i am looking to buy a home built before 1890 and it MUST remain as is with it's natural gas boiler. how efficent is this system v's using forced air heating. keep in mind this home is 4800 sq ft and is all plaster walls and hardwood floors. i am sure i could help by using the 3 fireplaces but i am still concerned about the boiler having never seen one before.
How old is the boiler? Generally, the older the boiler, the less efficient they will be. But with an old house and 4800 sq ft. plan on spending BIG bucks on heating.
alot with natural gas because you dont need to wait for the water to boil like you do with elefctricity!
Hard to say not knowing the age / make / model of the unit. In general a modern gas fired boiler unit can have efficiency ratings the as high as forced air units. How old is the system? The more info you put in your question the more accurate the answers will be. Edit: Updating a heating system is considered an (An Act of Preservation) Listing of private property as a National Historic Landmark or on the National Register does not prohibit any actions which may otherwise be taken by the property owner with respect to the property. The National Park Service may recommend to owners various preservation actions, but owners are not obligated to carry out these recommendations. I've done installations on homes listed on the National Register. There are quite a few HVAC firms that do this sort of work. They will do an installation that maintains the historical integrity home to the highest degree possible.
