Replies

1. 
   BillHartmann | Jan 26, 2005 03:42am | #1

   Do you care about effiency or about operating cost?

   You really need to find out the price of your different fuels and then adjust for the eff of the boiler.

1. 
   bcj | Jan 26, 2005 04:12am | #2

   Thanks Bill , Bruce

2. 
   TRice | Jan 27, 2005 05:05pm | #3

   The efficiency of the boiler (with exception of electric) will depend on the design of the boiler, not the fuel. For natural gas/lp for instance, you can buy a boiler that is 80% efficient or one that is 97% efficient.

   If I were faced with the decision, this is how I would evaluate what I would buy. Find out availability and cost of the fuels you have available. Determine a gross BTU/$$ for each type. Then look at the costs of various boilers that use the least expensive fuel.

   If it cost $1000/year to heat with a boiler that cost $10,000 and it costs $1500/year to heat with a boiler that costs $5,000, then the (simplistic) "break-even" point is 10 years.

   Any payback of ten years or less is a reasonably good investment, if you plan to live there that long. If the payback is over 15 years, don't do it.

3. 
   goldhiller | Jan 27, 2005 07:12pm | #4

   Check out the January, 1987 issue of JLC.

   Comparing Energy Costs

   Very useful cost chart in there comparing various efficiencies and fuels.

   Wood, electric, fuel oil, nat gas & LP.

   Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.
1. 
   timkline | Jan 27, 2005 07:42pm | #5

   did you say 1987 ?

    carpenter in transition

1. 
   goldhiller | Jan 27, 2005 08:38pm | #6

   Yup.Got it open in front of me right now.If you've got the discs, use search = comparing energy costsThe comparison prices on this chart include costs encompassing a range of prices that include today and a ways out in the future, as well. However, the efficiences of the heating appliances on the chart only go out to 85% for fossil fuels. But the comparison per BTU yield to current pricing would still be valid and a little math should render a valid figure of actual cost for today's higher efficiency appliances.Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.

   Edited 1/27/2005 12:40 pm ET by GOLDHILLER

4. 
   csnow | Jan 28, 2005 12:58am | #7

   Around here, oil would win hands down.  Not for ultimate combustion efficiency, but for cost of operation.

   The advantage with propane is that you could run a modulating condensing boiler with variable output temperatures on full reset, achieving amazing operating efficiency.

   There are new condensing oil boilers available, and more to come.  Many are on the market in Europe.

   This one is interesting:

   http://www.houseneeds.com/shop/HeatingProducts/boilers/monitor/monitorboilersoilfcx.htm

1. 
   bcj | Feb 11, 2005 02:32am | #8

   Thanks I will investigate this option.

   Big  johnson