Gas Fired Condensing Bolier for Steam

I’m told that changing from oil to gas will save me a substantial amount of money but that I’ll need a new chimney liner which will cost between $2-4000\. I’m also told that a condensing boiler will not require a new liner but that maybe condensing boilers for steam do not exist ( for residential). Has anyone found a condensing boiler for steam ( with an MEA number or whatever is need in NYC currently). Thank you!

peat

in Construction 12 years and 5 months ago

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Master Plvmber | 12 years and 5 months ago

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Yeah. Good info, Gennady. 
7″ is a large liner. OP: You need to have your replacement boiler sized properly via an EDR calculation. I downsize replacements all the time because 20-30 years ago there wasn’t the awareness we have today to maximize steam’s efficiency and potential. A goood 80% of the boilers I evaluate are grossly oversized and cost too much to operate.  Aside from that, just because the boiler may need a 7″ flue, doesn’t necessarily mean the horizontal chimney/liner need to be a full 7″. Depending on the vertical height, you can often downsize the flue diameter by a size or two.

ellenlourie | 12 years and 5 months ago

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sulfur is an issue with both oil and gas. just gas has lower exhaust temperature and condensation can occur in the chimney, while on oil it occurs after the chimney in the air. there charts for calculation of size of the chimney, depending on boiler btu and hight of the chimney. Also boiler manual has some guidelines. Most of the brownstone bolers require 5-6 ” liner. oversizing liner is a bad thing.

ellenlourie | 12 years and 5 months ago

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the purpose of installing double wall liner is to allow for replacement of  inner liner when needed, reusing outer wall. What would you do if single wall liner collapses? it will be a big problem very expensive to fix.

peat | 12 years and 5 months ago

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Hi Gennady, I had someone look at the chimney and they said that if I need a 7″ liner I’d have to open up the brick$. I thought that sulfur was an issue with oil, not gas.

ellenlourie | 12 years and 5 months ago

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the reasoning behind stainless steel liner is possible condensation in the chimney and when sulfur from gas gets dissolved in condensate it forms sulfur acid, if inside walls of chimney are not ptotected, then collaps of the chimney walls will occur few years later..Inside of the chimney pressure is negative, so even it is not tight it sucs air from house ruther than spills co2 into the house.

ellenlourie | 12 years and 5 months ago

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why dont you call chimney professional? they will drop stainless steel liner into the chimney from the top if you agree to pay them rather than do it yourself.

peat | 12 years and 5 months ago

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Thank you for your answers. One more thing, rather than tearing the chimney open to make a 7″ liner work, is an exposed chimney possible? If so, what are the parameters? Is galvanized ok? Does it need to be double walled? Thank you again.

ellenlourie | 12 years and 5 months ago

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I used to work on some of condensing steam boilers. They were 10 stories high with 5 service elevators each. But this is wrong size for the brownstone. As per gas fired steam boiler, stainless steel liner must be installed to protect chimney.

Master Plvmber | 12 years and 5 months ago

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There’s no such thing as a condensing steam boiler.

needmtg | 12 years and 5 months ago

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Afaik, no such animal exists. Steam boilers are normal combustion & top out at 82% efficiency or so. Mine was installed under permit (as others I know of) without a chimney liner, which I think is needed for the corrosive exhaust of condensing heat appliances. I’m sure MasterP wiil shoot that down.