Posted by RANDY LEISER on January 09, 2000 at 12:41:18:
I HAVE A BRAND NEW 3300 SQUARE FOOT TWO STORY COLONIAL WHICH I SUB CONTRACTED MYSELF. THE HOUSE HAS R21 IN WALLS, R-31 IN CEILINGS, ANDERSON WINDOWS AND THERMATRUE DOORS. I HAD THE PLUMBER INSTALL HOT WATER BASEBOARD HEATING AND AN AMTROL 40 GALLON HOT WATER TANK. THE BOILER IS A WEIL MCLAIN CG7 PROPANE UNIT RATED AT 210,000 BTU'S INPUT AND 150,000 BTU'S OUTPUT. THE ARE 4 HONEYWELL TERMOSTATS RUNNING FOUR ZONES. NIGHT SETBACK IS 60 AND OCCUPIED TEMP IS NEVER HIGHER THAN 68. THE PROBLEM I AM HAVING IS THAT I AM USING OVER 300 GALLONS OF PROPANE PER MONTH. MY NEIGHBORS IN SURROUNDING HOUSES ARE USING HALF AS MUCH AND THEIR HOMES ARE NOT ENERGY EFFICIENT. I HAD TWO HEAT LOSS CALULATIONS DONE ON THE HOUSE AND THEY BOTH CAME IN AT 50,000 TO 60,00 BTU'S PER HOUR. COULD MY HIGH PROPANE USE BE CAUSED BY AN OVERSIXED BOILER? COULD THE AMTROL TANK BE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM? I AM GETTING READY TO CAN THIS BRAND NEW BOILER AND INSTALL A SMALLER OIL FIRED UNIT. ANY SUGGESTIONS TO LOWER MY $600 PER MONTH PROPANE BILL?