Yes, get a second opinion. Maybe two.

Interesting how the preceding comment didn't ask what fuel the boiler uses, what its efficiency is, what the size of your house is, nor what your utility rates are but he suggests all the same you should consider either a new boiler or a heat pump.

Fsq, when running cold water through radiators or radiant floors, how is humidity removed from the air?

I don't see why you would replace a 22 year old boiler that has no issues just to get a better warranty, and possibly a little better efficiency. Massachusetts is not the ideal place for install a heat pump with a hydronic heating system.

This company has decided it is time to make some additional revenue off of you. The only thing that you might consider is the heat exchanger cleaning and the thermocouple if it is the original.

Maybe it is time to switch to another company for maintenance.

Obviously the OP boiler is a fossil fuel device. The ‘New Green’ move ‘should’ be away from fossil fuels to electric. An air-to-water HP will have an average COP ~ 2.5, require no venting and far less servicing with that associated cost and carbon footprint as well as no NG grid charges.

Regarding air-conditioning in a hydronic retrofit, this is easily accomplished with zoning, much of which might already be in place. It might be easily done through controls that switch off flow with zone valves or basically cut power to existing circulators of zones that the pipes are not covered with Armaflex and that have non-reversible emitters. These zones remain heating only. Armaflex insulated tubing supplying hot or chilled water to reversible supplementary fan coil units provide air-conditioning as well as heating – without ever having to install forced air ducts!

This discussion is beyond the scope of humidity control with in-floor cooling and chilled beams that can all be done but are not common in residential situations.

Obviously - every homeowner has to do their own analysis!

YMMV

IMPO

SR

Rose Beginner

There are some things that need to be done on any mechanical system at certain intervals. We can generally predict what needs to be done and when it needs to happen.

On a car, for example:

-Replace battery at 3 years

-Replace tires at 50-60k miles

-Replace front brake pads 40-60k miles

-etc

That's generally true with your boiler as well. The thermocouple is def one of those things that should be replaced preemptively. You don't want to wait for that to fail.

Here's what I would expect from someone doing Preventative Maintenance:

I'd want a multi-year outline of what work needs to be done and when it should be done - a PM schedule.

Then, as you go through each season, you make some adjustments to that schedule - making notes of things that may need to be replaced a little sooner (or put off until later).

There shouldn't be any big surprises.

fsq4cw - the logic to what you are saying is messed up in a lot of ways.

I've never really understood the attachment to boilers on the east coast but let me clue you in...

Electricity from the grid is also fossil fuel - and until it hits over 50% renewable has a larger carbon footprint than a condensing gas appliance. We aren't near 50% renewable on the grid - and in the next 20 years a whole lot of nuclear is going off-line and a whole lot of cars are going online.

Heat pumps do change the 50% calculation - but your retrofit ideas are assuming a lot of information that isn't sound. What's more, the NG network is obviously already in place here and unless they eliminate all gas, they can't get rid of the base utility charge.

It sounds like you got an estimate for what it would take to make everything nearly perfect, vs. an estimate of what maintenence is definitely needed right now. If I was going to prioritize I would focus on making sure the burner is clean and has no combustion leaks. You might also replace the thermocouple at the same time, but it is not a safety item so it would just be for reliability.

All the rest is for the water circuating system and for that I would look at what is needed to ensure you can shut the water off quickly if there is a leak, and to ensure you can then refill the system to get the heat back on. If the valves look really bad then replace them, but otherwise you can probably wait and replace them over time.

Call another HVAC company or plumber for estimates and ask them to evaluate and prioritize what needs to be done. You can do some of the work now, and then schedule the rest for later years.

Bruce

For what it’s worth. It’s a natural gas boiler. My guess as to why FHW is common here is because central air isn‘t as common, and because FHW is more comfortable. As it happens, we do have central air, but the fact that it’s only the upper floor in a split entry makes me think it was installed as an afterthought.

Thanks for the suggestions so far.