Worried about your heating and water bills rising each year? Many homes in Chicago use everything from electric heaters, gas heaters, solar heaters and boilers to stay warm in the cold season. However, when it comes to choosing a specific option, we need to consider affordability, maintenance, and ease of use.
Today we will talk about natural gas hot water boilers that run on natural gas and provide hot water and central heating in homes. The generation of domestic hot water using natural gas may be exactly what you are looking for.
Natural gas domestic hot water boilers
Natural gas hot water boilers help heat water for domestic use and generate steam for heat radiators, doing the work of both water boilers and a central heating system. When using a boiler, you can only use the natural gas connection for central heating and hot water. This way you can save on maintenance and additional energy costs for water heating.
Advantages of using natural gas boilers
The production of domestic hot water using natural gas has several advantages.
- You don't need to spend money on oil or electricity for heating. Natural gas is delivered directly to Chicago homes. This way there is no need to spend additional money on oil/electricity and boiler maintenance. Natural gas also does not produce a smell during use, unlike petroleum, and is pollution-free.
- Money Efficient – Natural gas costs less than oil and helps you save a lot on heating expenses. Other than that, natural gas hot water boilers also cost less than oil boilers.
- Environmentally friendly – Natural gas hot water boilers are cleaner than oil, generate less soot and are less harmful to the environment as they come from pipes dug deep into the ground.
Types of natural gas hot water boilers
There are two types of natural gas hot water boilers:
1) Tankless Coil Gas Hot Water Boilers
2) Indirect gas hot water boilers
- Tankless gas hot water boilers
Often referred to as a “tankless coil”, this small heat exchanger fits easily into a gas boiler. They are very popular in Chicago homes with hot water baseboard heating as they are cheaper or can be retrofitted into standard boilers. In this type of gas boiler, a copper coil heat exchanger enters the boiler which heats it as it flows through it. It is similar to a “tankless water boiler” except it uses the boiler as the heat source.
The tankless water heater has a problem; the boiler has to be hot to generate hot water. In winter the boiler stays hot most of the time, and most of the time it may not even need gas to provide hot water as there is residual heat in the gas boiler. But in summer, when the boiler is less likely to be used, gas that is fired repeatedly can waste a lot of gas. Tankless gas water boilers are most useful in the winter months, but are not as efficient during the summer.
2) Indirect gas hot water boilers
Indirect or indirect gas water heaters are another option for producing hot water. In this type of gas heater, there is a separate insulated water tank that uses the heated water from the gas boiler to generate hot water. The plumbing for this indirect tank comes from a separate “area” in the heating system. This type of boiler is efficient during the summer months in Chicago because the water at the top of the tanks stays hot and can be used multiple times before the gas is turned on again after the boiler is turned on to heat the tank water.
Another advantage of this type of natural gas domestic hot water boiler is that you can cover it with extra insulation, as there is no burner in the accumulator, unlike what happens with water heaters.
The only disadvantage of indirect water heaters is their high cost. A decent gas indirect water heater will cost around $1,000, which includes the additional zone in the heating system. This makes them much more expensive than conventional water heaters.
Both water heaters are efficient
It is important to note that both integrated water heaters can keep your boiler in good working order. If your Chicago home's gas boiler is kept in a basement that remains damp in the summer, the burner will flare periodically – which is recommended by many heating engineers to reduce corrosion.
This makes the indirect water heater a good option.
Many people opt for a tankless water heater in the winter months and switch to a freestanding electric or gas water boiler in the summer months. Leaving aside the problem of boiler corrosion in damp basements, this can be a very good option.
How to convert an oil hot water boiler to a gas hot water boiler?
If you want to convert your oil-fired hot water boiler to a natural gas domestic hot water boiler, there are many options available. An existing gas line can help reduce costs. You will need to contact a heating engineer or contractor to find out what equipment you will need and what changes will be required in your home. A professional will be able to best advise you on what type of heaters you should use and how a natural gas hot water boiler will be installed in your home in Chicago.
