Quote:
Originally Posted by ChloeP
I recently moved into an older property, from early 1950s, and we've got an oil burning boiler that's at least 20 years old if not older.
I want to replace it with something more efficient but don't know whether to go for gas or electric.
I presume electric is more efficient but more expensive, I'm not sure it evens out in the end.
Also I need recommendations for contractors in the Houston area. I've searched online and found these guys Houston Plumber | Air Conditioner | Heating Services | Aramendia
but being new to the area I'd like some actual recommendations before I start ringing around. |
Chloe:
20 years old is an old gas fired furnace.
20 years old is a young cast iron boiler.
Where I live, it's common to see hot water heating boilers that are 100 years old and still going strong.
Why would you want to replace an old heating boiler in the Houston area. You only use that thing for a couple of months at the most each year, so despite the fact that it's not nearly as efficient as the newer equipment, it still doesn't cost you much to operate because you don't use it all that much.
Yes, a new boiler will be more efficient. But it'll also cost a lot more to repair because heating companies know they're a lot more complex to diagnose problems with them, and so most homeowners just pick up the phone and open up their wallet. The heating contractor just takes as much as he wants cuz he knows that you wouldn't have known what to do to fix it yourself. With older boilers, half the handymen on this forum could tell you what's wrong if you explain the problem to them.
Unless there's a solid reason for wanting to replace this boiler, I'd think twice about that decision. You'd be better off just using what you have for all the heat a house in Houston needs in the winter, and given what a new high efficiency boiler will cost you.
But, a properly maintained cast iron boiler will last longer than grandma, so 20 years is NOT an old boiler, and replacing it just to save on fuel costs in a place like Houston is a money losing decision.