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Denton, the kudos may need to get revoked. I am reposting because I want to bring this back to the level of Present Problem That Needs Solving, instead of the “Denton Was Right” post, which is about thinking that there was a solution.

Master Plvmber and CMU think that the plumber I consulted was wrong, and that the facts of the “Denton Was Right” post are muddled. Which they are. I was mostly in it to congratulate Denton.

Here’s what I can clarify for MP and CMU and anyone else who knows a thing or two about boilers. If you’ve all got time, I would definitely like to get a sense of whether this plumber I spoke to was on the level, or in the ballpark:

ORIGINAL PROBLEM:

High gas bills in the middle of summer and beyond, with boiler firing often. High gas bills started after installing indirect H2O heater and hydronic radiant heat to the boiler that came with the house.

Boiler in Question: a weill-mccann (sp) that is, according to the plumber I met with last night, “84% efficient.”

Troubleshooting steps taken so far:

*Turned down temperature to 120 for awhile, this worked to lower the bill, but didn’t make showering very fun. I do like a hot shower.

*Made sure the heat was off

*Listened to the boiler closely for awhile and just made sure it was firing when it was supposed to. It seems to be firing after showers and such, and not you know, at random, now that the temperature is set to a reasonable 125.

Met with a plumber last night. Here’s what happened:

1. The plumber confirmed that there was no leak, but not by testing anything. He basically said that if there was a leak, we would all know because we would smell it.

2. He said that there was nothing wrong with the way the system was set up. The thermostat on the water heater is set to 125. He looked at the way everything was set up and definitively said that the problem was the boiler.

3. He said that the existing boiler was like 84% efficient, and that additionally the bottom of my boiler was “open” and pointed to the open vent area at the bottom, and that a condensing boiler would be a “closed” system that isn’t always drawing cold air. He did use the terms “open” and “closed.” He also talked about the basement being relatively chilly. I stated that the highest bills I’ve had so far were in June and July, but he kept going, explaining cold drafts, and etc.

Okay, now I am starting to feel a little dumb. But I’ll keep going.

4. He said that the big difference wasn’t just the 84%-95% difference, but the idea that the flame modulates. He said that hooking up an indirect tank to a non-modulating boiler is a recipe for a high gas bill, because you shouldn’t be using all your BTUs to cook a little hot water.

5. He also suggested that I insulate my pipes.

There are no 40 minute showers, very few baths, our *water* bill for the last quarter was only $60. The heat hasn’t been on all summer, I can’t figure any other place to start thinking about it.

Obviously I am going to keep interviewing plumbers, seeing as how the trusted and knowledgable MP has given up on the good people of Bed Stuy ; )

And what I am hoping sincerely is that you guys are right, and that there is something going on that isn’t a new boiler. It’s not the right economic climate to buy a new boiler.