steam boiler replacement?

Steamhead · February 2003

that one is indeed a hot-water boiler. It was the only snowman pic I could find quickly. Look at the way the burner is installed in the side- don't see that too often!

A snowman steamer will have a more bulbous top section and a sight glass, and hopefully a low-water cutoff, but is otherwise similar.

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Dick_2 · February 2003

steam boiler replacement?

we have a two pipe steam system with a boiler that is probably the original and would be about 50 years old. everything is operating fine, but I was wondering whether the boiler should be replaced because the new boiler would be a lot more efficient; or do I keep this one until the day it starts leaking?

Steamhead · February 2003

It Depends

If your old boiler is a round "snowman" type that used to burn coal (see photo), I'd replace it now. This type of boiler is horribly inefficient.

If your boiler is of a newer type, it might not make sense to replace it now. How about taking a picture and posting it here so we can see it?

If the system is sluggish or uneven, the boiler is probably not at fault. You may have bad traps or vents that need attention. This may be a Vapor system- have you observed any manufacturer's information on the system's components?

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Dan House · February 2003

steam or water?????

I like your photo but the energy hog is a gravity circulated hot water boiler.
I call them "roundtops" and after the asbestos jacket is properly removed you will find the plugged ports that may have been used for steam. These cost a fortune to run and all should be replace post haste!!! The payback is better than money in the bank.

tp tunstall · February 2003

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steam boiler replacement?

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