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Energy efficiency

Paul B

Paul B

NJRC Member
I am extreamly happy this month. 3 months ago I removed my old oil burner and installed a 95% efficient, Energy Star rated gas boiler. I just got my first bill for the three months, it was $400.00.
That is for heat, hot water and cooking for two families in New York.
Last year for heat alone it cost me about $2,500 for the same period.
I used about 1,100 gallons of oil a winter and last year it was close to $4.00 a gallon.
I am so glad I got rid of that piece of junk. It only took me about 4 days to remove the oil burner and install the new gas system with the associated plumbing with three zones.

A year ago I installed Solar electric panels on my roof which saves me about $1,500.00 a year.
Between the heating system and the Solar, I am saving about $4,400.00 a year. And helping the envirnment

Now I can't wait until I can buy a totally electric American car.
 
M

mnat

Officer Emeritus
Staff member
Moderator
Take a look at the Tesla roadster, only goes for about $100k, made in California. I don't understand why everybody doesn't have one. ::)
 
magic

magic

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Paul B said:
I am extreamly happy this month. 3 months ago I removed my old oil burner and installed a 95% efficient, Energy Star rated gas boiler. I just got my first bill for the three months, it was $400.00.
That is for heat, hot water and cooking for two families in New York.
Last year for heat alone it cost me about $2,500 for the same period.
I used about 1,100 gallons of oil a winter and last year it was close to $4.00 a gallon.
I am so glad I got rid of that piece of junk. It only took me about 4 days to remove the oil burner and install the new gas system with the associated plumbing with three zones.

A year ago I installed Solar electric panels on my roof which saves me about $1,500.00 a year.
Between the heating system and the Solar, I am saving about $4,400.00 a year. And helping the envirnment

Now I can't wait until I can buy a totally electric American car.
Click to expand...

They where here but no one knew it. Watch 'Who killed the electric car' I think it's on National Geographics Channel. Just get ready to vent!

Bob
 
MadReefer

MadReefer

Staff member
NJRC Member
Moderator
Bob,
I caught most of that program. Amazing how these companies run the country and not who was elected.
 
ricwilli

ricwilli

Hey Paul
Can you talk a little bit more on the Energy Star rated gas boiler? Is the unit big. Is it a DIY project. Do you need permits to install. Are there any incentives from the government? What would something like that cost to put in (if you don't mind me asking)?
 
Paul B

Paul B

NJRC Member
This type of boiler is not plumbed like a common boiler, the plumbing is different especially if you have more than one zone. But all the plumbing changes are right next to the boiler.
You need permits if you are converting to gas and need to run gas pipes. If you already have gas heat, I would just install the thing and don't tell anyone, the problem is that to get the rebates you need a lisensed plumber to install it, (or at least sign for it ::))
If you know plumbing and electric it is fairly easy. I completed the entire thing and removed the old system in 4 days.
This unit can't be vented out in a chimeny. It does not make any waste heat and the fumes would not go up the chimeny, so you need to vent it outside and have another intake pipe going outside.

Can you talk a little bit more on the Energy Star rated gas boiler? Is the unit big. Is it a DIY project. Do you need permits to install. Are there any incentives from the government? What would something like that cost to put in (if you don't mind me asking)?
Click to expand...

This boiler has an outside sensor that controls the temp of the boiler. If it is forty degrees out, the boiler water only gets to about 110 degrees instead of 180 for a conventional boiler. All conventional boilers run about 180 degrees even if it is warm out. Also this boiler only has a volume of about a quart. My old oil burner had about 100 gallons of water in it that had to be heated to 180 degrees continousely and the thing was not insulated.
Most of the heat went up the chimeny out the 10" flue pipe.
This boiler burns outside air and the exhaust pipe is plastic because the thing makes no waste heat. All the heat it makes, goes into the radiators.
On a warm day the radiators just stay warm. It does not cycle the radiators from very hot then they cool down. They stay a constant temperature determined by the outside temperature.

The unit itself hangs on the wall and weighs 130 lbs compared to my burner that I removed that I scraped and it weighed just over 1,000lbs.
It is less than 24" wide and 18" front to back. I easily picked it up myself and hung it on the wall.
I got the unit wholesale for $2'700.
It cost me $4,000.00 with the hot water storage tank which was $900.00 and the pumps for three zones along with the boiler circulator and hot water circulator, valves and plumbing. I will get back over $3,000 in taxes and rebates
 
D

ds4x4

The New High Efficiency Boilers are sweet Paul. I'm jealous since we dont have Natural Gas to use a unit like yours. We installed a HE Oil Fired tankless boiler last year and use it for Hydronic heat and residential Hot water. I highly reccomend the upgrade for anyone that has an old system, I put 150gals of oil in Sept and just ran out Jan 5th. once the cold weather is done I can run on 5 gals for 2 weeks and my wife LOVES long hot showers till she's red as a beet.

Hydronic heat is the best EVER! nice even heat and doesnt dry you out like forced air does.
 
ricwilli

ricwilli

Thanks Paul for taking the time to respond. Unfortunately I will not be able to install it myself. I'm going to do a little more research. Thanks again
 
redfishbluefish

redfishbluefish

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
I liked the question that was asked about permits.

You’ve hit a sore spot for me.  And I apologize for the highjack.

In NJ, you need a permit to get a permit.  Everything needs a permit.  I need a permit to take down a tree in my yard…even if it is some thin scrawny little thing.  I put on a new roof and was told I needed a $100+ permit.  I asked why and they told me to make sure it was done right.  So I asked if an inspector was going to be there to make sure the first three feet included membrane, and that saturated felt was used, etc.  He said no!…Once the job was done, they would do a drive-by.  Give me a break.  To contrast, my mother lost her leg to cancer a few years ago and asked if I could install a ramp going in to their house in North Carolina.  I go down and first go to the County Hall and inquire about a permit to install the ramp.  The guy looks at me funny and says, “Go install the ramp…you don’t need any permits.”

To top it off, some towns require any….ANY….pumping work (including changing a gasket in a faucet), needs to be done by a licensed plumper.  So there is a good chance that, by law/code, you can’t do this yourself (unless you are licensed). 

FYI, I converted to gas about 20 years ago…tremendous savings…and even though I have a relatively efficient boiler, it’s not one of the high efficiency ones.  I still go up the chimney.
 
Paul B

Paul B

NJRC Member
Redfishbluefish, I live in an incorporated village and I know all about it. Here you also need a permit for a permit. When I had a broken sidewalk they said I had to fix it. I said OK no problem. Then they said I needed a permit which cost $250.00
I said I have to repair the village sidewalk and I need a permit to do that and I need to give you $250.00 besides the almost $12,000.00 I give you in tax for basically picking up the garbage.
I told them that sidewalk would be broken until I croak.
The next week I received the permit, for free.
We are not allowed to park in the street and I had 2 cars, my daughter had a car and my Mother N Law had a car and I had a boat. I got tickets all the time and when I parked on my grass, the cars would sink in the mud and make mud tracks down the street. I painted on a 4' X 8' piece of sheetrock a sign that read.
" My property looks like this because of the Communistic laws the Mayor of this village imposes on the residents" and I hung it on the side of my house.
The mayor and Judge came to my house.

I can't go into details but when I was called to court with 14 summonses for parking I pled not guilty. Then I took 36 pictures of cars parked on the sidewalk, which is a state law. I also took a picture of the Mayor in his bathing suit in his driveway, and his car was in the street.
I went to court with the pictures including the Mayors. I said how come he does not get tickets
It was thrown out and I did not have to pay for the tickets
 
Paul B

Paul B

NJRC Member
I did a test today and turned off my solar panels on my roof. Today is a light electricity day because there is no AC on or heat.
According to my power usage meter (pictured) today I am spending 7 cents an hour for electricity. Not very much.
I turned off the solar array and the price jumped up to 15 cents an hour.
My bill is more than cut in half and I am real happy about that. Of course today is a beautiful sunny day, the savings are not as great on a rainy day.
I installed the system almost two years ago.
There are great rebates for these systems that vary from state to state.

IMG_0449.jpg
 
A

Audi0s

Pretty awesome, I cant wait to do something like that...once I buy a house. Imagine one day never paying for electricity!
 
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