Glowcore Boiler

[gmfeinberg]

I am replacing a Glowcore condensing propane boiler, circa 1987. Interestingly the boiler has been working and trouble-free since I bought the house in 2001. I have no history before that. In fact, it's still trouble-free, which is why I'm posting. I don't know the precise model number. The manual was never around and the model number is not obvious anywhere, but I can look further or take photos.

I don't like the idea of just taking the boiler to the dump. Is it likely anyone would want this unit for parts or other use? How much effort is it worth to reuse/recycle this boiler? I'm not really looking for $$, just trying to conserve. It's in Maine and comes off the wall next week.

Thanks,
George

 

[Dana]

A boiler north of 25 years in age has only scrap value. If it has a stainless steel heat exchanger that's easy to pull, that value might buy you more than a 6-pack. As mixed-metals a scrap yard won't give you much for it though- it has to be separated.

Hopefully you did the heat load analysis (from either fuel-use against heating degree-days or a standard Manual-J or I=B=R type heat loss tool) to right-size whatever you are replacing it with? Almost all boilers in New England seem to be 3x oversized, often more, as if people were expecting -150F weather to settle in or something. Oversizing a boiler has both efficiency & up-front cost consequences, but all too often a hit in comfort to boot.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Tom Sawyer]

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I am replacing a Glowcore condensing propane boiler, circa 1987. Interestingly the boiler has been working and trouble-free since I bought the house in 2001. I have no history before that. In fact, it's still trouble-free, which is why I'm posting. I don't know the precise model number. The manual was never around and the model number is not obvious anywhere, but I can look further or take photos.

I don't like the idea of just taking the boiler to the dump. Is it likely anyone would want this unit for parts or other use? How much effort is it worth to reuse/recycle this boiler? I'm not really looking for $$, just trying to conserve. It's in Maine and comes off the wall next week.

Thanks,
George

Yea, it pretty much only has scrap value however, I happen to teach HVAC at a high school on the NH border. If you are not too far up and would like to donate it, let me know.

 

[gmfeinberg]

Dana, Tom,

I thought I'd replied to the thread but apparently it didn't take. Thanks for your responses.

Tom, you are welcome to the boiler. I PM'd you just now.
Dana, the heat load analysis was done in a rough estimate, but by someone who knows how and came to about 22k btu/hr.

The replacement unit is a Baxi duo-tec 40G, which can turn down to 19k btus or so. It'll provide heat and domestic hot water, replacing the old boiler which was working with a 25 year-old thermal solar system, which is to be decommissioned for now. The old system was "open" providing heat/hot water from the same tank. I have a lot of low-temp baseboard so I'll reuse that infrastructure. Boiler heat is backup to a wood stove.

I hope to put solar PV on the roof to replace the old thermal and would then front-end the Baxi with a resistive unit.

For the terminally curious I have more information, but that's the "short" version.

Thanks for the advice!

George

 

[Tom Sawyer]

Dana, Tom,

I thought I'd replied to the thread but apparently it didn't take. Thanks for your responses.

Tom, you are welcome to the boiler. I PM'd you just now.
Dana, the heat load analysis was done in a rough estimate, but by someone who knows how and came to about 22k btu/hr.

The replacement unit is a Baxi duo-tec 40G, which can turn down to 19k btus or so. It'll provide heat and domestic hot water, replacing the old boiler which was working with a 25 year-old thermal solar system, which is to be decommissioned for now. The old system was "open" providing heat/hot water from the same tank. I have a lot of low-temp baseboard so I'll reuse that infrastructure. Boiler heat is backup to a wood stove.

I hope to put solar PV on the roof to replace the old thermal and would then front-end the Baxi with a resistive unit.

For the terminally curious I have more information, but that's the "short" version.

Thanks for the advice!

George

Thank you so much. I'll get back to your pm. The baxi is a great little boiler. I have put in close to a hundred of them with very few problems.

 

[BadgerBoilerMN]

Tell me. Who ended up with the GlowCore boiler?

Did you replace it with a Baxi?