# Worth getting a New oil burner



## antioil (Jan 27, 2012)

My oil fired furnace was installed in 1998 with a Beckett burner. It now has the same burner but the ignitor was replaced several years ago with a Carlin ignitor.

Have there been substantial improvements to burners to make it worth it to switch this old Beckett to a newer Beckett or other burner? The furnace is a Burnham, with 4 sections. ( If I'm referring to it correctly). As a side note I installed the Intellicon HW 2 to 3 years ago and am happy with that.

Thanks


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## StuckInTheMuck (Jan 27, 2012)

How many gallons of oil do you burn per year, what's your current efficiency and what kind of quote did you get to upgrade?  Someone would need at least that much information to give advise.


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## peakbagger (Jan 27, 2012)

There really hasnt been any significant improvements to oil burner for quitre a few years. Unless you burn a whole lot of fuel I would doubt there is any incentive. Idid see a recently on Hearth for a powered damper ont he barometric damper, depdening on the cost that might get you something.


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## begreen (Jan 27, 2012)

I thought that 2-stage, condensing oil boilers and furnaces were a notable improvement in efficiency. But 1998 is fairly recent, so I'm not sure how much more efficient. Maybe 84 vs 92%?


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## antioil (Jan 27, 2012)

Well in 2010 I burned 695 gals. This past year I burned 555 gals. I have an Amtrol water heater so this use is for heat and hot water. I am always trying to look for ways to be more efficient.

I just had the furnace cleaned and the tool the tech used said 84% efficiency by measuring the exhaust gases. I haven't looked for a quote for a new burner. I was just asking if there have been a significant mprovement  in the efficiency of burners made today compared to 1998. 

Thanks


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## peakbagger (Jan 27, 2012)

I assumed he asked about a simple burner replacement. Condensing generally requires a whole new boiler due to the potential for corrosion of the heat exchanger on oil. 

I am actually a big fan of system 2000 type boilers, small mass, cold start with variable aquastat and outdoor reset is the way to go. 

If he can swap to a cold start, it will make a big difference in AFUE due to no idle loss. I run a 1990 vintage crown cast iron boiler with no issues as a cold start but others get leaks between the castings. 

One minor trick is to install a timer on the aquatrol tank to keep it completely shut down overnight. It cuts the standby loss a small amount.


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## sesmith (Jan 28, 2012)

antioil said:
			
		

> Well in 2010 I burned 695 gals. This past year I burned 555 gals. I have an Amtrol water heater so this use is for heat and hot water. I am always trying to look for ways to be more efficient.



Can't help you with the burner question, but I'm gonna just throw this idea out for thought.  My conclusion this last summer after having to give up wood heating, at least for a while, is there is no future in oil heat.  We tore out a perfectly good 80% efficient oil furnace and replaced it with a geothermal (GSHP) system.  Payback over oil for us will be around (but probably less than ) 7years.  Should also increase the home's resale value if we ever decide to sell.  Obviously, this kind of decision isn't for everyone, and it's hard to just give up on a working system, but it might be worth looking at either geo, or some of the newer mini-split air source heat pumps, even if you don't get rid of the existing system completely.  By all predictions I've seen, electricity to run these types of systems will increase in cost at a much slower rate than oil will.  With either geo or mini-splits, you're operating at 300-400% efficiency most of the time also. Currently, electricity is comparable in cost or less than oil.  Just food for thought.


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## Seasoned Oak (Jan 28, 2012)

Personally i wont invest 2c in oil burners. They will be all but useless in the very near future. I would be looking for ways to AVOID using the oil burner. There are plenty of alternatives out there. i have been changing them out for gas or wood heat since 2002.


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## velvetfoot (Feb 16, 2012)

I recently put in a Field Controls oil vent damper.  It was only about 170.  Not sure how much it's going to save.
http://www.fieldcontrols.com/ovd.php


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## wannabegreener (Mar 9, 2012)

I changed a 1984 boiler with a efficiency rating of 82-84% to a system 2000 and reduced my oil consumption from 1050 gallons of oil to 810 with no other changes. I already had an indirect fired hot water tank.  Look at the system 2000.  I think it is a great system.


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## Seasoned Oak (Mar 9, 2012)

Getting completely off of heating OIL for home heat was the first giant step.( saved a fortune in $ as well) Getting off gasoline will be my next big step.I guess ill be leasing a GM Volt.


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## billb3 (Mar 9, 2012)

I just replaced an older  burner that was starting to leak . It wasn't running too good, either so it wasn't running at peak efficiency for sure. Probably rated at 83% ?
The new  Buderus is only 87% but rather than invest in the computer controls to bump up to 92% I invested in a external HW tank that has a second coil for solar panels. My house roof is perfectly sited for solar panels.
I want to get my gallons per year down, not just my gallons per Winter.

NG is not an option here.
The state is forcing the electric companies to buy expensive green power so electric costs are going up, so electric is  sort of  out as a back-up, too.


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