Oil boiler advice...turning point

[sportbikerider78]

Thanks for any advice guys.

My home was built in 1989 (2nd owner) and it looks like the Utica boiler that is used to heat my baseboard hot water developed a gasket leak between the burner and the cast boiler. I'm talking about the fiber gasket that seals the burner onto the boiler. At some point part of the gasket failed and now you can see the combustion chamber and fire while running the furnace. It also looks like this created a hot spot inside the furnance and deformed the casting and created a small bulge on the outside of the casting. If I allow it to run for long periods of time, the area that has the bulge will start glowing red hot. That can't be good.
I am not running it at all for obvious safety reasons and I don't have to fix it right now because my primary heat is a wood stove.

1) If I replace the gasket, can I run the furnace? Assuming the gasket face is not distorted and it will seal.

2) For a 2000sqft house with high ceilings, what BTU should I be looking at if I decide to replace?

3) For replacement, roughly, how much should that cost and what brands make sense for a secondary heating solution?

I don't want to cheap out on a solution, but it is unlikely I will keep this home for more than 10 years.

Thanks guys. I can supply pictures if needed.

 

[STIHLY DAN]

Dump it, its cooked, literally. Did you do your own cleanings? Any brand will suffice, just don't get a tankless coil for hot water.

 

[sportbikerider78]

Only had the house for 3 years. I ran it very infrequently and cleaned it once. Really easy to clean.

 

[__dan]

Don't know, not enough information.

If it's a wet base cast iron style boiler, probably three section residential, that's the conventional state of the art in oil. If it's not wet base cast iron and you want oil, that's what you would be looking for.

The wet sections, I don't see how it's possible to get them cherry red. You are probably talking about a swing out door. If there is no real damage to the metal, if it's not leaking water or flue gas, and the only damage is to fibrous flame and heat deflectors inside the chamber, those may be easily obtainable and replaceable.

Best bet is to have a local, good quality oil heat contractor, someone who is good with service, at least take a look at it and give it a servicing of the inexpensive wear items. All of the money is in the efficiency of the operation over the long term and there is very little expense over the long term for good equipment. You want to know the firing rate of the nozzle and the combustion efficiency. If it's a well maintained and adjusted cast iron wet base boiler, there will not be must upside in efficiency going to the same thing in new. However, a straight boiler swap is not a huge expense. The Utica may still be a good unit but that needs to be determined by a good pro.