Single Boiler vs. Individual Units

Jim H.

I have seen the discussions on the Wall concerning efficiency of a single boiler serving several units vs. a buildingowner's need to have each tenant responsible for their own fuel bill.

I am replacing a boiler in my building with three rental units. The only suggestion I have so far is to set up three zones with and three circulating pumps. But that doesn't give me any way to meter each tenant's fuel consumption, let alone bill it.

Since each tenant has a separate gas service to the bulding, is there a way to supply the boiler from all three gas supply sources, each in proportion to each tenant's demand? Then the metering and the billing is still in the hands of the tenants utility account, and everyone can enjoy the higher efficiency of a single boiler!

Jim H.

Perry_2

Meter the hot water

I'm not sure who makes the equipment; but you should be able to meter the hot water (and perhaps even the hot water and temperatures and get BTU's) and have a mechanism for splitting the bill.

Ensure that this gets written into the lease so that the billing mechanism is enforcable - and that you can evict for non-payment.

Perry

Timco

As allowed here, the total fuel bill is broken down by how many hours each circ runs. Hot water is divided up based on how many occupants the building has. We recover 100% of our gas & water bill. Bill comes to us, monitoring company reads the hour meters on the circs, and bills the tenants direct. Tenant pays us the rent + past month's gas usage. www.gorelms.com

Tim

Brad White_147

Here in MA

any tenant billing has to be in BTU's used. Circulator run-time does not count because nothing says that tenant A, B and C sent back their water at the same temperature. One extracts 20 degrees, another 10, another 5...

Even if contractually set up it has been challenged and the challenger won, (Why then have contracts -and why do they call us MA-holes? OK just answered that )

Also, Tenant A is a night-owl, Tenant B works at home, Tenant C travels a lot. When can you set the boiler back? You would have to give each tenant priority and there goes efficiency, even if you can build it into the rent..

As Perry said, BTU measurement is the only "fair" way to set it up IF it is from a common source.

Personally, I always favored individual systems for up to 3 families. Between 3 and 6 units it is a toss-up to go to a single or individually. Over 6 families, yes, a single boiler always seemed to work out.

But the biggest issue is, each tenant now has their own gas service now. You will need a "house" meter.

I would go individual systems and let each schedule their own needs. You can always valve a cross-over to give redudancy should one unit's boiler break down but that is as far as I would go.

Joe Brix

I agree with Brad

Why get into billing arguments. If one system is down, only one tenant is effected. When a tenant is directly responsible for the bill, they seem to learn to set back the thermostat and not leave the windows open in the middle of winter. Probably the best fuel conservaton there is.

Timco

My 4-plex has 2 units with 4 rads pretty close in EDR.One unit is a studio with only 2 rads, and the basement unit is all BB. Could I just use a different multiplier for the difference in EDR? I certainly want to be fair...

Tim

Steve Minnich_3

No.

> I have seen the discussions on the Wall

> concerning efficiency of a single boiler serving

> several units vs. a buildingowner's need to have

> each tenant responsible for their own fuel bill.

> I am replacing a boiler in my building with three

> rental units. The only suggestion I have so far

> is to set up three zones with and three

> circulating pumps. But that doesn't give me any

> way to meter each tenant's fuel consumption, let

> alone bill it.

>

> Since each tenant has a

> separate gas service to the bulding, is there a

> way to supply the boiler from all three gas

> supply sources, each in proportion to each

> tenant's demand? Then the metering and the

> billing is still in the hands of the tenants

> utility account, and everyone can enjoy the

> higher efficiency of a single boiler!

>

> Jim H.





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Steve Minnich_3

No.

Jim, in regards to the ONE question that you asked, and that you and I have previously discussed, the answer is no.

You cannot supply a single boiler with three independent gas supplies.



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