Well here is what I need help with. I am looking at replacing my oil burner because I am having numerous issues with it. http://www.mytractorforum.com/showthread.php?t=266688
I have always wanted to install a tankless water heater since we moved into our house over 7 years ago. It just seems that other things had to be replaced first so the heater got put on the back burner. Well now I have no choice with this boiler. After assessing what it would cost to repair my current one and the age of it (about 25 years old) I figured I would be better off replacing the whole unit. One reason why I want to go tankless/gas is because currently the flue exits the back of the house and in the summer we would get exhuast coming into the house thru the back door and window. Another reason is I can get gas boilers at 95+% efficient compared to 85% for oil.
I have it down to 2 different combo units from Bosch and Rinnai. I can pretty much install both systems myself, my only drawback is I am in need of a multiport flue gas probe/analyzer as part of the install. I found out that they cost well over $1000 so I dont want to buy one. Does anyone know of any places that rent them? I will check into some local rental shops, but I doubt that they will have something like that. Any suggestions would be great.
If you weren't 1k miles away, you could borrow one.
Do you have any friends or friends-of-friends that are in that line of work? They're getting a lot more common since it's at least requested, but more often required, that a new install is checked and documented; many businesses do it as a CYA thing, too, to limit their liability. I doubt you're going to find one that's available as a rental to a homeowner; if you did find one, the rental rate would likely be rather high. IMO, your best bet would be to find somebody with access to one and slip them a little cash or return the favor in one way or another. When you do get it done, make sure you get a printout after the gas valve is dialed in (some have an onboard printer while others need a flash card or need to be hooked to a computer to transfer data).
I hope you are referring to natural gas not propane, propane burns at 95,000 btus/gallon and oil burns at 140,000 btus/gallon and when you factor in buying propane right now is MORE expensive per gallon than oil that ten percent more efficient goes right down the tubes when you have to burn more propane than oil to get the same heat. Natural gas the btu rate is almost the same as propane but the cost is so much cheaper it makes it worth it. I'm not one to hate gas, I have an oil boiler and hate it and I want gas, but it will cost 40K to have the main extended to my house. Also checked the price of buying a propane tank, its the only way to cheaply fill it, in the summer, when you lease a tank in my area by law only the company you lease it from can fill it, and propane is over 4 bucks a gallon in my neck of the woods right now.
Diesel power thanks for the info. The only guy I know in the business (he is 80 something and still works) doesnt have one, but said he would ask around as well. But he didnt have high hopes for any guys he knows having one.
Blown, yes I am talking propane. Where I live there will never be natural gas lines except maybe the ones that send it from the wells to the processing plants. I am planning on buying the tank so I can buy fuel from anyone. That way I can get propane for around $1.50-$2.00 a gallon if I let the tank run down pretty good. I am just sick of my house smelling like an 80's bus in the summer and tired of it sounding like a jet ready for take off when the power venter kicks in. Plus considering the gas units I am looking at run at 95-98% efficiency compared to 85% for a new oil burner. Plus the gas boilers wont sit there and heat water when no one is using it and they also come with weather sensors so they do not have to burn full force when its not to cold outside.
I understand about the smell, my house is a cape and you cannot smell and barely hear the boiler, but in a friend of mines ranch its on the first floor and is almost overpowering. I wish those were the propane prices here in my area, I would of switched along time ago. What size propane tank do you have? I looked at buying and having one buried in my yard when I wanted to switch and just that part of the system was 4K.
I dont own one yet, but am looking at a 250 gal one for now. I would love a bigger one to bury, but since I am planning a possible addition in the future, I dont want to have to move it or worry about digging around it. With that size tank, if I let it get down pretty good I will be in the $2.00 per gallon range for fuel. Currently fuel oil is around $3.80 per gallon.
Nice thing is most places will do trade ins on tanks so since I am not in a hurry, I can shop around and see if I can find a decent trade in. So maybe I can go bigger if the price is right. I dont think anyone trades in buried tanks though. I never understood leasing buried tanks either, but found out some people do.
That kinda looks like a permanent unit. Plus the guy selling doesnt even know if it works. I have seen the hand held ones go for lots of $$$$.
I called the propane supplier I wanted to go with initially, but since they do not install units they do not have the equipment to monitor the combustion.
I called a installer and he basically said I cant install the boiler and I have to have him do it. Claims it can be between $3000 and $5000 excluding cost of boiler and accessories (another $3500 to $4000) Not sure why his labor cost is so high, especially since I would remove the old set up no matter what.
I looked into his claim and he does not have to install boiler, but I am not calling him back, I hate people who lie to me.
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