I am in the process of purchasing a home. I fell in love with an old farm house in my area and am thinking about placing a bid for it. It has a Boiler system for heating the house. My questions for anyone who has experience with them in their homes are;1. Is it very hard to maintain?2. Is it alot more expensive to run it in the winter?3. What are the cons of having one?I asked my realtor, but he isn't too familiar with them, and I can't seem to find out any real pros or cons on the internet searches.Thanks in advance.
Boiler systems are by far the most simple systems for consumers to own, there is no filter that needs changed, and only one setting for a thermostat up or down. Bolier heat (radiant) warms objects not the air like circulated heat. So of the down sides to boilers are the poor efficiency of them normally they are not over 82%, which you can look at it this way for every $10.00 in gas you put in you get $8.20 back. Some other cons to the system like someone previously stated is that you would need to purchase a seperate system along with ductwork for central air, no air circulation leads to more dust in the home, but by far is one of most even and comfortable sources of heat. Also with a boiler system do not I repeat do not turn the t-stat up and down in the winter pick a setting and leave it as it takes longer for a water boiler to recover the temp. you are looking for.
Steam and hot water heat is actually the best system available. It is a constant heat, unlike forced air units that go on and off causing warm and cold spells. You can get maintenance done and if it is a newer unit, it should not be a problem. The one con I know of is that you need a separate AC unit and ducts.
1. They're easy to maintain: just be sure it has enough water. 2. More expensive than what? Spending $10,000 or $15,000 to replace it with something else will take a very long time to break even. 3. The radiators can't be moved around like furniture. :-) Resist the urge to drain and refill the water in the system. It will look dark and gunky and seem to scream Change me! If you do, there will be a year or two of hissing, gurgles, and growls until the mineral balance between the pipes and the water reaches equilibrium again—at which time it will be murky and gunky. Except the pipes will have lost more material.
