"Shaun Eli" wrote in message
...
I have a 40 year old gas-fired boiler. It's pretty much a metal can
with no insulation around it. As a result a lot of heat escapes and
overheats the room it's in.

I realize that insulating it probably wouldn't make it more efficient
but what I'm interested in is keeping the room with the boiler a
little cooler.

Is there a way to insulate it? I asked at Home Depot-- the Building
Materials folks said to check in Plumbing, that a water heater blanket
might work. The Plumbing guys said no, a boiler gets too hot (the
water's 160 or so degrees but I don't know how hot the boiler itself
gets) and you can't use a water heater blanket on that.

Any ideas?



Short story, no, there is not a lot you can do. Wrapping the outer shell in
fiberglass is only marginal. Keep in mind, that insulation on the boiler is
going to keep the heat in it, but it is also going to keep the area near the
boiler cooler. In an unused basement that may be OK, but if you want heat
there, it is not "wasted" if it comes from the boiler.

At 40 years old, it is very inefficient and wasteful. Consider an upgrade.
I've posted the information twice inthe past couple of days about new
boilers, low or no interest loans and the potential payback. Here in CT we
can get 10 years at 0% plus, a $500 rebate. At $3 a gallon oil, the savings
pay the payment. YMMV