topic Need A New Hot Water Boiler in Among Friends

Need A New Hot Water Boiler

cuddlesmama — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 11:57:03 GMT

I am not sure where to post this if this is not the right place please let me know.

I am in need of an new hot water boiler Our old one which we had for 35 years is now leaking and the pipe in the back is rotting and the unit cannot be fixed. So far, we have had 2 oil companies over to let us know what has to be done and the both of them said this unit cannot be fixed we will have a 3rd person come over shortly to access the unit just to be sure. Two of the companies recommended Weil McLain oil fired WGO-3RD hot water boilers which will last for 15 years he said. I was shocked after having a unit for 35 years I thought they would all last that long. Boy, am I out of the loop!! If you have any other recommendations on boilers I would like to hear it.Another company I have heard is the Lennox boilers but don't much about their boilers. Thanks everyone!!

Re: Need A New Hot Water Boiler

millieshops — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 12:05:22 GMT

@cuddlesmama I don't have a brand recommendation but do something soon because you could have an incredible mess. I know it's a big cost, but less than it could be as time passes.

Your plumbers are right. Current heaters will not last as long. -I had one replaced after about 10 years -- no leakage, but I could see rust. When the plumber drained the tank and removed it, the entire base stayed in place! I was due for disaster.

Re: Need A New Hot Water Boiler

jackthebear — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 12:10:43 GMT

@cuddlesmama wrote:
I am not sure where to post this if this is not the right place please let me know.

I am in need of an new hot water boiler Our old one which we had for 35 years is now leaking and the pipe in the back is rotting and the unit cannot be fixed. So far, we have had 2 oil companies over to let us know what has to be done and the both of them said this unit cannot be fixed we will have a 3rd person come over shortly to access the unit just to be sure. Two of the companies recommended Weil McLain oil fired WGO-3RD hot water boilers which will last for 15 years he said. I was shocked after having a unit for 35 years I thought they would all last that long. Boy, am I out of the loop!! If you have any other recommendations on boilers I would like to hear it.Another company I have heard is the Lennox boilers but don't much about their boilers. Thanks everyone!!

have it replaced before it goes and water is all over the place, while you spin your wheels trying to figure out what to buy.

nothing we buy now is going to last as long as it used to,

Re: Need A New Hot Water Boiler

drizzellla — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 12:16:17 GMT

As @millieshops stated please do not wait. Don't know where your hot water heater is located but a leaking hot water heater can cause a mess.

I wished I remembered the brand of hot water heater that I bought. Our hot water heater was leaking. I went to a home improvement store and bought a new one on my way to work. Got it installed. It lasted less than 4 years.

Had our furnace "turned up" before heating season. They recommended replacing our hot water heater because it is about 10 years old.

Re: Need A New Hot Water Boiler

Othereeeen — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 12:33:05 GMT

This post is about your BOILER used for heating your home, correct?(As opposed to a FURNACE which is a forced hot air heating system)...

Not the water tank that your shower and sink and "domestic" heated hot water comes from?

Anyway..nothing lasts like before. I got a high efficiency Gas boiler for my heating system, which was also about 25 years old at the time. It has a computer brain ( all circuit boards). A car hit an electric pole down the street from my home, and the power went out as a result, but it went out in fits and starts ( surges) so it fried the mother board in my two year old boiler. A 600 dollar fix I would have had to pay IF it hadn't happened within days of the two year warranty expiring, which they honored. ( Other parts are warrantied for ten years).

Something to ask the installers of the NEW unit you will get. Do you have to have it serviced once a year to keep the warranty in place? I DID get a Weil McClain gas boiler, and that tidbit is buried in the small print on page 35 of the manual.

That can add 100. a year to the cost of the unit. I ALWAYS had my heating equipment serviced in the fall....not because it really needed it, but to keep the warranties in place and also to have a relationship with the HVAC company that installed it, so in case something DID happen ( like that pole going down, which was NOT under warranty for my unit) they show up and help. They also absorbed the cost of that mother board and only charged the labor to replace it.

When cold weather hits, HVAC companies will respond FIRST to thier customers, and today, with the lack of help, that's what I want.

I DO want to say that the NEW high efficiency boilers are amazing. I thought it was a mistake when my first bills came in....they were SO MUCH LOWER. And I use my heat.

As long as I'm above ground, I'm going to be warm in winter. I also wash in hot water for laundry, and heat my garage. ( a heated garage makes anything IN it last a lot longer).

Good Luck. If I were YOU, I'd get it installed NOW instead of waiting for a disaster to happen and have to do it in an emergency. Keep in mind all the brains are electronic today....think CHIP shortages.....so there's that too....

If it's a water heater for the shower/domestic water, if that's about to go, same thing.

I had mine replaced PRO actively ( instead of RE-acting to a disaster with water mess). It was about 15 years old at the time.

I worked in the natural gas industry for my entire career.

Hope this helps.

I think you will be MORE than happy with the new high efficiency boilers of today, fuel oil or gas. And those two heating fuels are going WAY up in price this year...natgas is almost THREE TIMES what it was in January 2021, and oil is almost 76.00 a barrel right now.(60% higher than what it was in January 2021).

Re: Need A New Hot Water Boiler

gidgetgh — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 13:12:18 GMT

One morning a few years ago, when I took my shower, I noticed I had to really turn it way over to hot for it to even be warm. I told my husband "I think our water heater died". He quickly took his shower also.

We went to the basement and maybe 1 cup of water had leaked on to the floor (unfinished basement).

We went back upstairs, I immediately called the plumber. They came within 1/2 hour, took a look at it, immediately ordered one from their supply house, brought it at 1:00 PM and installed it.

Don't overthink this. It lasted 35 years. It is leaking, rusting and rotting. You are going to have a mess on your hands if you don't get this taken care of. Just my thoughts, but you don't need a 3rd opinion to tell you what you already know.

Best of luck.

Re: Need A New Hot Water Boiler

SilleeMee — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 13:50:25 GMT

My hot water heater is brand new. It's a energy-efficient Rheem Classic Plus Series gas heater. Installed just last July. I'm thrilled that my gas bill has come down significantly since I got it and I love how hot my water gets now...never runs out either. My last one was 20 years old and the one before that was 35 yo. Hope my new one will last long, too.

ETA - The new tank was much taller than the one it replaced. So installation involved an entire overhaul of the plumbing and the exhaust venting duct work. The job took almost two full days to complete and it was not cheap.

Re: Need A New Hot Water Boiler

shaggygirl — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 13:11:24 GMT

The condos where my sister-in-law lives REQUIRES that you have a new water heater installed every 10 years. A sure indication that it is a known fact things don't last the way they used to.

Re: Need A New Hot Water Boiler

HLP — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 13:33:32 GMT

@cuddlesmama wrote:
I am not sure where to post this if this is not the right place please let me know.

I am in need of an new hot water boiler Our old one which we had for 35 years is now leaking and the pipe in the back is rotting and the unit cannot be fixed. So far, we have had 2 oil companies over to let us know what has to be done and the both of them said this unit cannot be fixed we will have a 3rd person come over shortly to access the unit just to be sure. Two of the companies recommended Weil McLain oil fired WGO-3RD hot water boilers which will last for 15 years he said. I was shocked after having a unit for 35 years I thought they would all last that long. Boy, am I out of the loop!! If you have any other recommendations on boilers I would like to hear it.Another company I have heard is the Lennox boilers but don't much about their boilers. Thanks everyone!!

My Son bought mine at Lowe's for around $600.00, he and his neighbot installed it. You are talking about a water heater? Dont know what a boiler is.

Re: Need A New Hot Water Boiler

millieshops — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 14:01:18 GMT

@drizzellla @cuddlesmama I live in a huge condo development that's a few years shy of 30. I don't know anyone who hasn't replaced the original hot water heaters, some units more than once. We all live on the first floor so we can't leak into our neighbors' homes, but no one needs the mess rusty water makes!

Re: Need A New Hot Water Boiler

wagirl — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 14:21:50 GMT

Just one of the many reasons I am glad I don't own a house anymore---- had to replace the water tank about 3 times during the 35 years I live there---

Re: Need A New Hot Water Boiler

Sooner — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 14:37:37 GMT

From personal experience and friends and family here's what I know. Replace them before they get old. It really isn't a big deal if you do that in most cases.

Be sure there are properly insulated from cold and add heat tape to pipes if needed. Buy a well known and rated brand and get a really good installer.

A tankless system is wonderful if you don't have long runs for the water to go in your house. If you have a big house, it takes a while for the hot water to get to the places that are far away from the heater.

Be especially diligent about replacement if you have say 2 tanks in the attic and maybe 80 gallons of water could flood your house. And no not everyone has a basement.

Re: Need A New Hot Water Boiler

PickyPicky3 — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 14:39:33 GMT

Lucky you to have hot water heat. Too bad it's oil-fired. The units cost more and the yearly service is also higher. Any chance natural gas has come into your neighborhood?

Give thanks that this happened in early October and not February.

Is this a heat-only boiler or a heat/hot water combo?

You've done the right thing getting three opinions. We're not the people to advise you. Does your oil company do installations?

Let your heart be your guide and hire the company that feels right. This is a long term purchase. Over the years the $300-$500 you may save today on the lowest bid will long be forgotten.

Good luck!

Re: Need A New Hot Water Boiler

Othereeeen — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 15:23:01 GMT

I THINK the OP is asking about the HEATING boiler in her home....she has baseboard hot water heat ( water runs thru the copper pipes in radiators to heat the house. The radiators are at baseboard level, hence thier name.)

A LOT of posters are answering about thier WATER HEATERS that heat the water for bathing and washing. All good advice, but I think the OP is writing about the oil heat boiler.

SOME house heating boilers today also heat the domestic (washing water) too. If hers is as old as she says, it probably only heats the house.

You can have either a BOILER to heat your home ( via baseboard hot water heat) or a FURNACE (which is generally forced air thru registers).

Both have pros and cons. Baseboard hot water is nice in winter, but you can't add a whole house AC unit to it like you can a furnace ( Forced air, which can be cold or hot).

There ARE contraption air conditioners that can be added to homes with hot water heat, but they are just that...add ons to make cooling easier in a home with a BOILER instead of forced air.

Hot water baseboard heat uses a BOILER to heat the water that is circulated thru the piping system. I think this is what the OP is asking about-the heating system.

I have hot water baseboard heat,so I have a BOILER.

My high efficiency gas boiler is mounted on the wall, and vented thru the side of the house. No more chimney either!!!! Cost was about 6000.00 five years ago. (had some other minor piping work done too at the time). It looks like a small phone booth!!! I call it my hot cocoa machine. It replaced a stand alone gas boiler that vented into a brick chimney with that old fashioned galvanized piping. NO MORE CHIMNEY!!!! the chimney is still there, but not used any longer.

Anyway...all good advice which basically BOILS DOWN ( Pun!!!) to:

Get these things replaced BEFORE they burst pipes, stop working, or fail in zero degree weather.

A house is like a ship on the ocean. ALL the systems need constand monitoring and maintenance to perform well. The heating system, air conditioning, water heaters, water softeners, toilet wax rings, toilet valves, and drain lines. And septic tank cleanouts if you live in ruralia where there's no sewer lines.

One last thing. Check to see if natural gas is available in the neighborhood. MUCH cleaner heat, more efficient, and no smelly oil odor or fuel tank. Nothing like heating fuel that is there ALL the time....unlike fuel oil, propane, wood or ANY other fuel that has to be delivered in "bulk". Clean natural gas....what's not to like?

( Former gas company employee for 35 years so I'm biased!!!!)

Re: Need A New Hot Water Boiler

Scorpio1971 — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 16:04:16 GMT

Just in case anyone is not aware, there are small battery operated water alarms that can be placed next to any water source, water heaters, furnaces, toilets in rarely used areas of home, in cabinets under the sinks where pipes are, etc. When they detect water they will sound alarm so you can hear it if you are home.

Believe me after losing 5 water heaters over many years, and of course it's always in the middle of the night 😥😒😭😩😞, had I not had these alarms my entire ground floor basement would have been flooded (1,500 sq. ft) because the water tank would have been constantly leaking & refilling all through the night!

Being up stairs in a large raised ranch, I would have never known until I had reason to go downstairs the next day sometime. The water leaks could have gone on for 12-15 hours without any knowledge! Thankfully by hearing the alarm while upstairs, and even sleeping sometimes when water first touches it, they have saved thousands & thousands in repairs. I just run downstairs, shut water intake, shut gas, attach the hose I keep nearby specifically for this & run it outside, throw down some old towels I keep nearby to start absorbing water (again I have learned my lesson and stay prepared with everything handy!) and then pull release valve to start emptying tank.

I even have an alarm next to rarely used toilet downstairs because you never know when a city backup will occur (uggh!) and another under a sink downstairs all in case pipes leak and again I would never know until I go downstairs & see it or step into inches of water!

So if anyone has this issue or concern, I suggest checking out battery operated water alarms to save you costly damage, repairs & aggravation in places where you normally do not see in your home, such as downstairs basements. And I religiously change the batteries every 6 months whether needed or not, on Jan. 1st & July 1st, because a few batteries is worth saving the damage that can occur! 😀

Re: Need A New Hot Water Boiler

ECBG — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 02:09:49 GMT

DH takes care of this. I would google reviews or go to Best Buy or what you have, and ask what their best is.

Re: Need A New Hot Water Boiler

cuddlesmama — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 10:10:15 GMT

Thank you for all of the information. I am in need of a Boiler not a hot water tank. The Boiler supplies the heat to the house that is the problem. I probably didn't make myself clear. Sorry. Just wondering what make you have and if it is efficient during the winter keeping you house warm. Thanks everyone.

Re: Need A New Hot Water Boiler

cuddlesmama — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 10:15:46 GMT

@Othereeeen wrote:
I THINK the OP is asking about the HEATING boiler in her home....she has baseboard hot water heat ( water runs thru the copper pipes in radiators to heat the house. The radiators are at baseboard level, hence thier name.)

A LOT of posters are answering about thier WATER HEATERS that heat the water for bathing and washing. All good advice, but I think the OP is writing about the oil heat boiler.

SOME house heating boilers today also heat the domestic (washing water) too. If hers is as old as she says, it probably only heats the house.

You can have either a BOILER to heat your home ( via baseboard hot water heat) or a FURNACE (which is generally forced air thru registers).

Both have pros and cons. Baseboard hot water is nice in winter, but you can't add a whole house AC unit to it like you can a furnace ( Forced air, which can be cold or hot).

There ARE contraption air conditioners that can be added to homes with hot water heat, but they are just that...add ons to make cooling easier in a home with a BOILER instead of forced air.

Hot water baseboard heat uses a BOILER to heat the water that is circulated thru the piping system. I think this is what the OP is asking about-the heating system.

I have hot water baseboard heat,so I have a BOILER.

My high efficiency gas boiler is mounted on the wall, and vented thru the side of the house. No more chimney either!!!! Cost was about 6000.00 five years ago. (had some other minor piping work done too at the time). It looks like a small phone booth!!! I call it my hot cocoa machine. It replaced a stand alone gas boiler that vented into a brick chimney with that old fashioned galvanized piping. NO MORE CHIMNEY!!!! the chimney is still there, but not used any longer.

Anyway...all good advice which basically BOILS DOWN ( Pun!!!) to:

Get these things replaced BEFORE they burst pipes, stop working, or fail in zero degree weather.

A house is like a ship on the ocean. ALL the systems need constand monitoring and maintenance to perform well. The heating system, air conditioning, water heaters, water softeners, toilet wax rings, toilet valves, and drain lines. And septic tank cleanouts if you live in ruralia where there's no sewer lines.

One last thing. Check to see if natural gas is available in the neighborhood. MUCH cleaner heat, more efficient, and no smelly oil odor or fuel tank. Nothing like heating fuel that is there ALL the time....unlike fuel oil, propane, wood or ANY other fuel that has to be delivered in "bulk". Clean natural gas....what's not to like?

( Former gas company employee for 35 years so I'm biased!!!!)

Yes, you know exactly what I was talking about. We checked into gas but the gas company said we can't have it done until the spring of next year and that will be to late for us with this problem.I was just asking about Boilers if some are better than others and are efficient. Thanks.

Re: Need A New Hot Water Boiler

shaggygirl — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 11:16:19 GMT

@cuddlesmama wrote:
Thank you for all of the information. I am in need of a Boiler not a hot water tank. The Boiler supplies the heat to the house that is the problem. I probably didn't make myself clear. Sorry. Just wondering what make you have and if it is efficient during the winter keeping you house warm. Thanks everyone.

@cuddlesmama

So glad you came back and clarified. But wondering what did the 3rd person have to say? I'm guessing he/she agreed with the first two.

Re: Need A New Hot Water Boiler

PickyPicky3 — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 13:29:13 GMT

Google boiler reviews and read everything with a grain of salt. Consumer Reports 6/23/20 has a nice summary of boilers. Minimum efficiency that can be sold in the USA is now 80%.

I like cooking and heating with gas so much that I would find a friend to take me in for the winter and do the conversion in the spring if I could. Or this might be a good winter to become a snowbird. I bet having natural gas in your house would increase its value.

Where is your oil storage tank located? If it's underground make sure there's no pending legislation that will require you to dig it up and relocate it. Does your home insurance have a surcharge for underground tanks?

Sometimes stepping back and looking at the bigger picture is worthwhile. But I know simply replacing what you've got is faster and cheaper.