Coil Replacement

[Cokomo]

Looking for someone who specializes in coil replacement for oil boilers in the Boston area. Peerless WB-3 just turned 30 and will be replaced within next 18 months but the hot water is now luke warm . Heard they are tricky to replace and need an experienced pro for this project .

 

[Dana]

If you can swing it, spend the money on a indirect water heater instead of a coil. It's more money up front, but unlike a replacement coil, the indirect can be used with another boiler, and the boiler can be set to a lower low-temp (or in some cases, cold-start), and doesn't need to be kept hot with high standby losses to still deliver reasonable hot water performance.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Cokomo]

If you can swing it, spend the money on a indirect water heater instead of a coil. It's more money up front, but unlike a replacement coil, the indirect can be used with another boiler, and the boiler can be set to a lower low-temp (or in some cases, cold-start), and doesn't need to be kept hot with high standby losses to still deliver reasonable hot water performance.

 

[Cokomo]

Hi . Planning on installing System 2k w their tank soon . So would like to spend 500-600 on a quick fix to get us to spring /summer .

 

[Dana]

A $100-200 "open box return" or scratch & dent (or even a craigslist ) electric water heater is probably the cheapest way out for the short term if you have reasonable DIY plumbing & electrician skills.

 

[Cokomo]

Thanks Dana , will look into it but I know I’ll need to bring electric to it and will hire someone to install water heater . Or could just save a lot of aggravation and get the EK now . Love the product , not so much the dealers especially if I’m not purchasing their oil. Know a top notch independent ? Dedham area.

 

[Dana]

Thanks Dana , will look into it but I know I’ll need to bring electric to it and will hire someone to install water heater . Or could just save a lot of aggravation and get the EK now . Love the product , not so much the dealers especially if I’m not purchasing their oil. Know a top notch independent ? Dedham area.

Alas no. Good luck!

Most will want to sell you something bigger than you need. Even the smallest System 2Ks are oversized for most homes in MA, but don't take a huge efficiency hit from that oversizing due to their heat purging control algorithms. That's not to say it doesn't hurt to go even more oversized, it's just less of a hit than a less sophisticated system.

 

[Cokomo]

I hear you about over sizing but I don’t see any 30k boilers . Ek purging is # 1 reason for going w that company .

 

[Jadnashua]

Some of the modcon boilers can modulate below 10K BTU.

 

[Dana]

Some of the modcon boilers can modulate below 10K BTU.

Know of any mod-con oil burners?

 

[Dana]

I hear you about over sizing but I don’t see any 30k boilers . Ek purging is # 1 reason for going w that company .

At heat loads in the 30K & under range cold climate ductless mini-split heat pumps come to mind, which have a lower operating cost than oil-burners even at MA type electricity prices. There is talk in the Governor's office & State House about subsidizing fuel switching for oil & propane burners under the new Clean Peak Standard.

It is the first time the state will offer incentives for fuel switching, primarily reducing the number of homes heating with oil and propane, and shifting those to "more efficient and affordable heating fuels and technologies such as air source heat pumps."

I haven't looked at how the proposed incentives would work.

Both Mitsubishi and Fujitsu have decent cold-climate heat pumps (both ducted and ductless) that can manage the load even at -10F or colder. If ductless it requires a bit of analysis to avoid gross oversizing issues impacting efficiency & comfort. A 1.5 ton ducted Fujitsu will deliver about 19,000 BTU/hr @ -5F and isn't too hard to design around, and can serve several low-load rooms with loads too small to take an individual head. Some combination of ductless & ducted would probably work here, at a comparable cost to installing an EK1.

 

[Cokomo]

Sounds good but my 98 year old dad likes temp @ 78 and the 85k Peerless boiler (1989) easily maintains that temp even tonight @ 11 degrees outside . Not sure heat pumps can compete .

 

[Dana]

Sounds good but my 98 year old dad likes temp @ 78 and the 85k Peerless boiler (1989) easily maintains that temp even tonight @ 11 degrees outside . Not sure heat pumps can compete .

You can set the mini-split to whatever temp you like. As long as it's sized correctly it'll still keep up at -10F. (My mom is only 84, but keeps her place in the high 70s too, heating with an older Mitsubishi FE18.)

 

[Cokomo]

Would give it a serious consideration if I could hire you to design it .