Bobcat
Premium
join:2001-02-04
Bedminster, NJ
 ·Verizon Online DSL
1 edit | reply to dennismurphy
Re: Weil-McLain Ultra series boilers
said by dennismurphy  :Here are the guys who did the chimney inspection: Elite Chimney. I can't recommend them highly enough -- very professional, and they know their business. Definitely not a shady fly-by-night operation. Thanks for the link. I've got a couple chimney caps that need to be replaced. Their design allows birds to get between the two concentric walls of the metal flue. |
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tp0d
yabbazooie
Premium
join:2001-02-13
Carnegie, PA
clubs:
 ·Verizon FIOS
| reply to dennismurphy
said by dennismurphy :Absolutely. I have an electric HWH right now, and while I don't run out of hot water, we all know they're inefficient. Actually, electric water heaters are near 99% efficiency. This is due to no flue line to exhaust burnt gasses outside. The cost of electricity is the kicker though. It takes a lot more KWH than MCF's to heat water the same.
To be frank, the W-M 68 Series is older technology, but it's damned reliable. It just keeps cranking out heat ...
I was curious if anyone installs used boilers. I don't even care about making any money on the cost of the boiler... Since I have a working boiler & HWH that are going to be taken out of service, I was wondering if there was a way to get them to a family that could use them - someone that might be cash-strapped and has a broken boiler, something of that nature.
I'll ask my contractor when I talk to him about this whole thing ... I've got to give him a call tomorrow anyway.
Thanks again - this is some good news!
We have installed one used cast boiler in the past, and that was for a good friend of mine. He and his friends moved the boiler into position close to the original, and we swapped the units out.
Biggest problem with moving an assembled boiler is of course the weight. Anything bigger than 30x30 is an absolute bastard to move. Thats why a lot of cast boilers come disassembled in sections. Much easier to move 6 80lb sections than one 480+ gutbuster.
If you have good access to removing the boiler, advertise it on craigslist for a nominal fee, say $100 for the boiler. I`m sure someone out there still has the old gravity / coal conversion boiler that is less than 70% efficient. We have a bid out now for an ultra, for a customer with a boiler from approx 1945, an old coal conversion with ceramic burner. Its a beast of a boiler lol
-j
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if it aint broke, tweak it!!
currently on FiOS (kick aZZ!) |
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dennismurphy
Put me on hold? I'll put YOU on hold
Premium
join:2002-11-19
Parsippany, NJ
 ·Optimum Online
| reply to Kearnstd
said by Kearnstd :thats cool a live video feed of how bad things are. kinda like when docs shove cameras into people. It's actually very cool, until they show you the price (well, much like a doctor 
There are a lot of scams in the chimney industry - someone can always tell you that it's broken and there's no real way for you to tell.
Thankfully, this particular company is honest and reputable. They showed me MY chimney - no chance that was someone else's, or bogus pictures, or any of that. |
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dennismurphy
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join:2002-11-19
Parsippany, NJ
·Optimum Online
1 edit | reply to tp0d
said by tp0d :My company installs 3-4 Ultra's a year. They are a very reliable unit, and because of the modulation rate, they are very efficient. Well that's great to hear. That's the news I was hoping for ...
I agree with the above post about investigating a domestic hot water system at the same time. It is about 1500 more, but will replace your existing water heater with an approx 90% boiler heat source. Go with the larger tank, as it puts less strain on the boiler.
Absolutely. I have an electric HWH right now, and while I don't run out of hot water, we all know they're inefficient.
Costwise, any boiler install will start at 7k and go up from there. The boilers themselves go for 3k+, depending on btu value.
I'm more concerned about unit cost than installation cost, to be honest. I don't mind paying an honest price for an honest job, and I have a heating contractor that I trust implicitly.
edit-- your existing 15yr old boiler runs no risk of leaking, the cast exchanger can go for 30-40yrs easy.
To be frank, the W-M 68 Series is older technology, but it's damned reliable. It just keeps cranking out heat ...
I was curious if anyone installs used boilers. I don't even care about making any money on the cost of the boiler... Since I have a working boiler & HWH that are going to be taken out of service, I was wondering if there was a way to get them to a family that could use them - someone that might be cash-strapped and has a broken boiler, something of that nature.
I'll ask my contractor when I talk to him about this whole thing ... I've got to give him a call tomorrow anyway.
Thanks again - this is some good news! |
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Kearnstd
Elf Wizard
Premium
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ | reply to dennismurphy
thats cool a live video feed of how bad things are. kinda like when docs shove cameras into people.
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[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports |
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tp0d
yabbazooie
Premium
join:2001-02-13
Carnegie, PA
clubs:
·Verizon FIOS
1 edit | reply to dennismurphy
My company installs 3-4 Ultra's a year. They are a very reliable unit, and because of the modulation rate, they are very efficient.
Also, with the two-pipe system they use, the boiler does not use your indoor heated air to run. They are way quieter than a fan driven oil boiler. (you have to put your hand on the unit just to see if its running)
I agree with the above post about investigating a domestic hot water system at the same time. It is about 1500 more, but will replace your existing water heater with an approx 90% boiler heat source. Go with the larger tank, as it puts less strain on the boiler.
Costwise, any boiler install will start at 7k and go up from there. The boilers themselves go for 3k+, depending on btu value.
We have approx 15-20 units out there, that we service once a year (clean flamerods, and condensate traps), but otherwise we havent had any failures in the 6-7 years they've been available. They also offer a 10yr parts and lifetime heat exchanger warranty, as an additional purchase. 5yr parts and labor is standard, which is very good for a boiler.
good luck
-j
edit-- your existing 15yr old boiler runs no risk of leaking, the cast exchanger can go for 30-40yrs easy.
--
if it aint broke, tweak it!!
currently on FiOS (kick aZZ!) |
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joe40
join:2005-11-26
Danbury, CT | reply to dennismurphy
don't repair your chimney
today boiler can be installed in houses with no chimneys
right outside the wall
my friend has a oil furnace set up that way |
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dennismurphy
Put me on hold? I'll put YOU on hold
Premium
join:2002-11-19
Parsippany, NJ
·Optimum Online
| reply to HarryH3
said by HarryH3 :Cool, and a bummer at the same time.  When it's really broken, you don't have much of a choice. I hate to see people waste money on things that don't need fixed though. Five grand is a big chunk of change, but when you're getting something that you really need, at least the expense can be justified. We had a HE gas boiler for heat years ago when we lived in Mass. It was about the size of a suitcase, yet kept 1500 sf toasty warm, even when it was near zero outside. I'm sure that the efficiencies have improved since then so you should see some good savings with a HE unit today. Here are the guys who did the chimney inspection: Elite Chimney. I can't recommend them highly enough -- very professional, and they know their business. Definitely not a shady fly-by-night operation.
I'll scan and post the actual report when I get a few minutes - it's very thorough ... |
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HarryH3
join:2005-02-21
Georgetown, TX
·Verizon Online DSL
| reply to dennismurphy
Cool, and a bummer at the same time. When it's really broken, you don't have much of a choice. I hate to see people waste money on things that don't need fixed though. Five grand is a big chunk of change, but when you're getting something that you really need, at least the expense can be justified.
We had a HE gas boiler for heat years ago when we lived in Mass. It was about the size of a suitcase, yet kept 1500 sf toasty warm, even when it was near zero outside. I'm sure that the efficiencies have improved since then so you should see some good savings with a HE unit today. |
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dennismurphy
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Premium
join:2002-11-19
Parsippany, NJ
·Optimum Online
| reply to HarryH3
said by HarryH3 :Before you spend a lot of money on anything, google "chimney sweep scam" and learn... It seems that many less-reputable chimney sweeps have found that it's very easy to scare people into forking over 5 grand. Your chimney may really have problems, but be 100% certain before handing over your hard earned cash. 100% agreed. I've had this particular company cleaning the chimney for several years now, and they've been warning me that it's getting worse. This time, they lowered a camera into the chimney and showed me the pictures live.
No scam about it - the tile's definitely deteriorated beyond repair. We're missing about 5 feet of tile at the top, there's several chunks missing mid-length, lots of cracks, it's pretty bad. You can actually see pieces of tile at the bottom of the chimney. :-(
You can also see the bricks pulling apart at the top - the exposed section of the chimney needs to be torn down and rebuilt.
The big cost comes in the work to remove the existing liner. The tile doesn't leave enough room to run a stainless steel liner - it *has* to be removed. That's what makes the cost balloon so quickly.
So, yeah, I can probably find a company that will run an undersized liner, or do the work for less, but I'm not interested in a half-assed job. I'd rather spend a few bucks more and get it done right ...
... and if doing it right is converting to an HE boiler, then so be it. |
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jack b
Gone Fishing
Premium,MVM
join:2000-09-08
Cape Cod
clubs:
·Comcast
1 edit | reply to dennismurphy
You'll probably spend close to 5 grand putting in the new gas boiler, so that part is practically a wash.
Good news is you can expect to see a significant fuel savings with the new unit.
I'd go for the Ultra Plus indirect water heater as well, it's worth the additional grand or so.
edit-add link:
»www.weil-mclain.com/products/dis···20heater
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HarryH3
join:2005-02-21
Georgetown, TX
·Verizon Online DSL
| reply to dennismurphy
Before you spend a lot of money on anything, google "chimney sweep scam" and learn... It seems that many less-reputable chimney sweeps have found that it's very easy to scare people into forking over 5 grand. Your chimney may really have problems, but be 100% certain before handing over your hard earned cash. |
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dennismurphy
Put me on hold? I'll put YOU on hold
Premium
join:2002-11-19
Parsippany, NJ
·Optimum Online
| Does anyone have any experience with the Weil-McLain Ultra series high-efficiency boilers?
Long story short - I currently have a Weil-McLain 68 Series oil boiler. It's about 15 years old, somewhat inefficient (81%) but runs fine. I had my chimney cleaned & inspected last week and have some deficiencies, to the tune of about $5k worth of work. (structurally sound, but lots of other issues - missing sections of tile, broken/cracked tile, no cleanout, etc.) Fixing it correctly will involve opening some walls in the house so they can dismantle parts of the chimney to remove the old tile. Can't "just" throw a new liner in there since there isn't enough clearance with the existing tile in place.
Anywho - rather than invest $5k into fixing the chimney attached to a 15-year-old boiler, I'm considering replacing the boiler instead.
My thinking is to convert to natural gas (it's in the street, but not in my house - they'll run to the house for free) and install a HE gas boiler so I can direct vent outside, rather than spend all those $$$'s replacing chimney tiles.
Then, at some point in the future, I can dismantle the chimney and expand the kitchen a bit too ....
So - in that vein - does anyone have experience with the Weil-McLain Ultra 3's? Thoughts? Concerns?
The good news here is that my oil tank is in the basement, and replacing the oil boiler with a gas one will free up lots of basement space for MORE TOOLS. |
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