Calculating the Cost Savings of a Boiler Upgrade
Cut down on expenses with a high-energy efficiency boiler from Rucci Oil
There are certain signs and signals that indicate that it is time to upgrade your home’s boiler. A sudden increase in your heating bills, cold spots or uneven heating throughout your home, unusual sounds or odors coming from your boiler and needing frequent repairs all fall into this category. If your boiler is more than 15 years old considering a replacement is a good idea as well.
While the idea of replacing your boiler may initially cause you financial stress, upgrading can actually help you lower your energy bills and save money in the long run. Let’s take a look at how.
Today’s boilers and energy efficiency
New boilers heat water or produce steam that then gets distributed throughout a home through radiant floor systems, radiators or baseboard heaters. They are also specifically designed to be more energy efficient than older models.
A boiler’s efficiency is measured by its Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating. This number indicates how much of the fuel your boiler uses is converted into actual usable heat for your home as opposed to it just being lost and wasted.
It is not unusual for an older boiler to have an AFUE rating of only 70%. What this rating means is that 70 cents for every dollar you spend on fuel goes towards heating purposes and 30 cents is wasted.
The AFUE ratings of modern high-efficiency boilers are considerably higher. In fact, these boiler models can have ratings of 95% or higher. This means that only 5 cents of every dollar is wasted.
Clearly, this can contribute to a nice cost savings on your home’s heating bills. Some homeowners can even save between about 20% and 30% on heating costs just by replacing an old boiler with a new one.
The exact amount of money that a homeowner can save by upgrading his or her boiler varies based on exact fuel consumption as well as your specific heating needs.
Maintaining your boiler
Whether you have a new boiler or an older model, maintaining your equipment will optimize its performance and help it work effectively. You can do this by:
- Adding water softeners to the water in your boiler to prevent corrosion and to keep it healthy.
- Routinely checking that your boiler’s safety valves are working properly.
- Looking for dents, rust and leaks on a regular basis.
- Keeping an eye on pressure levels to make sure they don’t get too high or drop too low.
- Cleaning it regularly so that it is free of debris and dirt.
- Keeping your chimney or flue clear.
- Having your equipment annually serviced by a professional. The service technicians here at Rucci Oil can handle this!
Upgrade your boiler with Rucci Oil
If you are ready to upgrade to a high-efficiency boiler that will end up helping you save money on your heating bills, Rucci Oil can help. We sell and install boilers throughout Staten Island, Brooklyn and in certain areas of New Jersey.
Contact Rucci Oil to talk with one of our experts about upgrading your home’s boiler today.