Mom's oil boiler went out, got questions

How much is a gallon of heating oil up where you live?. I'll bet that will cause more pain when the price goes up, over any gas price increase.,,,

My folks converted to gas this year... but a quick google search says $2.6/gal.

*edit* I don't know how accurate, CT news article from November says average price is closer $3.
 
Here is the spot price of natural gas over the last year. Long term contracts can preserve a utility’s price for awhile but eventually they will have to sign a contract at a higher price. Higher natural gas prices are coming.

6FD795C0-88C1-490E-A2A8-CCB69224A2DF.png
 
I want to do some numbers on the cost of heating oil and natural gas but a lot of it depends on delivery charges and add-ons. As far as energy goes, 1,000 cubic feet of natural gas is equivalent to 7 US gallons of heating oil.
 
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Just if anyone is interested. They are able to replace mom's boiler today. Thankful for that since it is cold. They are installing a Utica Keystone. I'm not familiar with boilers so don't know how good it is, but like I said, thankful that they can do it today.

They could have done NG but it would take at least 3 days since they had to deal with the gas company and it being right after the holiday and the fact that COVID in this are is still an issue and the gas company office is a one man band.

They're a decent boiler, but are much noisier than a Weil McLain boiler. The old McLain in my grandmothers house next door cracked and needed to be replaced. They put in a Utica. Sounds like a 747 going off in the night starting up.




(bonus points if you know what song I'm referencing, lol)
 
The heating season is upon us, nothing much new here, gasoline is higher, natural gas higher, heating oil higher and on par with Natural gas.
Its all fuel higher/ (spot market on any given day means nothing, much like a Wall Street stock on any given day means nothing, its a commodity and traded on the exchanges) Heating fuel (oil and gas) is purchased by contracts WAY in advance.
Source = https://www.eia.gov
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Here is oil, it typically peaks as the winter wears on, so far its up 50% for this winter... all info from US government=
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This is an interesting thread. I have never lived anywhere where boilers were a thing. Always had forced air natural gas, with air conditioning since being here in Texas.

Grew up mostly in Oregon with short stint in California. Texas since 1989.
 
I have 2 homes and the gas furnace quit in my larger home. It is natural gas and the gas valve went out and wouldn't stay lit on the pilot. Ordered a new replacement valve from an ebay vendor. It was new in the box and worked great. Replaced that and the fan control was bad too and ordered a new one of those with the same part number. Altogether I spent just over $200. I had an uncle that worked heat and air and I worked with him when I was on summer vacation in high school. Be a sponge for information from others with experience.
 
This is an interesting thread. I have never lived anywhere where boilers were a thing. Always had forced air natural gas, with air conditioning since being here in Texas.

Grew up mostly in Oregon with short stint in California. Texas since 1989.
You need to live in cold climates and in old areas. You find old steam and hot water boilers in colder areas. There's no AC because it wasn't really that hot in the summer so you didn't need a forced hot air unit that was also AC. One thing they say about boilers is that it tends to stay warm longer. Once the boiler stops firing, you still get some heat from the radiators before it fires again. With hot air, once it stops blowing, it tends to start cooling off pretty quickly.
 
The heating season is upon us, nothing much new here, gasoline is higher, natural gas higher, heating oil higher and on par with Natural gas.
Its all fuel higher/ (spot market on any given day means nothing, much like a Wall Street stock on any given day means nothing, its a commodity and traded on the exchanges) Heating fuel (oil and gas) is purchased by contracts WAY in advance.
Source = https://www.eia.gov
View attachment 79521

View attachment 79522

Here is oil, it typically peaks as the winter wears on, so far its up 50% for this winter... all info from US government=
View attachment 79524
Using an energy equivalency of 7 gallons of furnace fuel per 1,000 ft3 of natural gas gives a price of both in the $20 to $22 range. Of course you have to add any extra transportation and taxes.
 
Heating oil around me in the Midwest is just #2 diesel with some anti gel additives. Price is about $.50 a gallon under the retail gas station price as there is no road fuel tax.
 
They're a decent boiler, but are much noisier than a Weil McLain boiler. The old McLain in my grandmothers house next door cracked and needed to be replaced. They put in a Utica. Sounds like a 747 going off in the night starting up.
I do my own burner tuneups and repairs. Had to learn as many "techs" where not available or seemed a bit "tipsy" as If pulled them off the stool at the local VFW. You may need an adjustment. Most techs aren't too savvy on the fine points of combustion tuning.
Or maybe the air inlets just make racket.
Do you have a rumble with the fan noise and whine?
 
I do my own burner tuneups and repairs. Had to learn as many "techs" where not available or seemed a bit "tipsy" as If pulled them off the stool at the local VFW. You may need an adjustment. Most techs aren't too savvy on the fine points of combustion tuning.
Or maybe the air inlets just make racket.
Do you have a rumble with the fan noise and whine?

Nah, sounds more like an "explosion" firing off. Having said that a lightbulb went off in my brain, I think you're right and it needs adjustment. Bet it's throwing too much fuel in there before the ignition cycle...
 
I do my own burner tuneups and repairs. Had to learn as many "techs" where not available or seemed a bit "tipsy" as If pulled them off the stool at the local VFW. You may need an adjustment. Most techs aren't too savvy on the fine points of combustion tuning.
Or maybe the air inlets just make racket.
Do you have a rumble with the fan noise and whine?
Me too. Got the flame adjusted by stack temp and eyeball the color. Set the distance on the sparkers. Changed the filters, bled the line. Really haven't used it in the last 7 years or so since going to a small wall propane heater. But did when it when it got below 0F and windy.

With Uncle Joes stimi money I popped for a bottom of the line 80% propane.
 
I can't imagine why anyone would use oil if natural gas is available and already piped into the house.
I like gas but they aren't managing it well around here. Blowing places up and leaving the towns and city without heat for many days.

I do prefer the near zero maintenance of gas. Just a TACO circulator or an ignitor going out every 15 or 20 years

The faulty procedure used caused natural gas to build up in homes within a matter of minutes. Multiple explosions and fires were reported over a very short period of time in the towns of Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover beginning about 4:15 pm (EDT).[9] Through the evening emergency crews responded to between 40 and 80 fires.[10][11][12][5] At one time, as many as 18 fires were burning at once, and Andover officials struck a maximum 10-alarm response.[12]

Andover's fire chief described "billows of smoke coming from Lawrence behind me, I could see plumes of smoke in front of me within the town of Andover, it just looked like an absolute war zone."[10] A Lawrence resident described finding his boiler on fire after his smoke alarm went off; as he was extinguishing it he heard a boom from a neighbor's house and the ground shook.[13] An explosion at one of the homes involved caused the house to shift off of its foundation. This in turn caused the chimney attached to fall on a car occupied by a fleeing resident, killing him. In addition to this death, twenty-five others were reported injured overall from the whole event.[14][15][4] All of the fires were put out by 6:45 pm.[11][15]

Once it was realized that the fires were being caused by over-pressurized gas mains, all residents supplied by Columbia Gas in the area were told to evacuate their homes.[15] Foul play was also ruled out as a possible cause by police.[16] Gas service for approximately 8,000 residents was ultimately shut off; electricity to portions of the three communities was also interrupted to avoid igniting any lingering gas.[17][18]


 
Nah, sounds more like an "explosion" firing off. Having said that a lightbulb went off in my brain, I think you're right and it needs adjustment. Bet it's throwing too much fuel in there before the ignition cycle...
The ignitors should arc at the same time or before the fuel oil is pressurized.
That is a slow start due to many thing but likely faulty adjustment of ignition and/ or air supply or head position in the burner tube ( ( Carlin residential Burners )
Please, Get that checked immediately by some other tech, not the guy who did the install.

These is a CO and possible fire risk. I had a late stare blow the stack off my boiler and flames and smoke were painting the basment ceiling - which should be fireproof sheetrock above boiler/burner.
There is no failsafe for that situation - just the cad cell for very late or NO ignition.
 
I can't imagine why anyone would use oil if natural gas is available and already piped into the house.
It's basically the cost of switching. Need a new boiler plus all the pipes and the setup to do it. Basically the cost of a boiler replacement. Could be anywhere from 5-10k depending on the size of the boiler. Plumbers don't work for free and you also need to get rid of the oil tank and old oil boiler afterwards. Oil goes through phases, sometimes it's really high like now but it was cheaper last year. Plus as others mentioned some people don't like gas because it can blow up. You don't have that with oil.
 
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