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Has anyone converted to Nat.Gas from oil heat using either aMidco or a Carlin conversion Burner? If so would you recommend anyone to do the work? Thanks

3:56 PM 09/29/2011

 

cd1065

I currently have a three yr. old Weil-Mclain Gold oil burner and have been told about these conversion burners from Nat. Grid. My plumber didn't know much about this and the guy that came out from Nat. Grid (from there roster) told me he wouldn't do this- that they brake down etc. I sort of expected this from him, in that he told me he did about 300 conversions last year, so i didn't think he was going to be interested in the less expensive job of installing one of these conversion burners. Carlin and Midco told me that  they can't keep up with demand for these burners and that they work very well with Weil- McLain units.I'd appreciate any feedback and any recommendations on installers you might have used

 

 

Heating and Cooling
9 answers
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  • vote

    masterplvmber

    New York, NY

    Don't ask online.
    Call Weil-McLain and ask their opinion of fitting a natural gas-burning burner into their boiler designed to work with oil, a fuel that produces a hotter flame. Ask them what you're likely to gain in effiency by doing it and ask them if there's anything else that needs to be done aside from just changing the buner. Then make your decision.
    It's the cheap way around doing the job properly and I don't do it either. Ever.  
     

    4:15 PM 09/29/2011 | 0 Votes

     

     

  • vote

    bobjohn

    Just to put things in perspective. If you want to conver to gas you will need:
    - apply for permit
    - run 1" gas line to your burner
    - properly remove oil tank
    - reline chimney.
    I would guess these all will cost ~5-10K
    New high efficiency gas boiler with all rebates will cost 1K.
    So you really looking to save ~5-10% of the total cost and end up with insane and inefficient setup.

    9:35 PM 09/29/2011 | 1 Votes

     

     

  • vote

    eman134

    Carroll Gardens, NY

    as mp and bobjohn said... if it seems too good to be true, it probably is a lie... you are trying to convert a boiler designed for oil into a boiler designed for gas by simply changing the burner..the target temperature and distances are totally different...a total waste of money

    11:12 PM 09/29/2011 | 0 Votes

     

     

    Comments (1)

    • cd1065

      I'm really looking for info. about this technology.My chimney can handle this and I already have an adequate gas line to handle the increased volume.Permits would run about $700.and the Carlin E-Z conversion burner is about $700. New gas conversion complete would run about $7,000. So, we are considering far more than a 10% savings. Also weil-Mclain told me this is being done with many of thier boilers and they did not advise me against doing it. All this began because I could not see tossing out my 5 yr old Weil- Mclain burner which cost about $7,000. to install by the previous owner.Again, I'm only looking for a practical solution to rising oil costs. I appreciate all the opinions so far. Thanks

      4:41 PM 10/01/2011

          

  • vote

    steam_man

    Carroll Gardens, NY

    Well here's my real world experience.... I am in the process of repairing the fireboxes on 6 Slant Fin boilers that have a similar type burner to what you are describing. What will most likely wind up happening, unless you have a great burner mechanic to tune your burner, is that the flame will impinge the walls of the boiler. This will wreck the refractory, target wall, burner mounting plate insulation etc etc.. Eventually you may get leaks between the sections as the rope burns away and heats up the gaskets. Unless of course you get a great burner mechanic. BTW I am not that burner mechanic, I don't like Carlins, Becketts, etc.
    Replace the boiler, if you plan to stay in the house for a number of years, you might want to explore installing a sealed combustion, gas, boiler.
     
    -SteamMan

    11:33 AM 09/30/2011 | 0 Votes

     

     

  • vote

    mopar

    Bedford Stuyvesant, NY

    Why are people so hot to convert to gas? I'm not sure it's worth it -- especially not if you have a new boiler. OK, maybe gas means less pollution in the environment, that's important. But my oil system works really well, so far the cost is the same as gas, and I'm happy to have a choice of oil suppliers and not to be dealing with National Grid (except for stove gas). I have had so many problems with them in the past with incorrect billing and them thinking the gas was on when it was off and vice versa, it is simply amazing to me they can continue to conduct business.

    11:06 PM 09/30/2011 | 0 Votes

     

     

    Comments (3)

    • bobjohn

      I converted very old oil system to gas. I wanted to save space taken by oil tanks. Otherwise agree - no much difference.

      5:52 AM 10/01/2011

          

    • cd1065

      I heat 2 identical houses side by side. Last years oil costs were$ 4200. for one and $2,400 for Nat. gas across the driveway.Similar thermostat settings and very similar insulations. So, I believe cost is a factor

      4:23 PM 10/01/2011

          

    • eastvillager

      New York, NY

      A lot of NYC buildings have to convert because they burn

      10:06 PM 11/08/2011

          

  • vote

    wholesalerbill1

    Brooklyn, NY

    I sell Wayne conversion burnersand I don't sell too many throughout the year. Alot of inspectors want a letter from the boiler manufacturer stating that it's o.k. to do this to their boiler. So far not one boiler manufacturer will submit any kind of letter stating that it's o.k. to do, and you will lose any kind of warranty on the boiler if you use a conversion burner. Bite the bullit and do it the right way. Install a new boiler. YOU DO have to reline your chimney if converting from oil to gas. Don't let anyone tell you different. There's reasons we have codes and inspectors: It's to protect you, the homeowner/enduser. You go cheap, you get cheap.

    12:09 PM 10/02/2011 | 0 Votes

     

     

  • vote

    bobjohn

    cd1065 - cost of the heating also depends on the efficiency of the burner. If you have two houses, can you compare the efficiencies of their boilers?
    When I converted from oil to gas I got about 2x savings. BUT I converted from 100 years old boiler (wood and coal boiler converted into oil boiler). And I converted to high efficiency gas boiler. So I vent from ~50% to 87% efficiency.
    I doubt you will see the same dramatic improvement if you replace burner on the same boiler since it most likely will make it less efficient.

    11:23 PM 10/02/2011 | 0 Votes

     

     

    Comments (1)

    • cd1065

      Bobjohn,I understand that I'll lose some efficiency with the conversion burner. Both boilers were installed in 2007 and they're both considered highly efficient by the workman that service them. I'm restating this but my goal is to economize and not to do anything foolish. Weil- mcLain, carlin, midco and Nat. Grid all say it is not difficult to do but you need a qualified technician. I only wish that I had urged my great neighbor Hubert next store to install gas instead of oil back in 2007. It would have made my life much simpler

      3:27 PM 10/03/2011

          

  • vote

    gennady

    Brooklyn, NY

    Good luck finding good burner mechanic. 

    8:52 AM 10/09/2011 | 0 Votes

     

     

  • vote

    allanmullaly

    Good experience to convert oil furnace to gas. http://www.cleanairheat.ca/

    7:01 AM 02/23/2013 | 0 Votes

     

     

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