Gas and Oil Home Heating Furnaces - REPLACING BOILER

My folks will be replacing their 1927 York model coal furnace with a 2000-era Burnham model V8 unit. The York was converted to oil in the late 1940s, and that jet unit was replaced in 1980 with a stronger yet quieter one.

The sales rep, from our oil supplier, stated that the new unit will run at shorter more frequent intervals, but will use between 30 - 50% LESS fuel oil to maintain the same 68F my folks have run since 1980. It also has a built in water circulator, he said which should eliminate having to bleed the radiators.

I would like opinions of Burnham's reliability, reputation, as well as any cost savings info you guys may have out there. They went with their supplier because they are getting quite a discount on this.

Thanks,

-Chris

It sounds like the dealer is planning to install a larger boiler (which will make it heat more quickly and shut off only to restart and continue cycling.)

The ideal boiler would be smaller and run continuously during the coldest part of the coldest days in the coldest weather for your area. Short cycling wastes fuel. The new boiler would be of a more efficient design and you would still save energy and money which would conceal the cycling waste.

Ask for a Manual J heat calculation in WRITING. Don't buy from any dealer who won't provide this.
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The following was originally posted by arxaw:
Don't get a bigger furnace the load shows you need, because Manual-J oversizes by about 20%. If the furnace is too big it will short-cycle and not run at 92% efficiency. A correctly sized 80% furnace may cost less to run than an oversized 92% furnace.

If the correct size furnace can't handle the AC CFM, a different air handler may be ordered. If contractor says that's not possible get another brand furnace (and maybe another opinion).

While your replacing everything, get your ductwork tested for leaks and sealed. On average, that can save around 25% or so on energy bills.

((But I agree, Lynn))
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Another concept that ought to work but I have no experience with it:
http://www.hydronic.net/hydronic/hea/fuelcons.htm

Actually to run longer might cause it to overshoot in the AM, especially since the thermo. sets back to 63 from 10pm to 5am, after which it returns to 68F. And the old York, I have a feeling, spent most of it's running time warming up itself before it could even begin to send heat upstairs. The heat anticipator allows it to go up to 69 in the AM, then after a few hours maintains 67 - 67.5 all day.

The new Burnham is defintely physically smaller than the York, which was 62" tall by 30" wide(!). It's a little more than 1/2 that size, but it utilizes modern construction and insulation compared to the old one, so it should stay hot longer, and combined with a circulator, which we never had in this house before, will keep the house more consistently warm.

-Chris

Went smoothly, new unit is quieter and at same time provides unprecedented heat to the previously lagging upstairs radiators.

Only problem is that new unit tends to heat 2 deg. below setpoint. IE: 68 = 66, 70 = 68, etc.

Should I move anticipator on our mercury bulb -stat just a hair toward the "Longer" end?

Thanks,

Chris

That sounds like the solution. It will hurt nothing to experiment a bit to get the results that you seek.

Lynn

I say thermometers on t'stats are not accurate. Set the thermostat were you are comfortable. Don't tell my wife but I made my t'stat read a couple of degrees high to keep her from freezing me out in the summer. T'stat says 70* so shee is comfortable. She probably changed it back when I wasn't looking.