oil to gas conversion:new chimney lining
I am converting from an old oil boiler to gas. My plumber has told me that I need to have the chimney lined (to prevent carbon monoxide from seeping into the house). has anyone dealt with this? any recs for a chimney company to do this job? thanks.
I am converting from an old oil boiler to gas. My plumber has told me that I need to have the chimney lined (to prevent carbon monoxide from seeping into the house). has anyone dealt with this? any recs for a chimney company to do this job? thanks.
So, does anyone have actual recommendations for chimney companies?
Allie. please be sure sure to share your findings at a high level, i.e., gas is cheaper, certain units are better than others, etc. thanks much
I’m Allie from the New York Daily News and I’m working on an article about gas and oil heating (the advantages and disadvantages of both). If you have any comments on either or both services, please feel free to call me either today (Wednesday) or Friday at 212-210-1675. Thank you.
Let me tell you about a real problem when you switch from oil to gas. Oil burns at a much higher temp than gas; therefore, your chimney will never be heated as intensely as when you used oil. An unintended consequence is that water vapor which is a byproduct of the combustion process can, and will, condense on the inside of the now cooler chimney. This water will find any crack or crevice in the lining and will leak into your interior walls. This will drive you crazy when you seek to solve the leak when what you really need to do is increase the draw on the chimney.
Ask you plumber about that.
We removed a gas burning gravity furnace and replaced it with a gas burning fan-forced. It was after we changed to this new and higher-efficiency furnace that our chimney started peeling and bubbling. We had to ultimately have our chimney relined. The furnace is essentially the same size (btu’s) but I suppose fan-forced v gravity was responsible for our problem.
OP, that sounds like hogwash. The CO produced by any heating unit is governed by its gas usage (btu rating) and efficiency (more eff, less CO). So a new unit of the same size (no matter gas or oil) will almost definitely produce less CO.
As an ancecdotal example, our ’40s oil burner was running at 52% eff. and we replaced with gas 85%, and a smaller capacity also. So we probably reduced our CO emission by 50%.
If you have hot water heating, consider a ultra-hi eff (> 90%) unit.) It can (I think) exhaust thru the wall in a pvc pipe.
My standard note to anyone replacing a boiler…make sure it’s not too large, as many installers will overspec and therefore be wasteful. A heat load calculation is a must.
We’re actually in the middle of the conversion now – but the plumber is going to drain the oil and remove the tank next week. What will he do with the oil? – good question – I haven’t asked him – but in my efforts to be a green home owner I will ask him and make sure its being recycled/sold to an oil company/disposed of properly.
We are in the same predicament, would also love recs.
By the way, what did you do with the oil left in your tank??
Thanks
OP here. Its not that the plumber discovered anything wrong – but I believe a gas furnace emits an amount of carbon monoxide thats much more intense than the gases emitted by an oil furnace. Essentially – those gases could seep through the chimney walls and into the house unless the inside of the chimney is lined properly. still looking for any recs for a company to do this work. and approximate cost? Thanks