Need Installer Recommendations for New Fairfield, CT Area

ridgewayyu · Post by **ridgewayyu** » Mon. Oct. 28, 2013 11:17 am

We have just moved to Connecticut and are seriously considering replacing our oil furnace with a coal fired unit. We want to have a few installers come look at our place to let us know our options, requirements, price estimates, etc. Does anyone have recommendations? We are located in New Fairfield, CT, right on the border of Putnam county NY

thank you,
Bobbi

Pacowy · Post by **Pacowy** » Mon. Oct. 28, 2013 11:57 am

Welcome to the forum, Bobbi.

You can get a lot of information regarding different options and their performance in different circumstances right here on the forum, perhaps enabling you to focus on particular types of systems and also sharpen the questions you might want to pose to potential equipment suppliers and installers. A good starting point for getting suggestions from forum members would be if you could provide more information about your heating requirements, such as approximate sf of living area, age of house, domestic hot water needs and the size/btu rating of your current oil unit. Also, does the oil unit produce hot air (which the purists around here would define to be a "furnace"), or hot water or steam ("boiler").

Good luck in your search.

Mike

ridgewayyu · Post by **ridgewayyu** » Mon. Oct. 28, 2013 12:39 pm

thank you, Mike, for the suggestions.

We have about 1,700 sq ft. House was built in 1950, I don't think that it is very well insulated (an issue we hope to remedy slowly over the next few years). I'm not sure about size of the current oil furnace but it is a forced hot air unit. We have a propane gas fired hot water heater and would like to have the new coal furnace heat our water during the cold months, then switch over to the gas water heater in the summer. There is a slight chance that we may want to purchase a dual coal/propane gas furnace but I need to do more research on that topic before we decide.

Pacowy · Post by **Pacowy** » Mon. Oct. 28, 2013 1:40 pm

You're welcome.

It sounds like one of the basic decisions you will need to make is between a furnace and a boiler unit. At the risk of overgeneralizing, furnaces tend to be less expensive than boilers, but due to the limitations of air as a heat exchange medium, they tend to be limited in the efficiency they can achieve and the rate at which they can produce domestic hot water. All else equal, a boiler tends to be more efficient, is able to produce substantial quantities of DHW in real time, and with a (comparatively inexpensive) water-to-air heat exchanger placed in your existing ductwork could power your hot air distribution system.

A second decision you will need to make is new vs. used. Some people are only comfortable with new stuff, but there is a lot of reliable equipment out there that dates back to times when home heating by coal was much more commonplace.

Mike

Post by **dcrane** » Mon. Oct. 28, 2013 1:52 pm

oil heat and propane h/w (worst & worst er)... im very surprised to hear you even have NGas as an option at all their (surely someone would have rushed headstrong into NG by now with that horrible combination?)... you could do anything and it would be better than oil heat w/propane h/w!

First things first... get your energy audit done now! http://ctenergyaudit.org/
**Broken Link(s) Removed** you start spending money), next start taking advantage of the rebates & credits provided in your area (surly you have that 3" tinfoil insulation in the walls & minimal attack insulation, maybe need an attack stair box, some windows, etc.), find out if any rebates are available for a NG/Coal furnace/boiler with energy eff. rating over 85%? find out if they also offer rebates for dhw options... now, arm yourself with all this and start doing the reno's you can afford (sometimes the insulation jobs can be as low as 25% your cost out of pocket! = $2,000 insulation job cost you $500 period!), rebates could be up to $1,000 off your new furnace, $300 off your DHW), call the gas co. and find out if they will pay for the line to your house (distance they will go), do they have any incentives for you to lie in? etc?... arm yourself with this and then head towards places like leisure line or EFM or whatever and go from their!

a few more links to learn from http://www.wpri.com/news/local/se-mass/mass-wood- ... e-upgrades
http://www.hpba.org/government-affairs/major-proj ... tax-credit

by the time im done with all this research I could upgrade my entire house for next to nothing!.... time to get on the freebee Gov dole like everyone else and take advantage and then when your done...make sure you bring a big fat cigar to next meet N greet for Dougie

someone should make a thread called "How to re-build, insulate, upgrade your house with Free Gov. grants"

North Candlewood · Post by **North Candlewood** » Sat. Nov. 02, 2013 9:42 am

Welcome to the neighborhood!
Forum and Area!
I'll be out in the New Fairfield area next week working, should you like I could stop by and see what your options are.
PM me with you contact # and we can talk from there.
Keep asking Questions and seeking knowlage.
Charles