Heating and air conditioning - Old Oil Heater - Convert to Gas with Central Heating / Cooling System

Author

Old Oil Heater - Convert to Gas with Central Heating / Cooling System

david.s.henkel@gmail.com

2006-01-30, 2:21 pm

I have a home outside Philly that has a 30+ year old oil boiler. I
just moved into the property and I need to replace the machine. The
house is 1900 sq ft, 3 floors and is 100+ years old. The first 2
floors are heated by the baseboard hot water and the 3rd floor is
heated by electric. Also, the kitchen was added on in the 20's or 30's
and that is heated by electric.

So I had a heating company come check out my needs. First option is to
replace the exisiting oil boiler with a new one. I was given a quote
of $5500 for an new yorker boiler with an 85% rating. Seemed a little
high to me.

Other option is to replace the oil heater with a gas furnace, remove
the oil tank, install duct work for the entire house including kitchen
and 3rd floor, and an AC unit for $19000.

Now I know this will add to the resell value of my home but its
difficult for me to assess how inflated these prices are. I will
continue to shop around but any advice is defintely appreciated.

.p.jm@see_my_sig_for_address.com

2006-01-30, 2:21 pm

On 30 Jan 2006 09:31:40 -0800, david.s.henkel@gmail.com wrote:

>I have a home outside Philly that has a 30+ year old oil boiler. I

>continue to shop around but any advice is defintely appreciated.

Post in alt.home.repair.

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Bob

2006-01-30, 5:21 pm

You have 2 completely different options, so you have to make some basic
decisions.

If you install a 90+ gas furnace w/air conditioning, you're going to lose
head room in your basement and you'll need large supply and return ductwork
to cool the second and third floors. Are you prepared to lose that much
space?

Also, with a 90+ furnace, you're going to need either an electric or high
efficiency water heater, and you'll have to remove the existing heat system.

Hydronic heat is usually much more comfortable in an older home. If you get
a new boiler, you can add hydronic heat to the kitchen and keep the existing
third floor electric heat. Then you can install an air conditioning system
upstairs, which generally works better and is easier to install because you
only need supply duct work and a large central return.

IMO, go with a new boiler and a separate air conditioning system upstairs,
but get other prices. New Yorker is a good boiler, but prices can depend on
how much competition someone has. What town are you in?

<david.s.henkel@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1138642300.478046.37790@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
> I have a home outside Philly that has a 30+ year old oil boiler. I
> just moved into the property and I need to replace the machine. The
> house is 1900 sq ft, 3 floors and is 100+ years old. The first 2
> floors are heated by the baseboard hot water and the 3rd floor is
> heated by electric. Also, the kitchen was added on in the 20's or 30's
> and that is heated by electric.
>
> So I had a heating company come check out my needs. First option is to
> replace the exisiting oil boiler with a new one. I was given a quote
> of $5500 for an new yorker boiler with an 85% rating. Seemed a little
> high to me.
>
> Other option is to replace the oil heater with a gas furnace, remove
> the oil tank, install duct work for the entire house including kitchen
> and 3rd floor, and an AC unit for $19000.
>
> Now I know this will add to the resell value of my home but its
> difficult for me to assess how inflated these prices are. I will
> continue to shop around but any advice is defintely appreciated.
>

HeatMan

2006-01-30, 8:21 pm

"Bob" <bobb25@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:jq-dnSrwrbvt4UPeRVn-ug@comcast.com...
> You have 2 completely different options, so you have to make some basic
> decisions.
>
> If you install a 90+ gas furnace w/air conditioning, you're going to lose
> head room in your basement and you'll need large supply and return
ductwork
> to cool the second and third floors. Are you prepared to lose that much
> space?
>
> Also, with a 90+ furnace, you're going to need either an electric or high
> efficiency water heater, and you'll have to remove the existing heat
system.
>
> Hydronic heat is usually much more comfortable in an older home. If you
get
> a new boiler, you can add hydronic heat to the kitchen and keep the
existing
> third floor electric heat. Then you can install an air conditioning system
> upstairs, which generally works better and is easier to install because
you
> only need supply duct work and a large central return.
>
> IMO, go with a new boiler and a separate air conditioning system upstairs,
> but get other prices. New Yorker is a good boiler, but prices can depend
on
> how much competition someone has. What town are you in?
>
>

What he said.

david.s.henkel@gmail.com

2006-01-31, 7:21 pm

Thanks for the advice Bob. I live between Oaks, Collegeville, and
Phoenixville in the little village of Mont Clare.

Right now, regardless if I put in the AC system or not, I will not
switch to a gas furnace because it doesn't make sense for the reasons
that you listed as well as the cost. The oil boiler I was quoted is a
New Yorker 98-W. Even though it's the smallest of their oil fired
steel water boilers, my contractor told me it was still going to be
more than I needed.

I plan on obtaining several other quotes for boilers as I'm a bit
confused why he would recommend such a powerful machine. I would
imagine that there are other boilers that are inline with my needs. I
could be incorrect in my assumption but that's why I'll ask around.

Adding the hydronic heat to the kitchen is an excellent idea and I
imagine more cost effective. The seperate duct work for the AC unit is
another wonderful thought. Do you think this would bring significant
cost savings? I was under the impression that by having the duct work
done for the AC, you might as well just switch over to the forced hot
air from the hydronic heat. Does this mean that the duct work is
different for these two systems?

Again - Thanks for the help.

Bob wrote:[color=darkred]
> You have 2 completely different options, so you have to make some basic
> decisions.
>
> If you install a 90+ gas furnace w/air conditioning, you're going to lose
> head room in your basement and you'll need large supply and return ductwork
> to cool the second and third floors. Are you prepared to lose that much
> space?
>
> Also, with a 90+ furnace, you're going to need either an electric or high
> efficiency water heater, and you'll have to remove the existing heat system.
>
> Hydronic heat is usually much more comfortable in an older home. If you get
> a new boiler, you can add hydronic heat to the kitchen and keep the existing
> third floor electric heat. Then you can install an air conditioning system
> upstairs, which generally works better and is easier to install because you
> only need supply duct work and a large central return.
>
> IMO, go with a new boiler and a separate air conditioning system upstairs,
> but get other prices. New Yorker is a good boiler, but prices can depend on
> how much competition someone has. What town are you in?
>
>
>
> <david.s.henkel@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1138642300.478046.37790@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...

Bob

2006-01-31, 9:21 pm

IMO, the New Yorker FR-98/122W is the best boiler on the market. The reason
for the high BTUs is because of domestic hot water demand. You'll save
almost no fuel with a smaller boiler of another brand. Also ask for prices
on the New Yorker FR-HGS-I boiler with an indirect water heater (like
Amtrol). If your kitchen is far away from the thermostat, ask about putting
it on it's own zone.

The duct work for a furnace with air conditioning would be the same, but you
'd be very unhappy with the comfort and amount of space you'd lose. With a
new boiler, the air conditioning duct work would be a separate system
upstairs. You don't have to do the air conditioning right now, but you might
be sorry later.

Oil companies and companies with large yellow pages ads are usually the most
expensive. Call companies with small to medium sized ads, and definitely
take neighbors recommendations. Do not go with a company who does not have a
yellow pages ad unless a friend or neighbor recommends them AND you are
planning on using your oil company for service.

<david.s.henkel@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1138746691.410153.201080@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Thanks for the advice Bob. I live between Oaks, Collegeville, and
> Phoenixville in the little village of Mont Clare.
>
> Right now, regardless if I put in the AC system or not, I will not
> switch to a gas furnace because it doesn't make sense for the reasons
> that you listed as well as the cost. The oil boiler I was quoted is a
> New Yorker 98-W. Even though it's the smallest of their oil fired
> steel water boilers, my contractor told me it was still going to be
> more than I needed.
>
> I plan on obtaining several other quotes for boilers as I'm a bit
> confused why he would recommend such a powerful machine. I would
> imagine that there are other boilers that are inline with my needs. I
> could be incorrect in my assumption but that's why I'll ask around.
>
> Adding the hydronic heat to the kitchen is an excellent idea and I
> imagine more cost effective. The seperate duct work for the AC unit is
> another wonderful thought. Do you think this would bring significant
> cost savings? I was under the impression that by having the duct work
> done for the AC, you might as well just switch over to the forced hot
> air from the hydronic heat. Does this mean that the duct work is
> different for these two systems?
>
> Again - Thanks for the help.
>
>
> Bob wrote:
lose[color=darkred]
ductwork[color=darkred]
high[color=darkred]
system.[color=darkred]
get[color=darkred]
existing[color=darkred]
system[color=darkred]
you[color=darkred]
upstairs,[color=darkred]
on[color=darkred]
30's[color=darkred]
to[color=darkred]
>

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