Vito;

You have a 'boiler' which heats water, which runs through baseboard heaters
or radiators. Each radiator should have a thermostat setting for that room.
I'd call your friendly neighborhood HVAC person, (and be sure to ask if he's
a licensed boiler mechanic). He can inspect and adjust your oil fired
boiler to its best running effiency.

--
Zyp
"Vito Cavallo" wrote in message
...

I have an old 1920's house with a big old rectangle oil furnace. The
system
is steam heat. The furnace is about 4 feet tall, 3 feet wide and 6 feet
long. House is 2 floors (plus finished attic), 1400 sqft.

When my furnace turns on, it takes about 1 1/2 hours before I hear steam
hissing through my radiators and feel heat. I have 9 radiators in my
house.
House is uninsulated, but will be soon.

Is this too long of a time for a furnace to burn before I can feel heat?
What is a normal range before I should get heat? I live in Boston and
went
through 700 gallons of oil last winter ( very cold last year).

I know the system is old and I will weigh the options of furnace
replacement
vs. oil price when I get some feedback.

Thank you.