I am just looking for a quick estimate and your thoughts.
We are looking at a foreclosure in southern IL, built 1910, 5500 square feet, Weil-McLain boiler. Second story ducted and something in attic for air conditioning.
Problem is realtor thinks the house was not winterized properly in 2004 winter and radiator (?) leaked. She just got the listing. 2 oak floorboards in foyer are buckled under the radiator. Rest of house is carpeted. No evidence that others leaked. Does this make sense. If water was not drained out of boiler, would all the water leak out of just one radiator and would it just buckle two 2″ oak boards or would it have damaged a larger area of the floor there? If they didn’t drain the boiler, does this automatically mean the boiler is damaged? Shouldn’t other water pipes have frozen, also? Even when it is below zero here in Montana, our house never goes below freezing inside. I am wondering if the damage occurred longer ago and if the system is okay. Appreciate your thoughts!
When my husband looked at the house, she had two hvac guys there who recommended putting two $ 6,000 95% efficiency furnaces in the basement for the first floor and one furnace in the attic to use the air conditioning ducting there.
So, for the quick estimate. Approximately how much could we expect to spend to replace the boiler?
We have a bunch of very old houses but none with steam or hot water heat.
Thanks to all of you! We really appreciate and benefit from your advice to others here on this forum.
Replies
Google for "Heating Help" and then when at that site, find the link to "The Wall."
It is a discussion forum about nothing but heating, almost all of it hot-water heating.
A very active board, it is well-attended by a lot of serious and dedicated pros in the heating biz. Read a few of the posts there and you'll agree.
This board is not as well-attended by pros like that. So copy your message, and paste it in a new one over on The Wall.
You didn't mention if the system is steam or not, and how big is the boiler.
Rough guesses here, but a steam boiler that can heat a poorly insulated 5500 sf house would cost a contractor on the order of $6000. That is a modular boiler, not assembled. To pay a contractor to assemble, install and check out everything, you budget 3 times that. With a poorly maintaned, unoccupied, forclosure house, you should count on anything. Making the radiators work, replacing vents and thermostatic radiator valves, etc., probably all needs to be done, you seem to have a busted pipe and or radiator to replace. OTH, the floor may have been damaged by a simple, but chronically ignored minor leak. Best bet, find a local "steamhead" to have look and give you a real estimate.
As one had mentioned, the Wall is an excellent source. The following guy, maybe in your vacinity:
David Bunnell
38 N.Jefferson Ave.
Amboy, IL 61310
Phone: 1 815 857-2339
Email: [email protected]
Tim, thanks for the rough estimate. I was thinking about $ 20,000.
Could I just ask you. The house was maintained until a few years ago, evidently. The boiler has a date on it of 1979. Were they using water or a coolant type liquid in that vintage boiler? Thanks again.
The vintage of the boiler would have nothing to do with whether or not they had raw (i.e. tap) water, treated water or a glycol (antifreeze) mix. Most commonly in residences, just water is used. Don't know what the water quality is like down state. I would bet on no water treatment being used there.
Water treatment is an issue that many have greatly varying opinions. A good water treatment program is recommended. However, a water treatment program started and then neglected can often cause more harm than good. With steamers, skimming the boiler from time to time is necesary, as is "blowdown". In a closed hot water system, not exposed to freezing, no treatment is "necssary".
Do you know if this is a steam system? Water? Can you read the nameplate on the boiler (model, capacity, etc.).
I think my husband said it is a Weil Mclean. I don't remember the size, but he said it had 5 or 6 burners. I am assuming we would need at least a 310,000 btu, maybe more. I think it is hot water.
The HVAC guys said they would put in forced air furnaces and an electric heat pump in the attic.
I prefer a new boiler. We are in Montana and the house is in Illinois. We are trying to decide on how much we would pay for the house. So, i wanted to guestimate the maximum cost of making repairs. We (my husband) can do a lot himself, like opening up walls for replacement pipes if needed, but since we have never dealt with boilers, we would want a professional involved.
I don't know if this makes sense to you guys, but I just found it hard to believe the system froze that far south enough to damage it. It gets to 40 below here and our house doesn't get below freezing inside. But, if we buy it, we will anticipate at least $ 25,000 and hope for less.
The boiler I priced you was a new Weil-McLain at 330 MBH output (Net I=B=R, steam). If it is a water system and not steam, the $6000 would be more like $5000. I'm in the northern part of Illinois. The low winter temps are in the -15 degree range, but seldom. Regularly in the negative single digits, though. I have never been in a unheated house in the winter here, but I would bet on below freezing. For a 5500 sf older house in southern IL, 250 MBH output will handle all of your heating and domestic hot water needs.
I would prefer to stick with, or replace the boiler as well. If it is a hot water system, it will be easy to work on, replace and or repair.
Tim, thank you so much. If we end up with the house, I will be back in touch. You sound like you know what you are talking about. We have a great heating guy here in Billings, but only after dealing with several mediocre ones.