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nazirv

Oil Boiler Quotes

nazirv
16 years ago

Hello,

I have received 3 quotes to replace our 40 year old American Standard 4 zone oil boiler. The amounts is all inclusive of electrical, plumbing and a Beckett burner:

1) $7250 - Burham boiler

2) $6650 - PurePro Trio boiler ($750 more if I want a Weil McLain instead).

3) $8673 - Buderus boiler

Could you please tell me if these amounts are fair for the Northeast (Boston area)? Which unit/estimate would you go with? Should I be getting more estimates? Perhaps there are other systems I should be looking at?

Thanks!

Comments (11)

  • funnycide
    16 years ago

    Does your boiler heat your domestic hot water? Is the size the same on all of them? What size is your current boiler?
    The installation is more important then the equipment. Did each company check your chimney?

  • nazirv
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Yes, one of the 4 zones goes to a SuperStor hot water tank. The size is pretty close to the same around 100K - 123K BTU's. My current boiler is so old (40+ yrs) that I have no idea and neither do the companies providing estimates. They measured the baseboards in the entire house as well as the square footage of our home. Each company did check our chimney and it only needs a clean out which I will schedule.
    Thanks

  • baymee
    16 years ago

    First of all, do you need a new boiler? 40 years old doesn't make it in need of replacement.

    The prices you got are not really out of line, considering the Boston area.

  • nazirv
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    baymee,

    That is a good question. I continue to get comments about how I can get much more efficiency with a newer unit. The electrical and plumbing on the existing unit is like spaghetti and piping has lots of oxidation. It also take up quite a bit of room compared to newer units in the market. In addition, I'm concerned about the unit breaking down in the middle of the winter and then having to make a last minute decision.

    Thanks

  • aemeeich_
    16 years ago

    Do you know which models of oil boilers they are proposing? There is quite an efficiency/performance difference between the lowest model Burnham and their highest model.

    What you want to get is a 3-pass boiler with low water content - Burnham MPO, Buderus G115, PurePro Trio.
    It should be sized to the actual heat loss of the house - not the amount of baseboard you have or off of square footage. It could end up being that the two are equal, but most likely there is more baseboard than is needed (which is actually a good thing - it will allow lower water temperatures which increase efficiency. For instance, my house has about twice as much baseboard than is "needed" due to insulation/weather sealing upgrades over the years. Now I can run between 110 and 140 degree water - with proper boiler protection from cold return water.). While oversized baseboard is a good thing, a boiler that is oversized really kills the efficiency.

    When comparing the Burnham MPO, Buderus G115, and PurePro Trio - they are all basically the same thing. They are all cast iron, 3-pass boilers with equivalant efficiency ratings. They all use the same burners - either Riello or Beckett.

    Again the key to achieving the highest efficiency is proper sizing and installation.
    Don't shop on price alone. Alot of times, the lowest bid will get you the lowest quality install. The PurePro Trio, as well as the Burnham and Buderus, will each be a good boiler if the installation is done properly.

    Is your chimney on the exterior of your house, or interior? If it is exterior, you WILL NEED a chimney liner put in. If it is internal, you really should have a chimney liner, but might be able to get away without one. However, I still would recommend always putting one in with high efficiency equipment. For oil equipment, the liner should be made out of AL29-4C stainless steel. This grade of stainless steel will withstand the corrosive nature of oil exhaust.

    Michael

  • baymee
    16 years ago

    What Michael says is good advice.

    Ask what the efficiency ratings are. A triple pass system can give 86% or higher. Your current system could be as high as 78%, or lower, or higher.

    We're talking about 10% savings, give or take. Not enough to justify a new system for me. Heating pipes don't corrode unless fresh water has been added to the system. These are all unknowns.

    If you are living there long-term, you might want to take the plunge now.

    My point is that age does not necessarily mean it worn out. Many of our boilers are 50+ years old and usually the reason for failure is leaking pipes and gaskets. A common spot is the coil gasket area, for which we have a coil patch plate. You want to correct any leaks immediately because the worst thing that can happen to a boiler is adding fresh water.

    Get a professional heat loss done and size the boiler correctly.

  • sonny300
    16 years ago

    I am not an expert or even that savy on this but will give you my thoughts. Our American Standard boiler is 34 years old and recent test show 76% effeciency. We have an annual service contract. The size is 83k. During the past 20 years, we have replaced 2 motors, and 2 circulating pumps, very minimal cost. Now at my age 60plus, I would never get my money back in efficiency with a replacement. In one of my old threads from last year, someone, perhaps Baymee, stated as much. Having said this, I should also mention that we have propane insert for backup, as well as a wood insert for backup-(so I am really not concerned if it breaks down on a cold day). Maybe some kind of a alternate heat for a backup, would be a better use of capital expenditure. Having done this ourselves, we have cut our oil consumption to 800 litres (100 gallons) per season. Guess, I`m just suggesting that you think before you spend.

  • janedibber
    16 years ago

    From what I've read, an old system running at 78% is measuring how efficient the burner is after the unit is fully warmed and at its peak. Older systems tend to be oversized which further decreases efficiency. Also take into account stack losses when the unit is not firing and the AFUE of the boiler is probably around 60-65%. You may be looking at 20-30% increase in fuel efficiency by upgrading.

    We're looking at the PurePro...A Solaia rebadge I've been told. Steamhead at www.heatinghelp.com (go the Wall) seems to be partial to this system.


  • sonny300
    16 years ago

    Get a brain Jane-no-dibber(brainer)

    What a bunch of jibberish. Why not let these people think about there age(none of our business) and their capital expenditure. and how best to get the best bang for their buck.eg. my boiler measured 76% after only 2 minutes., so give your head a shake!! If they are young folks , go for something really efficient. if not , think very carefully. And in any case, in todays age, I think that it is very foolish not to have a backup source of heat. Really dumb indeed. The boiler wont work without electricty. duh. Ranting a bit here folks, but really, in these times, I would`nt be without a backup source of heat.

  • markjames
    16 years ago

    As Glen Stanton of Burnham has stated, people confuse combustion efficiency with AFUE efficiency.

    I can push combustion efficiency of some older units into the 80s by playing with different retrofit burners and different firing rates although overall system efficiency might be poor.

  • janedibber
    16 years ago

    thanks markjames. is there a rule of thumb for estimating AFUEs for older systems...like my 56 yr old, 'mauve' arcoliner?

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