Boiler "condemned"-need new one
We have a 11 year old Goodman GMP150-5 gas boiler connected to a forced air system for our 3 story brownstone. It stopped working yesterday (great timing!), and National Grid came out and condemned the unit – saying the firewall was rotted out and cracked. Their sales team is supposed to call to try to…
We have a 11 year old Goodman GMP150-5 gas boiler connected to a forced air system for our 3 story brownstone. It stopped working yesterday (great timing!), and National Grid came out and condemned the unit – saying the firewall was rotted out and cracked. Their sales team is supposed to call to try to sell us something new. I’m thinking better to go with an HVAC specialist. I’ve spoken to Phil from Phil’s A/C, and he is coming over soon. Any suggestions for the type of unit we should be thinking about?
Should we get several quotes – i.e Hlad, Gateway , National Grid etc.? I don’t want to take too long – it’s cold – on the other hand – I’d like to do it right (Phil said the unit we have is not the best quality. It was purchased from Keyspan by the previous owner as part of their oil-gas conversion program.) Any advice appreciated. Thanks!
Had same problem last week – call Aladdin Plumbing on 5th Ave. Bklyn -ask or Mike or Erik. They gave me heat for free while I decided which boiler.
Vigilante had charged me $400 on Christmas Eve. to leave me with no heat and tell me I needed a new boiler.
Aladdin is well recommended on Angies List and has been professional, competant, and reasonable (got 3 estimates. National Grid was the lowest but not necessarily the best. I had a service contract with them and when my boiler broke they put me on a 2 day wait list because they had so many others on their wait list and it was a cold snap.
Happy New Year!
Lennox are very good too.
Yes – I have a furnace, not a boiler. Thanks, Bob!
So – National Grid was just here – they want to sell me a Trane for $3800, plus an extra $1000 for replacement duct work (the old furnace had a free return in the basement – not good because it isn’t circulating house air back to the furnace, but rather basement air).
Phil’s, on the other hand, is recommending a Bryant (Carrier’s builder’s grade) for $3400, no estimate yet on any additional duct work.
Both are offering options such as air cleaners ($1400-1500), and Aprilaire humidifiers (Phils: 550, Nat’l Grid: 800) Nat’l Grid even went so far as to offer a UV light for another $650.00
I’m going to go with Phil’s, I think. Any thoughts on these add-ons? (humidifier, air cleaner, UV light?) Also – anything to not recommend the Bryant?
Thanks!
Sorry guys–I hit the return key before my first comment was complete.
If you have a hot air system don’t you have a furnace, rather than a boiler? FWIW my house has a Lennox furnace that was installed several years before I bought it in 1974. I;ve been told that it will eventually fail like your]s did but it’s still going strong for now. One factor that helps is that it has a pilot light which I’ve been told never to shut off because it prevents rust that would otherwise occur outside of the heating season. I guess current models must have electronic lighting systems which may save gas, at the cost of greatly decreased longevity.
If you have a hot air system don’t you have a furnace, rather than a boiler? FWIW my house has a Lennox furnace that was installed several years before I bought it in 1974. I;ve been told that it will eventually fail like your]s did but it’s still going strong for now. One factor that helps is that it has a pilot light which I’ve been told never to shut off because it prevents rust that would otherwise occur outside of the heating season. I guess current models must have electronic lighting systems which may
First of all, don’t get another Goodman “contrator’s special”. I just replaced one in Philly with a Rheim. I also have heard that Weil McLean have been bought out and installers are shying away from what they are hearing from the “new” company.