With the rising price of oil, I'm looking to get rid of my oil boiler and replace it with (probably) a pellet boiler and some form of backup.
I've read through many posts on this site and found many helpful insights, but still need some advice.
I have a small 1400 sq foot cape in Massachusetts currently heated by baseboard hot water off a Burnham v-73 oil boiler. Hot water is supplied by an indirect tank "Amtrol - BoilerMate." I go through 900 to 1000 gallons of oil per year, but am making improvements to insulation in the house this summer, so hopefully the btu requirement will go down from that next year. I have only one flue which is being used by the oil boiler. I also have to keep the mortgage company happy and want to have something that will run when I'm on vacation in the winter. From what I've read, for the bank to be happy it means I need a "primary system" of either oil, gas, or electric.
I am trying to find the best solution to save me money in the long run, but I am at a loss for what to do. Natural gas is not available on my street and I can't do solar because there are too many large trees around my house, on all sides including the south. My house sits on about 1/4 acre and I don't have the room (or the time) for wood. I also don't have much room in my basement for heat storage.
Since I was hoping to remove oil all together, partly because I don't trust oil boilers to work well if they aren't run frequently and partly because home heating oil is pushing $5 a gallon here in MA and it would be heating my hot water in the summer. I was thinking installing a pellet boiler and also an electric boiler to call my primary system (even though I would only use it for domestic hot water in the summer and when I'm on vacation in the winter). Is that a good option? If I did this, should I keep the "BoilerMate" for hot water and let the electric boiler fill it during the summer and the pellet in winter? Would this be efficient. Are there better options besides this setup?
I'm o.k. spending 10 to 15K(max), but I want a design that is as efficient and saves me money. Does anyone have similar situations where you can tell me what you have done?
Any advice would be great! Thanks.
I've read through many posts on this site and found many helpful insights, but still need some advice.
I have a small 1400 sq foot cape in Massachusetts currently heated by baseboard hot water off a Burnham v-73 oil boiler. Hot water is supplied by an indirect tank "Amtrol - BoilerMate." I go through 900 to 1000 gallons of oil per year, but am making improvements to insulation in the house this summer, so hopefully the btu requirement will go down from that next year. I have only one flue which is being used by the oil boiler. I also have to keep the mortgage company happy and want to have something that will run when I'm on vacation in the winter. From what I've read, for the bank to be happy it means I need a "primary system" of either oil, gas, or electric.
I am trying to find the best solution to save me money in the long run, but I am at a loss for what to do. Natural gas is not available on my street and I can't do solar because there are too many large trees around my house, on all sides including the south. My house sits on about 1/4 acre and I don't have the room (or the time) for wood. I also don't have much room in my basement for heat storage.
Since I was hoping to remove oil all together, partly because I don't trust oil boilers to work well if they aren't run frequently and partly because home heating oil is pushing $5 a gallon here in MA and it would be heating my hot water in the summer. I was thinking installing a pellet boiler and also an electric boiler to call my primary system (even though I would only use it for domestic hot water in the summer and when I'm on vacation in the winter). Is that a good option? If I did this, should I keep the "BoilerMate" for hot water and let the electric boiler fill it during the summer and the pellet in winter? Would this be efficient. Are there better options besides this setup?
I'm o.k. spending 10 to 15K(max), but I want a design that is as efficient and saves me money. Does anyone have similar situations where you can tell me what you have done?
Any advice would be great! Thanks.