Just purchased new home (Alaska)-should we get a new boiler?

[Michael.B]

Hello,

Hope all is well, and hope this isn't an annoying question.....We just purchased a 1200sqf, 1 bath two bed house in northern Alaska (+20 to -40F regular in winter). The house is ranch style, with radiant in floor heating, and we have an HRV system. Hot water usage is low, though my wife does like to fill the a bath every other day (getting a more comfortable soaker tub for her is another project). Looking at fuel usage, it seems the house burns about 1000 gallons of #2 oil a year for heat and hot water. The garage does get hot during the summer as the boiler continues to work to supply hot water. Are there any thoughts as to whether it would be worth it to upgrade our boiler/hot water system for efficiency? If so, we want to do it now rather than wait a few years.

Thanks for any tips!

 

[Fitter30]

What water temp are you running and is it the same temp year round? Water heater have a separate coil in the boiler? The control next to the radiate loop pump brand and model number.u

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Sylvan]

If your staying with the same type of fuel then I would suggest you stick with the appliances already installed just have the burner serviced properly to maintain its efficiency

A 1000 gallon is not bad considering when I had my HB Smith 13 section boiler I was burning over 1,000 gallon in 5 months

You may want to insulate the lines to save a lot of wasted heat and most importantly check your flue for proper pitch AWAY from the appliance as it looks terribly back pitched ( line behind the water heater)

 

[Sylvan]

If you decide to upgrade I would suggest this boiler with a Becket burner

https://www.usboiler.net/product/v8h-oil-fired-water-boiler.html

 

[Jadnashua]

You might consider a strap or some support for the expansion tank. When the bladder fails, that tank tends to fill up with water, and becomes quite heavy.

 

[WorthFlorida]

The water heater has a circulator on it and appears that it does some domestic heating. It could be why your oil usage is quite low where the electric water heater is supplementing the heating and probably provides your domestic hot water. It a nice setup that should you ever run out of oil due to weather related delays, etc., you still have some heat.

 

[Jeff H Young]

that isnt an electric water heater? sure dosent look to be oil or gas. It looked to me that domestic hot water was totaly independent