Indirect water heater system (Hempstead, West Hempstead: 2014, new home, buyer)

[Kimchei6]

Hello everyone. This is my first post as a new home buyer in Nassau county West Hempstead. My new home currently has a oil based heating system with a indirect water heating system which is powered by the oil furnace. The system is entirely new models from this year 2014 except for the oil tank which is original from the previous home owners. My question is does anyone have experience with indirect water heating systems? I've heard they last basically forever but the fact that it's heated through our oil furnace I'm thinking that it would be more expensive than gas based heating. Basically it would be on all year around not just winter time to heat the house. The house is not currently hooked up for gas but our next door neighbor already has a gas line going in to their house. But having new line put in to the house would cost over $10k. Am I worrying too much over this issue or should I look into converting to gas from oil. I'll be in this house for at least 5-7 years. All help is greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

[peconic117]

Glad you asked this. I currently have a superstore tank running off the oil burner and was considering ditching it for a gas water heater (already have gas in the house). Recently though I was told an indirect would be a better option and save me more money then going with a gas heater. Hopefully someone with some experience with this stuff can chime in!

In your case though OP, with entirely new equipment and an indirect you wont be burning much oil in the off season just to get hot water. It certainly wouldn't be worth 10k to run a gas line just to change to gas IMO.

[Kimchei6]

saw this online. gives a lot of good information on indirect water heaters.

Heidronics: What every boiler owner should know about indirect water heaters

Yes the cost to convert is too high and would take me a while to recoup the difference in cost of the converstion. But I would like to see if anyone has experience in this system and how well it works

[eugenet]

Originally Posted by Kimchei6

Hello everyone. This is my first post as a new home buyer in Nassau county West Hempstead. My new home currently has a oil based heating system with a indirect water heating system which is powered by the oil furnace. The system is entirely new models from this year 2014 except for the oil tank which is original from the previous home owners. My question is does anyone have experience with indirect water heating systems? I've heard they last basically forever but the fact that it's heated through our oil furnace I'm thinking that it would be more expensive than gas based heating. Basically it would be on all year around not just winter time to heat the house. The house is not currently hooked up for gas but our next door neighbor already has a gas line going in to their house. But having new line put in to the house would cost over $10k. Am I worrying too much over this issue or should I look into converting to gas from oil. I'll be in this house for at least 5-7 years. All help is greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

It's not worth the effort to run a gas line just for the hot water. If you're doing that, convert the house heating system and hot water.

I have an indirect oil fired hot water system as well. In the summer, i keep it at 120 degrees and 140 in the winter. Overall, it costs around .8 gal/day to keep the water hot in the summer and around 1 gallon/day in the winter with the aquastat kicked up a notch to 140.

The return on investment is just not there if all you're doing is hot water and not home heating.

Good luck.

[Kimchei6]

well I was thinking of doing a partial conversion to gas. using the oil furnace which is brand new and do a conversion kit to gas. I have zero experience with this conversion and need some information as to how well it works and cost

[ovi8]

For a 5-7 year stay it is barely break-even for a full conversion. Forget about it and just live with oil, even the old tank unless it's leaking. Oil is down now anyway.

[rocafeller05]

I wouldn't touch anything yet. Let the system as is until its time to do a whole conversion. My boiler runs maybe 2 times a day for about 3 mins over the summer months for hot water. You're talking nothing.

[Kbinspections]

Stainless steel indirect fired storage tanks are my favorite choice even if its fired with oil. You are getting domestic hot water at the eff. as your oil burner which will be much than a hot water heater. Hot water heater run at 50% eff.