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Backup Heat for Hot Water Tank

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genacohenm
genacohenm Member, Email Confirmation Posts: 4
edited April 2021 in THE MAIN WALL
We have a Vaughn hot water tank with a solar heat exchanger which requires a backup heat source for winter/cloudy days. Currently our oil fired steam boiler with tankless coil acts as the backup. We also have a gas fired hot water boiler which we installed to handle new construction a couple of years ago. We are replacing the oil fired steam boiler and I am wondering if we should buy a new boiler with a tankless coil and continue using that for backup heat for the hot water, or if we should plumb a new zone to the gas hot water boiler. Interested in efficiency and environmental impacts more than just cost. (FWIW, our oil is ultra low sulfur and burns almost as clean as gas.

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  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,519
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    I would pipe a new zone to the HW boiler. Is this a two family? Why two heating systems?
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 5,833
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    The Vaugn tank doesn't have 2 heat exchangers? One connected to the solar, the other to the boiler. 
  • genacohenm
    genacohenm Member, Email Confirmation Posts: 4
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    The hot water boiler was added to service an addition so as not to have to add more radiators to the old steam system. The Vaughn tank does have 2 heat exchangers, one connected to the solar. The question is what to connect the second exchanger to: a tankless coil in the steam boiler or a separate zone to the hot water boiler. Why is a separate zone to the hot water boiler better? TIA.

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