Heating Help

which key?

@ February 20, 2012 12:47 PM in Forums font size?

Hold down which key?

Forums font size?

@ February 19, 2012 10:58 PM in Forums font size?

Is it me or has the font size in the forum threads become smaller?

Other people's posts seem to be a small sized font.

Is there some area to make the font size LARGER for what I am reading from others?

Any takers?

@ February 19, 2012 10:48 PM in new to oil heating

Did any one offer to teach you?

Natl Grid gas Bill on Long island

@ December 19, 2011 5:08 PM in Heating Costs

Here is a bill from Natl Grid.  Granted it is a low use month and could be skewed by the prior month being an estimated reading.


Hmmmm...  picture is shrunk small for some reason.

Electric costs

@ December 19, 2011 10:54 AM in Heating Costs

electric heat is 100% vs say 80% for the average boiler so the true cost of using electricity is probably about $5.00.

It still costs you $6.20 out of your pocket.  I'm not sure that the power co will accept paying $5 for every $6.20 they bill you.    :-)

Propane too

@ December 18, 2011 5:41 PM in Heating Costs

Many have propane as an option too.

NG costs with all fees included?

@ December 18, 2011 2:55 PM in Heating Costs

The 35% cheaper for NG,  does that have all fees/taxes included?

Make and model

@ December 18, 2011 12:12 PM in Convert only the oil burner head to gas?

>>>> PP, what make and model is your present boiler?

I think you mean me?    I have a New Yorker  KD-118-AP.   140psi with a 0.75 nozzle.  HW coil feeds a 50 gallon electric HW tank which hardly ever kicks on the heating elements.

gas head looks like oil burner head

@ December 17, 2011 10:42 PM in Convert only the oil burner head to gas?

I just looked at the Carlin EZ-Gas.

http://www.patriot-supply.com/images/medium_EZ-GAS.bmp

It does look *mostly* like an oil burner.  Perhaps the propane supplier was awkwardly describing the gas head and made it sound like the guts are swapped out.

COD oil is more

@ December 17, 2011 9:45 PM in Convert only the oil burner head to gas?

Does that have all costs like delivery charge all in?

Even COD oil prices are much more.  Last I looked in teh $3.40 to $3.50 a gallon for 200-plus gallons.

Switchable burners

@ December 17, 2011 7:35 PM in Convert only the oil burner head to gas?

Maybe then I'll keep my oil burner head so I can switch back and forth to whichever fuel is cheaper at the moment!  ;-)

no upgrade

@ December 17, 2011 7:30 PM in aquastat control

No upgrade,  cannot swing the initial cost.

If u recall,  in my existing New Yorker the chamber had some cracks.  I got by for a few years with furnace cement and some long finish nails as "pins".  The guy I was buying oil from wanted over $1K to replace the chamber!!!

I bought the chamber myself from Patriot Supply,  put on gloves and a mask.  Dug out the old one,  vacuumed the crumbs and I am good to go.  Messy but simple.

BTW,  I thought the low setting for oil shouldn't be lower than 140*?  

BTUs per Dollar

@ December 17, 2011 6:26 PM in Convert only the oil burner head to gas?

Now the question is,   what will be the BTUs per dollar I will get from this same boiler vessel with nat gas versus the present oil burner?

I have no idea how much nat gas costs here.

Convert only the oil burner head to gas?

@ December 17, 2011 4:16 PM in Convert only the oil burner head to gas?

I have seen a boiler that normally would have a Beckett type oil burner head in it,   with instead a natural gas firing burner head.

My propane supplier had mentioned some sort of conversion that would fire propane.  Unless I misunderstood,  it sounded like the Beckett air blower would be retained.  Instead of the oil pump and oil tube/nozzle assembly there would be a propane supply and "nozzle".

In either case,  how well do gas conversions with existing boilers work?

Natural gas is in the street right in front of my driveway (I think the line ends there),  so I *might* be within the limit for free install of the gas hookup from National Grid (or is it LIPA?) here on Isle Du Long.

Thinking this conversion of my existing boiler could be a cost effective first step in full conversion to a Nat Gas boiler in the future,  while giving me less costly heating fuel.  And probably the ability to spread the cost of fuel over the year (balanced billing) rather than pay the bulk of it during Winter months for oil deliveries  (COD prices are so much lower).

stand-by temp

@ December 17, 2011 1:55 PM in aquastat control

Hi Ron.

I am curious about the 110* standby temp.

When the boiler goes below 110* while idle,  what temp is it then raised to?    Am I correct that the triple aquastat is set to 110* as the LOW?   What DIFF do you use?

Hope all is well,  Phil.

burn off residue?

@ December 17, 2011 12:28 PM in Need help on tank removal

Is it a bad idea to cut the tank in half,  and in a safe outdoor area burn off the residue?

clogged

@ December 17, 2011 12:06 PM in squeeling oil burner??

And/or a clogged canister filter.

Oh, we get it

@ December 16, 2011 3:25 PM in Question for homeowners

Your message is conveyed!  :-)

The extra commentary is free bonus material! 

"Don't judge a book by its cover",   comes to mind.

Funny though,  (NOT ha ha) your SIL has no idea how many people he has marginalized and dismissed.  He just doesn't care that he sent away the best solution to his heating needs.

I do think it's probably a bad idea to show up to a potential customers job in a chauffeured Bentley,  wearing Armani 3 piece suit with diamond encrusted tool box.  LOL  :-)

Bling is not tools

@ December 16, 2011 12:07 PM in Question for homeowners

There is "bling" and there is "high-tech tools".

The proper use of high tech can get a faster and more-precise solution.   An instant well informed more detailed quote is desirable.

Does your SIL use pencil and paper alone to process thousands of data points with 500 variables like in the old days?  Or does he use a computer?   :-)

The bottom line should be,   who is providing the best service with the best solution for a good price?

I find this absolutely fascinating.

@ December 16, 2011 11:42 AM in Question for homeowners

I find this absolutely fascinating.

Note that I have not yet read the whole thread.  But with little information it's hard to NOT form some opinion of your SIL and perhaps what you think of him and/or his position on the pad-n-pencil versus all high-tech.

Not knowing him and not ever meeting him,  but it sounds like some intellectual elitism.  "I know better than anyone  that NOBODY could possibly be using these complicated toys to MY benefit".   Short sighted.  But I suspect,  Dan,  that you already knew that.   :-)

That being said,  one could have all the high-tech tools in the world,  but if you don't know how to use them correctly you won't get the correct results.

offer the tanks too

@ December 16, 2011 11:16 AM in Free oil - 500 gallons - No way to give to the poor

If the tanks are in decent shape,  offer the tanks too.  Someone will want it all.  As said already,  Craig's List.  The recipient takes it all,  as is,  tanks included and assumes all liability.  It'll be gone quickly.

Unless of course the tanks are buried in the ground?   Or land-locked inside the building?

Update?

@ September 28, 2011 12:45 AM in Beckett burner banging real bad

Anything new to add?  Problem solved yet?