manufacturer's instructions. We find this in older houses all the time. Since you say your chimney is unlined, your house probably falls into this "older" category.

So what kind of system do you have? What model is your American-Standard, and what burner is on it? Did the oil tech say there was a problem with the boiler, or just that was old?

<A HREF="http://www.heatinghelp.com/getListed.cfm?id=367&Step=30">To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"</A>

Ron D

Gas vs oil efficiency

I hope I'm not beating a dead horse here, I really did search old posts!

Our service tech just informed us it's time to start budgeting for a new boiler.Although this old American Standard is oil fired, we have natural gas to the house. We also have a 40 year old in-ground oil tank (no known leaks for now) and an unlined chimney that the boiler exhausts to.

I understand that gas boilers may be more efficient than oil, but that may just be a sales pitch. Based on this scenario, with both fuels available (and ignoring which fuel is cheaper today...it'll change), which fuel would this group recommend based on efficiency, long-term maintenance and installed costs?

Thanks!

Eric_25

TOUGH TO BEAT

the gas fired Mod-con boilers today especially the Buderus and Viessmann products.
You get more BTU's out of a gallon of oil than an equivilant amount of gas, however they haven't even figured out yet how to rate the modulating effect of a gas boiler that is already 98% efficient. The load matching effect is awesome, on a day when you only need 50% of the boilers capacity it runs at 50% capacity. No oil boiler, to my knowledge, can do this. There have recently been a couple of condensing oil boilers introduced in the 90+% efficient range but they do not modulate and they are two new for me to be a guinea pig.

Then take into account the buried oil tank, that has to be dug up and install a new tank and line the chimney.

I hope this helps, I am sure you will get several other opinions.


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

dana_3

gas vs oil

with most 90+ condensing gas boilers, and or gas furnaces you can eliminate the use of a chimney by direct venting them to the outside with pvc pipe dana p.

Ron D

the oldie....

The current boiler is an American Standard A3 at 313 SF, with a Sundstrand burner. The system is a one pipe steam, in our 1926 one story bungalow.

We are not in immediate need of replacement, but the tech pulled the side access cover off, and one mounting clip was gone, one fell off, the a third one was so rusted it was useless. His sheet metal shop is fabbing a new panel and/or clips. The firebricks had deteriorated and several years ago a "wet pack" was installed as a repair, and just general old age of the unit , he said "start budgeting for replacement"...I gather in a year or two, but maybe sooner?

As far as a new oil fired unit, at 40 years old, I expect the tank is due for replacement as well, so I've started leaning towards a NG unit, because of the cost of removing the old tank and installing a new one. But I've heard some forced air techs claim that gas furnaces don't last as long as oil, because of heat and corrosive exhaust gases.

So at this point I'm just getting opinions of the advantages and disadvantages of each, and getting ready to get a few "ballpark" quotes to figure out what to expect in the future.

Steamhead (in transit)

Wait for the Mega-Steam boiler

The A3 series is built like a tank- ask anyone who has ever replaced one! A pro can replace the firebox with a Lynn Kaowool unit that slides in after the front plate is removed. With one of these and a modern burner properly set up, that A-33 will run nicely and not make soot.

The "Sundstrand" name is the company who made the oil-handling "fuel unit" on the burner, not the burner itself. Take a pic and post it here, we should be able to ID it. If the burner is the original American-Standard one, it is rather finicky so I'd replace it if you decide not to replace the boiler soon.

To further increase your system's efficiency, all the steam mains must be well insulated and vented. Both are critical to good efficiency, can be done before the boiler is replaced, and will remain when it is replaced. Measure the length and diameter of each main and we can tell you what vents you need.

You can't use a condensing boiler with steam. The Mega-Steam boiler, at least for now, won't be available with a gas burner (note to Burnham higher-ups: Certify it with a power gas burner and you will SELL MORE MEGA-STEAMERS!) so with its better efficiency, I'd stay with oil for now and get the Mega-Steam when it comes out.

If you're thinking that a new product might not have all the bugs worked out of it yet, know that we have seen Burnham's response if something goes wrong in the field and it is first-rate. So I wouldn't worry.

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

Tom Elam

I'm sorry to have to tell you this. Your fuel tank is leaking, you just don't know it. Get it dug up now before the cleanup costs you really big $$$$$. Unfortunatly I've been there and done that. Our 45 year old buried fuel oil tank contaminated over 40 tons of dirt under and around it.

flange

if you have a boiler THAT old, it was probably rated at net efficiency of roughly 50%. newer boilers are much more efficient. So far there isnt one that can be a true condensing type boiler using oil. the viessman approaches that possibility but isnt there. you may consider using a new standard oil boiler now to gain significant savings, but payback will depend on location, consumption etc. at nearly three bucks a gallon. you will see serious payback this winter. now if you go to gas, you can see even greater payback, less problems related to fuel delivery, less problems with firing, and better load matching.

Ron D

It's an Arcoflame DH5


> "Sundstrand" name is the company who made the

> oil-handling "fuel unit" on the burner, not the

> burner itself.