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Converting a oil boiler to a gas boiler
Im looking into getting an oil boiler (9-10yrs old) converted to a gas boiler. I have more of the details in this add I ran on CL to get some inquiries. But does anyone have a ballpark idea what this cost. I already have gas line right next to the boiler that supplies the water heater. In the add youll see the set up the boiler and the converter I was referred to..
https://post.craigslist.org/manage/4130619841/tzkp4
#2 Contractors Contributor
- Severna Park, MD
They can be converted , you are looking at approx 1200 to 1600 dollars . Is there oil in the tank ? If so you may have to pay to have it removed , in addition to the tank removal . I have acess to a pump out rig ( I drive a oil truck once in a while and the guy lets me use his stuff)
Hey Matthew thanks for the reply do you recommend anyone to do the convertion ?
I have done that to a number of rentalsI simply purchased a gas gun conversion kit remove the old burner clean the heater and installed a chimney linerif you would like to remove the old will tank simply take a sawzalland cut it in half take it to the local scrap yard and make a few bucks my whole project cost 1100 dollars start to finish and I did it in less than a day myself
Do you remember which gas gun conversion kit you purchased? Im looking into doing it too but with it being gas I was kinda nervous.
#2 Contractors Contributor
- Severna Park, MD
Originally posted by Mike Kooser Sr:
Hey Matthew thanks for the reply do you recommend anyone to do the convertion ?
Both of the guys I know are swamped right now , I can ask them , but its the begining of the heating season .
I have never seen/heard a conversion from oil to gas using the same boiler. I would ask a few reputable HVAC guys before attempting this. Usually I would just sell the oil boiler on CL then just buy a gas boiler (~$1200) and have it installed (~$750).
I listed some gas gun manufacturers in this next link:
BTW - you will also have to change the damper on the exhaust vent when you change from oil to gas; the gas gun kit might include that, but check your dimensions of the exhaust pipe to be sure it will fit if included.
it was a carlin ez gas gun conversion. I had 2 rentals sfh that had oil/steam systems, and another sfh that was oil/hot water. As I stated, I simply removed the old burner, cleaned the heater and installed the new gas burner. Now, I would suggest you know something about heating systems if you are going to do this. For example, my gas gun from the factory was setup for 200k btu's. my heater is only 130k btu, so you have to follow the directions and set the gun to match the boiler rating. also, if you are dealing with steam, be careful as steam boilers don't so much work on temperature, but rather pressure. A typical Residentual steam system runs at a max of 2psi. If you are just experimenting, you run the risk of hurting/burning yourself or someone else. If you are half intelligent and somewhat mechanical heating systems are not rocket science by any stretch of the imagination. ALOT of guys I know convert the boiler from gas to steam. Now common sense would not suggest you attach a new gas gun to a 30yr old junker boiler, but in my case my boilers were only 10-12 years old and were in good shape. It is a heck of a lot easier and cheaper to convert verses install a new gas system. Are they as efficient? usually not, but it is all about he numbers.
As @Chris Da stated, this will not be as efficient as a new gas heating system, but it will be less costly for the heating bills than oil. We like saving energy, but we have to save money too.
I got a reply from someone that states : Is your current heating system steam or hot water? If it is steam which it may very well be since its oil fired, you can not convert this boiler, as gas does not burn as hot, as oil, and boilers are manufactured way different depending on the energy source. I do not suggest you convert, trying to save money now will hurt you, any licensed plumber who will do this is a joke and is endangering you and anyone in that house, the venting of an oil fired boiler to gas fired boiler is different as well. If its steam you will have to replace all radiators as they are not the same.
Yeah, that's the "standard line". Shop around for somebody who is willing to do what YOU want, not what they want ...
Somebody I know heard that same spiel, and I referred the guy I used for a conversion down the street. Seems to be working fine for him. YMMV.
you can have gas steam.
The gun conversion will be less efficient, any time you do a conversion its not as efficient. Some investor I know has a coal boiler converted to oil that he now wants to convert to gas. I said whats the efficiency?
Around here the gas company won't hook you up, if you're using an old chimney without installing a new chimney liner. the last time I priced that it was $1,300 extra. I've been using higher efficiency 92%+ with PVC sidewall venting to save the chimney liner.(hot air, of course)
1300 for just the liner??
Home Depot sells a kit for 150
http://m.homedepot.com/p/Z-Flex-5-in-X-35-ft-Gas-Aluminum-Chimney-Liner-Kit-2GACKIT0535/202826812/
@Chris Da i see you are in Phoenixville PA. I need to do this at a house in Phillipsburg NJ, right next to Easton PA. Do you know anyone who can do this for me? I don't have the time or the patience to do it myself, and NJ would never allow it anyway.
Contrary to what several people have replied, it is not an uncommon nor unsafe practice. Many of the people on this board whom consider themselves expert investors really have no idea. Anyone with a decent line of credit and access to a realtor with half a brain could purchase a house and hire a bunch of ding dongs to rehab and sell it the last year. I would be willing to bet in the coming year, all these expert flippers won't have much to say..time shall tell. That being said, any decent HVAC company could perform this task. It's called a gas gun conversion. As long as the boiler is in good condition, there are no issues. Plain and simple you are unbolting 4 1/2 nuts, a fuel oil line, and 1 14/2 wire and replacing the burner with a gas burner. This takes all of an hour if that. The gas company will run the gas line to your home. You need to have a 3/4 black pipe out of the house and tied into the heater to supply the gas instead of oil. New Jersey nor any other state has any issue with this as long as it is done correctly. Keep in mind, anyone can talk a bunch of ******** on a message board and sound as though they know what they are talking about, but from my experience if you hand them the tools and tell them to show you, they haven't got a clue. If you have an iPhone, you could FaceTime me, and I could walk you through the project rather easy.
Also, I have done this several times in the past. Not long ago I purchased a home with a 2 year old boiler. It made total sense verses converting to forced hot air. Another trick I have done in the past with homes with the old high ceilings was to run ductwork up from the basement and strap the ducts to the ceiling. I would cut out vents on t he second floor, run my flex to the vents and the frame the perimeter of the first floor ceiling about 15 inches lower and install high hats and drywall. Pow...you didn't make a mess, the ducts are run correctly and you have updated lighting at the time. That's how to be creative, and NO DEMO mess!