Oil to Gas Conversion

ces302 · 10-26-2011, 05:44 PM

I am in the process of receiving bids for a oil to gas conversion and had a question. I currently have a 50 gallon holding tank for my domestic hot water and a contractor told me i had to get a separate hot water heater. Another contractor told me I did not need a separate hot water heater, just to run the tank as a separate zone. Which should I follow?

Jim F · 10-27-2011, 10:26 PM

I think you are saying that you have a 50 gallon indirect hot water tank that uses hot water from your oil fired boiler to heat the water. Is that right? If that is so, it should already have its own zone off the boiler. If all you are doing is swapping your oil fired box for a gas one, I don't see why you would need to replace the water heater.

If on the other hand, your water heater is oil fired, it would have to be replaced with a gas fired water heater.

I am thinking none of the pros have answered because your question is a little vague.

ces302 · 10-28-2011, 07:43 AM

Thanks for your response. The hot water tank does not heat the water, it is heated through the oil boiler which has a coil. I will be replacing the oil boiler with a gas boiler which does not have a coil. The first contractor told me that I would need to replace the hot water tank with a gas fired hot water heater and the second contractor told me that I could keep the hot water tank and just connect it into the system as a zone. Sorry for the lack of info in the thread but this is all I know.

Jim F · 10-28-2011, 07:43 PM

Oh yeah, there is an outlet and coil on some models for a tankless water heating system.

**beenthere** · 10-29-2011, 05:50 AM

Very few gas boilers have a tankless coil in them like your oil boiler does. The easy way is to have a brazed plate heat exchanger installed. It will take the place of the tankless coil. A good installer will have no problem installing one.