For obvious reasons, we are thinking of switching from oil to natural gas to fire the furnace for our steam radiator system in a six-unit coop apartment building.
The furnace is fairly new. The question is, would we have to replace the entire furnace, or could we simply convert the existing one for use with gas?
Depends. First of all, you don't have a furnace. Furnaces heat air. Boilers heat water or make steam. Since you state you have steam heat, it is safe to assume you have a boiler.
Boilers consists of two main sections. The burner and the heating chamber. Most can be had from the factory with a choice of fuels or even dual fueled. There is a very good chance you can convert to gas simply by changing burners, installing the proper piping for the gas, then remove the oil tank.
For more details and cost estimates, call you boiler dealer.
Have you done the price comparison to natural gas? It ain't cheap IMO. Running about $11 - $15 MCF here in the midwest.
-- Paul
Compared to what? That would be a 30% savings for me right now. I'd switch if I could.
Here is a cost calculator
If the is a single boiler that serves a building with six apartments, I expect it's a commercial sized unit. If so I would strongly recommend replacing the burner with a dual fuel unit as opposed to a gas only unit. Cost difference will be small and you don't lock yourself into either fuel.
air. Boilers
yeah PLUS you can buy fuel oil in advance, gas must be bought as used.
dual fuel much better!
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