You might be wondering if you should upgrade your existing boiler to a modern heating oil burner.  If your burner is outdated, then the answer is a resounding yes, but here’s why:

Higher Efficiency

Many people don’t realize just how far oil heat has really came over the last 10 years. In fact, people have a tendency to think that oil heat hasn’t progressed in 30 or more years. Yet, nothing could be further from the truth. Aside from the fact that heating oil burns cleaner than it did 30 years ago, the technology of the burners have grown with the times and have became more efficient and eco-friendly.

With older burners, there was a pilot light, which now is like a warning light that you need an upgraded burner! Burning oil using a pilot light drains your resources and is considered wasteful, but that is not the only advantage to a new burner. Modern burners conservatively save 30% on heating costs, with 40% being a common savings metric. Check out this video from EnergyKinetics about a System2000 install that one of their other partners installed for their customer:

Advanced Heat Dispersion

Older systems tend to blast heat based off of one zone, your entire house. With newer heating oil systems, you can manage up to 15 zones on one burner. Also, newer systems can pass heat off to your home and water heater, even after the boiler has shut off. Check out this video to better understand these concepts:

Quieter Operation

Another advantage to an updated burner is the smooth operation that modern burners are capable of. Everyone who grew up in the early 90’s remembers the scene from Home Alone 1, where Kevin has to overcome his fear of the ancient burner installed in their suburban Chicago residence. While overcoming one’s fears is a good thing, most families prefer to do it with something other than the “monster in the basement”.

Reliability

Old burners did have capability of being reliable, but if you have a burner that has had some issues, you know that they weren’t all reliable. If you have experienced breakdowns with your boiler, then you it may be worth looking at a new one. After all, no one wants to experience a breakdown in the dead of winter! Another reliability factor can be annual cleanings. Check out another of our blog posts concerning burner cleanings.

Home Resale Value

Finally, if you are going to be reselling your home, an updated boiler will help the resale value and overall appeal of the house. No one wants to go into a new house, knowing that the heat may go out at any time. If you are selling a house with an old burner, your property is being assessed with a higher risk factor, by potential buyers. Just something to keep in mind, if you go to sell your house!