Oil boiler - brand recommendations

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sportbikerider78

sportbikerider78

Minister of Fire
Jun 23, 2014
2,493
Saratoga, NY
Need a new oil boiler for my home that I primarily heat with wood. This will be used on super cold (<-5F) days and when we are not home. I have a 2000sf home with high ceilings...again..not my primary heat.

Are there good brands that are reliable for decent money? Whats the best way to start this search?
 
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You or someone else needs to do a heat load calculation which will determine the size unit you need. You didn't say if you want a gas boiler or a oil boiler. It would be real helpful if you established what fuel type as it will lead the discussion in different directions. The type of radiation you currently have makes difference. If you have standard radiators you need a boiler that will put high temp water, if you have radiant type panel or tubing it will also change the discussion.

If its truly a standby boiler, you should find one that can be run as cold start boiler as otherwise you need to keep the unit hot year round. This limits your options for oil. Do you have spare flue for the boiler?. Some condensing type gas boilers can be routed outside with PVC pipe while oil boilers usually need a flue or a power vent.
 
peakbagger said:
You or someone else needs to do a heat load calculation which will determine the size unit you need. You didn't say if you want a gas boiler or a oil boiler. It would be real helpful if you established what fuel type as it will lead the discussion in different directions. The type of radiation you currently have makes difference. If you have standard radiators you need a boiler that will put high temp water, if you have radiant type panel or tubing it will also change the discussion.

If its truly a standby boiler, you should find one that can be run as cold start boiler as otherwise you need to keep the unit hot year round. This limits your options for oil. Do you have spare flue for the boiler?. Some condensing type gas boilers can be routed outside with PVC pipe while oil boilers usually need a flue or a power vent.
Click to expand...

My current system is oil boiler with base board hot water heat.

The current boiler has its own metal flue that vents through the roof. It is located in the basement. Space is not an issue.

I would be very open to a used unit that only has 5-8 hrs of wear and tear on it. Are there wholesalers available? Every time I google "used oil boiler" it gives me nothing but waste oil furnaces.
 
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Oops! Well oil it is. I used to see used oil boilers frequently a few years back when oil was expensive and natural gas was cheap. The big issue is to find a cold start boiler. The find of the year would be a system 2000, its cold start ultra efficient and they are quite small. My old crown boiler wasn't built for cold start but its quite happy doing so. A lot of other standard oil boiler leak when they are cycled. Supply House (Pex Supply) has oil boilers).
 
My Burnham (V8?) cast iron boiler operating in cold start mode has been good to me. We have a 2000 ft2 colonial.
 
What about buderus. Ive heard once weil mclains went to the gold series they weren't as good.
 
Not sure...I might go down that path if I have to. I'd prefer not to install it. I do everything my dam self and i'm sick of it. hahahaha

But,,,if someone is going to charge me $2,000 for 3 guys to do 6 hrs of work....I'd do it myself. This is not rocket science.
 
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Can't really help here - but I'll be watching the thread.

Things have changed in the world since I sent my old oil burner down the road 4 years ago. Never know what the future holds so good to try to keep up on technology.

I would be looking for cold start, small volume, I think. Parents got a Buderus a few years ago that has been very good, but I think I have also read on here about some having issues with them. Granby is made a half hour away from here (used to be a Kerr plant), saw a neat looking little one at a home show once.
 
Buderus are real nice boilers but used to be a premium, the hinge front design is great for cleaning and they are three pass boilers for high efficiency. I would not buy their outdoor reset (logamet?) controller rather I would get the Taco version. Their hot water maker used to be pricey and really nothing special.
 
I have 2 System 2000's. One is LP @ 10 years old the other is oil @ 27. The oil had an issue with the fuse that needed adjustment with a higher amp fuse and the later units of the same vintage I'm told didn't have them. It has 8 or 9 zones on it. The LP unit is running both 3 zones of RFH thru a TACO mixing block as well as 4 zones of FHW.

The oil unit has had the firebox relined twice the LP unit once. Oil gets cleaned every year, LP every other.

Both units are used for hot water year round.

All in all they have been very good units. The problems I had with the oil were solely piping related, mainly check valves not installed and the installer also failed to add zone valves and relied on the pumps. This was a problem. The LP was short cycling due to the RFH. That problem was solved with a buffer tank.
 
Why not look at a three-pass Utica boiler? Mine is about 5 years old now, no problems, and quite a bit more efficient than the one it replaced. And they are made just down the road from you, so you'll be supporting your local industry.
 
Go 3 pass type. We use Buderus or Crown mainly. Always with a Riello burner.

The pin type boilers are a royal pain to clean....and they will ALL need to be cleaned.
 
heaterman said:
Go 3 pass type. We use Buderus or Crown mainly. Always with a Riello burner.

The pin type boilers are a royal pain to clean....and they will ALL need to be cleaned.
Click to expand...
I have a buderus with riello burner. Very reliable, very efficient, heats up house very quickly. Burns .4 gal of oil per hour.
 
Hey guys. Thanks all for the advice. I have 3 companies coming to visit and quoting me the following.

Removal of old, installation of new oil boiler
3 new zone valves
6 new shutoff valves (before and after the zones)
New flue (short run to the basement ceiling)
New circulation pump

As expected, they are going to all recommend a different brand.

Quote 1 is in.... $5,200 + tax
He recommended a Lennox COWB3

Any opinions on this quote and model?

Quote 2 and 3 to follow.
 
Hey guys thanks for all the help.

I've settled on the Buderus G115. I found an installer and will order it and a burner on my own and have an installer take care of the rest.

Here's what is puzzling me a bit.

If I go to Supply House and choose the boiler ($1,429), with Riello burner ($2,189).
Boiler w/Riello
http://www.supplyhouse.com/Buderus-G115WS3-74000-BTU-Output-Cast-Iron-Oil-Boiler-Chimney-Vent


If I go to ecomfort and choose the boiler ($1,472) with a Beckett burner ($2,420).
http://www.ecomfort.com/Buderus-G11...umtBrg1xjhCJBdtuka1UYNeb1MiiUPM9zAaAtMa8P8HAQ
Beckett Burner
http://www.ecomfort.com/Buderus-7738004838/p37414.html


The part I don't understand is the Beckett burner seems to be much cheaper than the Riello, anywhere you look, but is more than the Riello on ecomforts site. Am I missing something? Is something else coming with the kit and I just don't understand? They all seem to include a recirculator pump.

Thanks!
 
when I had to install a new oil boiler in my house in maine, I had a guy who from church who is a full time heating service guy for a living recomend a Trio from FW Webb. It is their house brand, which is actually a Biasi that has a few changes made for F W Webb. He considers the design changes to be improvements, from what I remember (this was 5 years ago) they made the door on the front that opens for cleaning, one section instead of two, and have a different controler. He had installed many of them for his company, and had great faith in them based on years of cleanings.
the Trio is a tripple pass design, very efficient, and tiny compared to the old Weil McClain it replace. We sold the house the following year, but the new owner said she found the boiler to work just fine, and she is heating with less oil than we did from what I can figure.
I actually did the install myself, my friend gave me all the fittings and elbows I needed, then after I made all the connections, oil line, and wiring. He came back and checked it out, fired it up, and tuned it. The whole job only came to a little over $3000.
 
Old boiler is ripped out by yours truely. New boiler and burner are in the basement ready to be installed this coming Saturday.

Anything I should keep an eye on with the installer? What is critical and maybe not obvious?
 
I'd say make sure it's set up right for the output desired (if adjustable). The manual should have the nozzle type and size, draft, pump pressure and starting air settings. The installer will use his equipment to set the air settings and verify the pump pressure.

How's your oil tank filter? I had a spin on that was a nightmare to replace. It might be a good time to install one with a removable cartridge.

My stuff is on concrete 'termite' blocks. Might not be a bad idea for casual water.
 
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