How long do older residential heat/hot water boilers typically last?

So, my house was built in 1968 and still has the original American Standard boiler (fueled by home heating oil). Every year we have our boiler serviced and we think "this may be the last winter" and hope that the boiler keeps working because new heating systems are SO expensive (I know a new boiler would probably be MUCH more efficient though). Is there a standard life expectancy for these systems?

I am VERY thankful that ours is still going! Asked by CrystalOTMommy 23 months ago Similar questions: long older residential heat hot water boilers typically Home > Home Improvement.

Similar questions: long older residential heat hot water boilers typically.

Certainly not that many years, most I know have only lasted about 10 so you are lucky, but then, you are also doing the right thing by having it serviced properly, not neglecting it and letting it fry. You can get a new one for about $500 (my brother had an emergency last year during that terrible winter, we were very lucky we got one for the holidays! ) if you shop around but you need to make sure that it is a compatible with the radiators and so on.

Yes, they can be more efficient, but like I said, things are not built to last the way they used to be. Then when you get the new one, make sure you get good insulation, timer and thermostat-they can save you more money too. Good luck!.

Depends............there's many variables that factor into the life of a boiler. Mine lasted from 1945 to 1999 - and I only replaced it so I could use natural gas and get rid of that 275 gallon oil tank in my basement. So expecting 50 years out of it is not unreasonable if properly maintained.

When you really think about it, there's not a whole lot of moving parts that will wear out. It probably has a pilot (so no electronic ignition) and no solid state parts that come with their own issues too. But what you have to keep in mind is the availability of parts.At some point, if you have a contract for service, they may tell you they can no longer repair it....and that can happen in mid-winter when you need it most.

Typically what a lot of companies do is continue to give you a service contract on it then, when something goes, they'll say they can't fix it. Then at that point you have to scramble to get it up and running. Also, as I'm sure you well know, a new unit would be much more efficient and come with a tax break.

40 years! 40 years is a Looong time for a furnace, even a boiler kind. Yours is probably running at like 50% efficiency.

The new ones do at least 90%. You could cut your heating bill in half by getting a new furnace. They're not that expensive.

You can probably break-even in three years in a cold climate, six years in a moderate one, and after that you're saving scads of dollars per year.

1 a boiler that old was built to last, and they did their best to make it so, barring unforeseen circumstances, it would last forever. I don't know the statistics on the actual results, though.

A boiler that old was built to last, and they did their best to make it so, barring unforeseen circumstances, it would last forever. I don't know the statistics on the actual results, though.

2 I agree. I worked in the industry for years and it was not unusual to see boilers 40-50 years old. Unfortunately, parts do wear and break.

Finding replacement parts has usually been the downfall of those highly crafted feats of ingenuity. You are right in believing a new one would be more efficient. The difference would be huge.

I agree. I worked in the industry for years and it was not unusual to see boilers 40-50 years old. Unfortunately, parts do wear and break.

Finding replacement parts has usually been the downfall of those highly crafted feats of ingenuity. You are right in believing a new one would be more efficient. The difference would be huge.

I want to know the proper way to service and diagnose residential gas fired boilers.

I just moved into an older house and I am not getting hot water.....The inspector passed the hot water heater...

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