High efficiency gas heat?

Posted by jonnyo on September 25, 2005, 6:37 pm

I live in the Boston area and my home is about 3500 to 4000 sf. Well
insulated and good windows.

The gas burner is original and gas bills have been high and climbing
the past few years.

Is it worth investing in a new high efficiency gas boiler?

Is Buderus a good brand?

Does $8500 sound like a ballpark bid?

Also, thinking of adding a a wood stove. Good idea?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Posted by Bill on September 25, 2005, 8:54 pm

So far as the heating system, I have had success up to now (just installed
wood stove) heating just one room at night (bedroom) or using an electric
blanket when temperatures are not too cold. Then keeping the whole house
heat *real* low but at a minimum when it is cold as heck. I warm up the
house in the morning.

I would take a look at new efficient heating systems which can be zoned and
have the ability to turn off heat in unused rooms. Might cost more now, but
would probably be worth it in the long run.

Also there are Rinnai natural gas heaters which are so efficient, they just
require a plastic pipe through the wall for exhaust venting. Maybe a few of
these installed in key rooms would be cheaper than a new central system?
Links for Rinnai and Energy Star (discusses other more efficient heating
systems) below.

So far as a wood stove, I just installed one myself and it cost upwards of
$3000.00 including a new chain saw. (My other chain saw decided to break
after I ran up this large bill of course!) I live around a bunch of wood
mills and can get a lot of wood free or at a low cost, so well worth it.

I had my natural gas turned off - told them I was using wood this winter as
their prices were too high.

And I am enjoying it each time I stick a piece of wood in my wood stove. I
utter a few foul words directed toward certain large oil and gas
corporations.... Worth every cent of that $3000.00 if you ask me!

Rinnai links...
http://www.rinnai.us
http://www.houseneeds.com/shop/HeatingProducts/RoomHeaters/rinnai/rinnaiheatersmainpage.htm

Energy Star...
http://www.energystar.gov

"jonnyo" wrote in message

> I live in the Boston area and my home is about 3500 to 4000 sf. Well
> insulated and good windows.
> The gas burner is original and gas bills have been high and climbing
> the past few years.
> Is it worth investing in a new high efficiency gas boiler?
> Is Buderus a good brand?
> Does $8500 sound like a ballpark bid?
> Also, thinking of adding a a wood stove. Good idea?
> Thanks for any help you can provide.

Posted by Edwin Pawlowski on September 26, 2005, 2:35 am

> The gas burner is original and gas bills have been high and climbing
> the past few years.
> Is it worth investing in a new high efficiency gas boiler?

Probably not unless it is really poor efficiency. What wil a 10% gain save
you?

> Is Buderus a good brand?
> Does $8500 sound like a ballpark bid?

I'm having one put into a building we lease out and it will be $6700.
Depending on size, yours may be a decent price.

> Also, thinking of adding a a wood stove. Good idea?

Depends on the price of wood. Right now in central Mass it is running $185
to $225 a cord. Boston often higher. Much higher. If you can get wood
cheap or free, don't mind the additional labor, and the mess, it can reduce
your gas bills. New stove installed can run $1500 to $3000 or more. You
have a large house and have to circulate that heat from the room with the
stove to the others so that may take some ingenuity for maximum effect. At
the price of wood, I'm using oil again this year even at 2.36 a gallon.
--
Ed
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome/

Posted by on September 26, 2005, 7:29 am

You might have local professional check out your current installation,
and maybe look into a flue damper. Such person could advise much better
than a random cybercitizen as to cost/benefit of replacement, so long
as that person is not angling for a sale.

Consider also zoning the heat, cutting it down where not really needed.
And a clock-thermostat.

Insulation is only effective with good sealing. Sounds like something
that'd have a good payback for you.

Woodstove can work great, _if_ you have access to cheap/free wood,
don't have to make major investment to install, and don't mind the
work. Kinda late now for this year. For future, you might investigate
pellet stove.

HTH,
J

Posted by on September 26, 2005, 7:46 am

You might want to consider moving to a smaller house.

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