We probably need a new furnace. Existing one is a 30 year old boiler system that feeds steam radiators. We have both natural gas and an oil tank (oil tank is 5 years old). Should I consider converting to natural gas? What are the issues here?
uh oh anither oil vs gas thread:( last one got ugly... in a friendly kinda way..
If you need a steam boiler your choices are a bit more limited for equipment vs. the regular hydronic boilers. Be sure to get a quality unit.
As for the fuel source, if you currently have both oil and gas you should have some idea of the reliability of each. If you're in a cold area reliability should be a concern. Both oil and gas costs vary and it seems that gas is cheaper these days. If you could find one in a residential size and firing rate a dual fuel burner would give you a lot of flexibility. I expect the available steam boilers will be rated for either fuel.
I'm not a big fan of nat. gas, but if you have it already and haven't had issues then it's worth considering for the current lower cost.
Pete C.
I'm from New England..cold winters. We run a gas heating stove off the natural gas supply. Main boiler and water heater run off oil. Not sure what the water heater system is called - it doesn't have it's own burner, the boiler heats the water and the water heater more or less stores the hot water.
Indirect fired domestic hot water. As opposed to direct fired (with it's own burner) or tankless (with a coil in the boiler).
Pete C.
I don't know where you live But is it possible for your supply of oil to not reach you ? Also your oil is affected by international events. Natural gas is from US or Canadian sources. And the supply will NOT be interrupted unless the gaz pipeline is broken. As a backup, with natural gaz is also possible to convert to propane in a pinch. Particularly if the furnace is dual-use.
Personally, I would avoid oil.
Find out what the cost per BTU output would be and then make your decision.
Why do you want a new furnace if your boiler is in need of replacement. It would be easier and cheaper to put in a new boiler rather than a furnace and all the ducts that go with it. (boilers heat gas, furnaces heat air)
Both fuels have advantages and disadvantages. Do some checking on price as it can vary considerably in some regions. Personally, I like gas. No stinking oil, less cleaning, no delivery problems.
Ah...my error in terminology. We have a boiler, not a furnace. Boiler feeds steam radiators. To replace it, we don't need any ducting, only the new burner unit.
More terminology:
The boiler is the big piece with the combustion chamber, pipes and whatnot. The burner unit is the smaller part that mounts in a more or less standardized hole in the boiler leading to the combustion chamber. The boiler and the burner are rarely made by the same company.
One boiler unit can often take oil or nat. gas or propane burners from many different companies and one companies burner can fit many different boilers. You often have a choice of getting a factory package system where the boiler manufacturer selects and provides a burner with the boiler, or getting the boiler without the burner and installing the burner of your choice on the boiler.
Carlin and Beckett are the most common burners you'll find and both are good units. Riello burners are also fairly common and are in some ways a bit nicer then the other two.
Pete C.
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