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Posted by Ken on July 10, 2006 at 10:01:08:
I've contacted three companies to estimate costs for a steam boiler (one line gravity feed) for my 1906 home. Currently it has a 560 MBH Weil-McClain. The three estimates for a replacement range from 140 MBH ("your boiler is way oversized, that's the way they did it back then") to 400 MBH or more ("whoever put this boiler in knew what they were doing"). One contractor counted all the loops on each radiator; another looked at ceiling height, windows, and overall size of our home, asking questions about insulation. Some sources I read say it's all about "connected load" -- others base on cubic feet and insulation. How can the estimates for the size of a replacment boiler be so variable? Help!