Edwin Pawlowski wrote:

"Ray" wrote in message
news:eNEUj.638$Hh.556@trndny09...
We live in a six-unit coop apartment building with an oil-fired boiler
which supplies radiator heat throughout the building.

We installed a new boiler in 2006 at a cost of $28,000. At the time we
considered switching from oil to gas, but were told that we likely would
have to run new gas supply lines from the street to the building, and this
could cost as much as $20,000. So we opted to continue with oil.

Based on current prices, gas costs only about half as much as oil to
produce the same heat. So we are reconsidering switching to gas.

Leaving aside the cost of installing new gas-supply lines, can anyone give
me a ballpark figure on how much it would cost to switch the new furnace
from oil to gas? Or possibly even have a dual supply system so that we
could switch to gas or oil depending upon the costs at a given time?

The boiler installer should be able to give you a close estimate on the
phone. The burner head and some controls have to be replaced. When figuring
in the cost difference, include the lower maintenance costs too. Gas burns
much cleaner so you save a few hundred bucks a year there too.

You aren't suggesting that they can skip the annual service on the
boiler are you??? Gas may not need to have a nozzle and filter changed
like oil, but it certainly needs an annual service just like oil,
particularly for a commercial sized unit like the OP has. The cost of
that annual service isn't going to be any different since a nozzle and
filter account for about $10 worth of materials.