3000+ Sq Foot House With Oil Boiler in Garage

 
ColdHouse
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Post by ColdHouse » Sat. Dec. 01, 2012 9:07 am

Hello,
I have a pretty big house with an oil boiler in the garage. I am looking to find a way to heat this house for less. Any and all suggestions would be appreciated. The garage is a two car attached. with no living space above it. Existing furnace has a stove pipe for lack of a better term that runs straight thru the roof. Boiler has 4 zones. One for each floor and one that goes to a hotwater storage tank. I am interested in a low maintenance system that will be less expensive than oil. Are there restrictions in CT that will not allow a coal or wood boiler to be placed in my garage? What are my options?
Thanks!
Moderator if appropriate please move post to get most amount of possible replies.
Last edited by ColdHouse on Sat. Apr. 01, 2017 5:16 am, edited 2 times in total.
Reason: Merged topics and moved to stoker forum.


 
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lsayre
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Post by lsayre » Sat. Dec. 01, 2012 9:09 am

I would be concerned that even an oil boiler provides an open flame within a garage. Isolating it in a "boiler house" within the garage might be the ticket. Combustion air would not be permitted to come from the garage.

 
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whistlenut
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Post by whistlenut » Sat. Dec. 01, 2012 9:22 am

There are many users in CT, and they will chime in soon. Yes to the question. Local codes they may know, but you can ask a friendly fireman before asking the building dept.
We need the age of house, window and door updates, if any,
Insulation, if known. Chimney situation......
Your location in the state would be important. A general area is close enough.
Are you handy with your hands?

 
ColdHouse
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Post by ColdHouse » Sat. Dec. 01, 2012 9:40 am

whistlenut wrote:There are many users in CT, and they will chime in soon. Yes to the question. Local codes they may know, but you can ask a friendly fireman before asking the building dept.
We need the age of house, window and door updates, if any,
Insulation, if known. Chimney situation......
Your location in the state would be important. A general area is close enough.
Are you handy with your hands?
House was built in 1982. Upper scale home. Original windows that appear to function and seal reasonably. Location Bristol. It appears that the builder did not spare expense. I would assume that house insulated as well as any upper scale home built in the area in the 80's. Yes I am handy with my hands and mechanically inclined.
Thanks!

 
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Short Bus
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Post by Short Bus » Sat. Dec. 01, 2012 2:01 pm

You notice the your boiler is up off the floor, this is probalby to satisfy some rules about flame at least 24" up from the floor in a garage. This becomes awkward with coal boilers gettign coal higher and so on. You need a separate combustion gas system, chiminy with ceramic liners is the best, I have one of those metalbestos stacks, with no problems, but I burn 24/7/365, if you don't the ash and water in the air will combine to eat the stainless. Not sure how you place is layed out, maybe block chiminy on back end of garage, red brick above roof line. To me these problems have variable solutions and take the most thinking, and signifigant money, the coal boiler system is just money, but even that can be helped with rebuilt units. I don't know much about power vents but they certinly are quick, but require maintenace.

 
ColdHouse
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Post by ColdHouse » Sat. Dec. 01, 2012 5:23 pm

The chimney pipe runs directly up and through the roof. What about replacing my present boiler with a Leisure Line WL-110?http://leisurelinestoves.com/Boiler_and_Furnace_P ... ducts.html

 
ColdHouse
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Post by ColdHouse » Mon. Sep. 30, 2013 12:02 pm

I was very interested in the WL 110. Problem is it is difficult to find anyone willing to assist. I live on a street with 4 plumbers and one guy looked at the literature and pretty much told me the leisure line Wl 110 states in its literature that certain components will fail within 5 years. He further discouraged stating that it was pretty much a bomb. Said that would need back up power supply because if it would be disastrous if power went out. The next concern expressed was the labor involved in maintaining the boiler. Guy pretty much said that between the repairs and maintenance it was his opinion that it would be cheaper to pay for oil. My current boiler is in the garage and is relatively new. The new one would have to be moved to a different location in the garage due to clearance issues. (Not a big deal in my opinion). I think it would be easier to maintain the one unit than a couple of stoves. I have a large domestic hot water tank that runs off one boiler zone. I have hydro air with one air handler in the attic that diverts air to the main floor, second floor or both depending on thermostat demand. I have another air handler in the finished lower level on its own thermostat. Another concern was that being in the garage the boiler would need to be elevated making it more difficult to feed the hopper. I am more interested in the boiler than stoves but I need to find a competent person willing to help with the project and give me a realistic cost. Another concern is the dump zone. I know how to solder pipes & can run electric wire. I would need new stove pipe to run all the way from boiler to roof. I am capable of installing that myself. I could solder a dump zone if I knew what needed to be done. Point is I am very capable but would not want to put in the boiler and find out it is illegal and I cannot sell the house or ???. That doesn't mean that I want to go to the city to get permits or anything like that but I just want the unit to be installed properly. Any advice is greatly appreciated. To reiterate I presently have 3 zones off my current boiler. One for domestic hot water, one to feed my hydro air handler in lower level and a third to feed the hydro air handler in the attic.
So then I decided that maybe a stove or 2 would be best. This morning I received a PM from a member responding to my stove posts asking if I ever considered a boiler. A boiler is my first choice.
At this time I reach out to anyone that can give me some guidance and a realistic cost to install this boiler. As mentioned I am very mechanically inclined but an not an HVAC person.
Thank you!

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blrman07
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Post by blrman07 » Mon. Sep. 30, 2013 12:42 pm

You have a good clean install and LOTS of room. IMO, Yank out the oil boiler now and install the coal boiler right to the existing supply and return piping. Push the oil boiler to a corner and let it sit there. Forget what the oil burning plumbers told you. The water in the pipes don't care what the heat source is and unless you live in the Artic Circle or you can't get any coal at all, you will save a bushel load of money burning coal vrs oil.

Before we can go much further how about some location information? :D

 
ColdHouse
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Post by ColdHouse » Mon. Sep. 30, 2013 12:52 pm

blrman07 wrote:You have a good clean install and LOTS of room. IMO, Yank out the oil boiler now and install the coal boiler right to the existing supply and return piping. Push the oil boiler to a corner and let it sit there. Forget what the oil burning plumbers told you. The water in the pipes don't care what the heat source is and unless you live in the Artic Circle or you can't get any coal at all, you will save a bushel load of money burning coal vrs oil.

Before we can go much further how about some location information? :D
OK Bristol CT 06010. I updated my profile. New boiler would have to be moved because in the current location I would lose the ability to park. If it was just swapping out boiler for boiler I could easily do that myself but what about dump zones and ??? other coal burning considerations? Thank for any advice!

 
franco b
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Post by franco b » Mon. Sep. 30, 2013 2:20 pm

It looks like the oil burner has its own cold air intake.

 
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Rob R.
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Post by Rob R. » Mon. Sep. 30, 2013 2:25 pm

I suggest you get some feedback from someone that has installed and runs a stoker boiler. People that have no experience with coal stokers usually spew lots of BS and myths. The guy you talked to is a prime example.

Have you considered an EFM or Van Wert boiler? They are auger fed and can use a much lower bin/hopper.

 
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Dennis
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Post by Dennis » Mon. Sep. 30, 2013 2:33 pm

The LL110 is avalible with a oil burner also, so then you have another heat source when going away for periods of time.As for the plumber,he has no clue what he's talking about refering to a coal boiler.Since your mechinically inclined,can sweat copper pipes,elec. work and with guidence from very helpful and compent people here,you shouldn't have any problems switching out boilers.The dump zone is activated by aquastats and you use one of your existing zones to disperse the extra heat.

 
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blrman07
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Post by blrman07 » Mon. Sep. 30, 2013 2:43 pm

No reason from what I can see about swapping out boiler for boiler. If you can do it, do it and sideline the oil guzzler.

 
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Richard S.
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Post by Richard S. » Mon. Sep. 30, 2013 2:44 pm

ColdHouse wrote:... and pretty much told me the leisure line Wl 110 states in its literature that certain components will fail within 5 years.
Things wear out like motors and pumps but that is the case with any unit.
Said that would need back up power supply because if it would be disastrous if power went out.
Disaster in what sense? It's no different than any other boiler, you lose power you lose heat. You'll have to relight it but that's the end of it.
The next concern expressed was the labor involved in maintaining the boiler.
A coal boiler especially if you are running it year round requires very little maintenance. Total maintenance time on mine each year is a grand total of about 1/2 hour. The most work involved is cleaning out the flue pipe and if you're running it year round you set it with capped T's at elbows so you don't even have to disassemble it. The LL 110 like my boiler has a domestic hot water coil which makes it feasible to run year round. You may not save anything doing that but a boiler run 24/7/365 is going to last a lot longer.
Guy pretty much said that between the repairs and maintenance it was his opinion that it would be cheaper to pay for oil.
Even if it were only five years it would still be cheaper.

 
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dcrane
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Post by dcrane » Mon. Sep. 30, 2013 4:13 pm

clearly your plumber friend does work for the oil company you purchase your oil from! Ive never heard anyone unhappy with LL 110, if you don't wish to replace any parts in 5-10 years (LL spare parts and warranty is A++ btw)...then simply let it the oil kick in at that point (you will have saved enough in that 10 years to buy 2 more new ones and then you can drop off your old Leisure Line 110 at my house) toothy


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