How efficient (approx) is the Peerless Oil Boiler made in ~1985

Hello,
I couldn't find this information on the manufacturer website - and they don't reply to e-mails...

Boiler Model Num: JOT-3H-W
Boiler Serial Num: JO-68035

All I know that it was made around 1985. Can anyone tell me how efficient (best case scenario) were boilers made in that time?...

I am trying to calculate if it would pay to replace it with a new boiler...
One plummer told me to invest in something like Buderus Logano 115WS:
Buderus Conventional Boilers | 115WS | Domestic Hot Water Heating | Condensing Boilers

The other plummer told me that my existing Peerless is 85% efficient and new boilers are the same ("exactly the same") and it doesn't pay to buy a new one...

Is it possible that in 25 years oil boilers gained only few % in efficiency???...

Second Question (probably should be a separate topic).
Would replacing a my old Beckett Burner improve efficiency?...

This entire topic somehow relates to my problem of having high oil consumption in my house: Another topic on this forum

 

Oil Burner efficiency hasn't changed very much in the past 50 or so years. Not much can be done with fuel oil, it a dirty burn.

 

That's a crock, plain & simple. A statement made by someone obviously not familiar with modern oil burning equipment. There are oil fired boilers on the market in excess of 90% efficient. No way could you get efficiencies like that with a dirty burn. Here is one made by Peerless: Peerless® Pinnacle® (Oil)

 

That 85% figure is COMBUSTION EFFICIENCY, and physics dictates that is pretty much it... but the design of the heat exchangers has improved significantly, and the AFUE on newer boilers is improved quite a bit.

Grady, is the Pinochle one of the new condensing oil units?

 

Sure is. 94% AFUE. Hard to believe isn't it? I have a BIG problem with AFUE when it comes to boilers & especially those with outdoor resets, & zone purging.

 

So... getting a new boiler would be a good idea?...

 

If you are looking to save energy, reduce fuel bills, etc. the best place to start is with reducing the heat loss of the building. Basically, insulation and air sealing.

Insulation and air sealing is cheaper, works forever, and pays back quicker. Think of it as fuel you buy only once.

Find a good energy audit company. Your local utility may sponsor a program. They will do a blower door test and thermal IR imaging to find where the house leaks, check insulation levels, etc. They might even look at your existing boiler and test the combustion efficiency. They will recommend a plan to insulate, air seal, and get the building working better. It will be far more comfortable, too.

Just don't replace windows to save energy. They have horrible payback and you usually can seal around them well. If you need to replace due to rot, remodel, etc. then go for it. Otherwise, let them be. Maybe add storms if their design is compatible.

For half or less of what you might spend on a new boiler installation, you can probably cut your heating load by a third to half. That will mean pretty big fuel savings and decent payback.

The big deal with old oilers is to clean them annually. If you haven't been doing that, then start.

 

I'm always with Xiphias on the points he makes...

First make sure that the existing boiler is properly cleaned and tuned and that there are no obvious installation errors... if all is OK there, improve the building envelope FIRST. Xiphias usually calls insulation 'fuel that you pay for ONCE'.

Then, and only then, consider a new boiler system. After making the improvements to the building envelope you can often get by with a replacement boiler that is HALF to ONE THIRD the size of the old one... and there you will realize some fuel savings.

Replacing the boiler first isn't really gonna save enough to buy a six pack.

The Pinnacle that Grady pointed out achieves it's higher efficiency because of CONDENSING TECHNOLOGY... and I'm not sure that it's cost effective yet... they're pretty expensive... Europe makes use of the technology pretty extensively, but it's kinda new here in US (for OIL systems)... so I say let them be the guinea pigs for a few more years and prove it...

 

Grady,
Thoughts on why you have a problem with AFUE?

 

I don't believe it reflects actual operating costs. This is particularly true with a boiler used for domestic hot water & especially with an indirect.

 

If indeed the Pierless is a pin boiler, they are a bear to get thouroughly clean, espically with a coil or the provision for one. I had to take my old pin boiler apart to get it in my truck, and I could see spots that were just about impossible to get at to clean. So whatever the boiler rating was originally had to have dropped a few more percentage points, plus the three pass boilers are a pleasure to clean, and yeah i'm saving a lot of money with the new one.
Sid

 

sidny,
In "older" & even most new Peerless boilers, yes, they are pin boilers & I agree there are places you just can't get to in order to clean properly. Some pin boilers, Burnham's "V" series in particular are more cleaning friendly since in addition to the access from the top you can get into them from the side as well. I believe there are some Peerless models with similar access.