tankless boiler efficiency?

[beerguzzler50]

I have hydronic heat in my house and use a oil fired Weil-McClain tankless boiler that is about 6 years old (WGO Gold or WGTO Gold I think). It has one output for the hydronic heat and another for the house hot water...so I don't have a hot water heater. The whole thing works fine.

My question is whether this is an efficient setup as far as oil usage goes. The boiler runs year round cause of the house hot water. I know the heat circuits aren't being used, but it does heat both at the same time.

I have been considering getting a Boderus direct vent boiler cause I hate the power vent I have right now and hear Boderus are great boilers. Would my oil usage be less with a combo boiler/oil hot water heater year round? I have also heard about indirect fired water heaters (superstore?). Any experience and suggestions would be welcomed. I figure I could sell my Weil-McClain cause it isn't that old and still get a decent $ for it.

[daytona]

Electric hot water tank with timer (Gray Box)

[beerguzzler50]

[oløenneker]

In article , [e-mail] wrote: Because an electric water heater will in most cases use less energy than your boiler, which is designed to heat the entire home rather than a 40 gallon tank of water. Even a stand alone Gas water heater would bee good as well. The old tankless systems for a boiler are old tech. and waste energy.

[MCO]

I have the same question. I found this reference:

In summary:

" If you have a boiler or a heat pump for home heating, you can use it to provide hot water in what is called a combined, or indirect, system. These systems are more efficient than separate systems because they eliminate the extra standby losses of another tank or unit."

[beerguzzler50]

OK, that is interesting, but is having a tankless boiler more efficient than and indirect wh? Seems I might use less oil that way?

MCO wrote: