Home heating systems

[skijay]

I got the new system installed. I need to get accustomed to the fact the furnace does not turn on when I need hot water. It is quiet with the exception of the fresh air intake that runs under the dining room. I can hear it when the furnace fires up. The boiler only runs for a few minutes at a time, not used to that!

I am happy I spent the extra money for this system even with the decline in heating oil prices.

Before:

After:

 

[Marc]

Nice skijay, Buderus is on my shortlist when I eventually replace my old boiler. Looks like you went from circulators to zone valves... is that right?

 

[Grassi21]

Nice choice!

Jotul makes really nice stuff.

I bought one of these:

Hearthstone Heritage

But if I was going the cast iron route, it probably would have been Jotul. If you have any questions about wood burning, let me know. Also, check out the forums at hearth.com.

That is a beautiful stove. When we refinish the basement I want to purchase a stove like yours to replace the propane stove.

 

[Geoff]

I have forced hot water propane and metered propane from a big common tank. We're paying $2.25 per gallon this year. I'm in a townhouse with shared walls on both sides so my heat bill is usually reasonable.

I doubt I get positive heat gain from my fireplace so I rarely use it. I really should get an insert for it or at least a fan-driven system to push hot air into the room.

 

[Glenn]

Nice system skijay! It's cool how now they can use one circulator and zone valves...instead of a separate circulator for each zone.

 

[Marc]

Do you have two flues in that chimney skijay?

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

I got the new system installed. I need to get accustomed to the fact the furnace does not turn on when I need hot water. It is quiet with the exception of the fresh air intake that runs under the dining room. I can hear it when the furnace fires up. The boiler only runs for a few minutes at a time, not used to that!

I am happy I spent the extra money for this system even with the decline in heating oil prices.

Before:

After:

Boner City..

 

[skijay]

I do have two flues. One now has a stainless steel liner & insulation in it for the furnace. The other one is for the fireplace above and wood stove in the picture. Both have not been used since 1986. That is when the one in the basement was hooked up.

The house originally had 3 zones but due to problems it was cut to two zones sometime around 1985 / 1986. It is a small house around 2000 sq ft. I do have the two zone valves which is suppose to be more reliable. I have replaced both circulators within the past 3 yrs on the old system

 

[jct]

Interesting Posts! I am a custom home builder and remodeler. As you can imagine I'm often in the position of recommending new heating systems and upgrades. I have coordinated the installation of many Buderus boilers and my customers love them. Last year I put one in a new home with radiant heat on 3 floors, the thing was so quiet I called the plumber back because I didn't think it was working!

For a recent water heater replacement we installed an "on demand" water heater. No tank, you heat water only when you need it, as opposed to keeping a 40 gal. tank of water hot 24/7. What a sweet deal.

On my current job we've installed a Tarm dual fuel boiler, wood & oil. The boiler runs full out twice a day heating water which is stored in a 600 gallon insulated tank. We have also installed solar panels on the standing seam steel roof for water heating (mostly in the summer).

 

[Glenn]

A dual boiler...now that sounds interesting.

 

[skijay]

I did look into going with a tankless water heater (on demand) using propane, but it would take many years to break even on the system. I wanted to do that to save on oil.

My 2009 project is going to look into having solar panels installed on my roof and selling the electricity back to the electric company (net metering). If I can get it done for $15,000 (after rebates) & permits & permission, I may do it.

 

[Marc]

Interesting Posts! I am a custom home builder and remodeler. As you can imagine I'm often in the position of recommending new heating systems and upgrades. I have coordinated the installation of many Buderus boilers and my customers love them. Last year I put one in a new home with radiant heat on 3 floors, the thing was so quiet I called the plumber back because I didn't think it was working!

For a recent water heater replacement we installed an "on demand" water heater. No tank, you heat water only when you need it, as opposed to keeping a 40 gal. tank of water hot 24/7. What a sweet deal.

On my current job we've installed a Tarm dual fuel boiler, wood & oil. The boiler runs full out twice a day heating water which is stored in a 600 gallon insulated tank. We have also installed solar panels on the standing seam steel roof for water heating (mostly in the summer).

Tarm makes good units. I'm looking into clean wood boilers for my old farmhouse... Tarm is on the short list (well, the list is short even if all manufacturers of downdraft boilers are included).

Do you know how the oil side of a Tarm combo unit compares with some of the newer high end oil boilers? Also you don't happen to know and would mind sharing how much (installed) that duel fuel boiler plus the storage tank was do you? If I ever go that route I think I'll be installing pressurized heat storage.

 

[mikes334]

I will have to checkout tarm. Thanks.