Why the hot water needs its own plan
In a great many Connecticut homes heated by oil, the boiler does two jobs: it heats the house, and it makes the hot water, either through a tankless coil inside it or by heating an indirect tank beside it. When a household decides to change the heating, the conversation tends to focus on warmth. The hot water is easy to forget until someone turns on a shower the day the old boiler is disconnected.
The hot water choice is a water heater decision in its own right. It depends on the fuel available at your address, the space in the cellar, how the household uses hot water, whether you are on a well, and what the new heating system will be. We help with that part. The heating change itself is for a heating contractor.
The three common situations
The boiler is being replaced with a new boiler
If the new boiler will also heat water, the options are an indirect tank on the new boiler, or a coil if the new boiler is designed for one. Many households take the opportunity to move from a coil to an indirect tank. If the old indirect tank is sound, it may be reconnected; if it is tired, this is a sensible time to replace it. See indirect water heater installation.
The boiler is being removed and heat will come from something else
When the new heating system does not make hot water, the house needs a standalone water heater. This is the situation that most often catches households by surprise, because the old coil or indirect tank stops working the day the boiler is disconnected.
The boiler stays for now, but the hot water is moving off it
Some households keep the boiler for heat but want it to stop running all summer just for hot water, or want hot water that does not depend on an ageing boiler. A standalone heater does that, and it also means the hot water plan is already settled whenever the boiler is eventually changed.
The hot water choices
| Choice | Worth considering when | Things to weigh |
|---|---|---|
| Electric tank | No gas main, simple installation wanted | Recovery speed with cold inlet water; electrical capacity is for the installer to check |
| Heat pump water heater | A roomy basement that stays reasonably mild | Space, airflow, condensate drainage; it cools the room it sits in |
| Propane tank or tankless | No gas main, propane already on site or planned | Venting, fuel delivery, sizing tankless for winter water |
| Natural gas tank or tankless | Gas service is available at the house | Venting and the gas connection |
| Oil-fired water heater | Oil will remain on site | Venting and burner service |
| Indirect tank on a new boiler | A new boiler is going in and will stay for years | The boiler's capacity and controls |
We do not quote efficiency figures, running-cost comparisons or incentive details. The installer will talk through what is practical for your house and let you weigh the rest.
Connecticut details that shape the choice
Fuel availability
Natural gas reaches the cities and many inner suburbs but not large parts of the rural east and northwest. In those towns the realistic hot water fuels are electricity, propane and, where oil stays on site, oil.
The old chimney
When an oil boiler leaves, the chimney it used may no longer have anything venting into it, or may be left serving a smaller appliance on its own. Whether that arrangement suits a new fuel-burning water heater is something the installer must assess; sometimes a side-wall vented unit or an electric option avoids the question. See venting and chimney assessment.
Cold inlet water and wells
A coil or indirect tank on a large boiler often had plenty of heat behind it. A standalone heater needs to be sized honestly for winter inlet water, and on a well, for cold water year-round, or the household will notice the difference.
Basement space
Removing a boiler frees up room, which can make a heat pump water heater or a larger tank practical where it was not before. It is worth thinking about where the new heater will go while the cellar is being rearranged anyway.
On a private well?
Well homes changing their heating
Your new water heater will live with the same well water the old coil or indirect did. Plan for sediment with a good drain valve and room to flush, consider the anode arrangement on a tank, allow for cold inlet water in sizing, and check whether the plumbing needs an expansion tank. Tell us about the well at the start.
Well homes need a few extra details planned in.
Timing the switch
- Decide the hot water plan before the heating work is scheduled, so equipment can be ordered in time.
- Coordinate the day: ideally the new water heater is running before or on the day the old boiler is disconnected.
- Tell both contractors about each other, so piping, electrical capacity and venting are not planned twice or missed.
- Think about the summer: if the new heating is in place before winter, the hot water must still work through the changeover.
Get the hot water side priced while you plan the heating.
What we do, and what we do not
We arrange the water heater side: choosing, supplying and installing the new hot water source, removing the old indirect tank or standalone heater where needed, and making the hot water connections. We do not carry out heating conversions, remove or install boilers or heating systems, or advise on incentives, programmes or requirements. Those belong with your heating contractor.
What to leave alone
- Disconnecting the boiler, coil or indirect tank yourself
- Fuel lines, oil tanks, gas connections and wiring
- The chimney and flue connections
- Draining the boiler or any tank
What drives the cost
- The type of new water heater chosen
- How far the new heater sits from existing water, power or fuel connections
- Venting: reusing, changing, or avoiding it with an electric or heat pump unit
- Removing an old indirect tank or standalone heater
- Access in older cellars, and any extras such as an expansion tank or drain pan
How long it takes
Installing a standalone heater is usually one visit once the plan and equipment are settled. The longer part is often the planning and coordination with the heating work. Allow time for ordering, especially for heat pump or tankless units, and schedule the hot water installation so there is no gap.
Heating change questions
We are removing our oil boiler. What happens to our hot water?
If the boiler made your hot water through a coil or an indirect tank, the hot water stops when the boiler is disconnected. You will need a new hot water source, such as an electric tank, a heat pump water heater, propane or gas, or an indirect tank on a new boiler.
Can our existing indirect tank be kept?
If a new boiler is going in and the indirect tank is in good condition, it can often be reconnected. If the boiler is going and nothing will heat the tank, it cannot work on its own and needs replacing with a standalone heater.
Do you do the heating conversion too?
No. We arrange the water heater side only. Your heating contractor handles the heating system. We are happy to coordinate so the hot water is ready when the boiler goes.
Is a heat pump water heater a good choice after removing a boiler?
It can be, particularly if removing the boiler has freed up a roomy basement. It needs space and air around it, a place for condensate to drain, and a space that stays reasonably mild. It also cools the room around it. The installer can judge whether your basement suits one.
Can you tell us about incentives for changing systems?
No. We do not advise on incentives or programmes of any kind. Your heating contractor is a better place to start that conversation.
When should we call you?
Before the heating work is scheduled, ideally. That leaves time to choose and order the right water heater and to plan the installation so the house is not left without hot water.
Will a standalone heater give us as much hot water as the boiler did?
It depends on the heater chosen and how it is sized. A boiler often had a lot of heat behind its coil or indirect tank. A standalone heater should be sized for your household's busiest period and for cold winter inlet water.
Can the new water heater use the old chimney?
Sometimes, but not automatically. The installer assesses whether the chimney suits the new heater once the boiler is gone. Side-wall venting or an electric or heat pump unit are alternatives.
We are on a well. Does that change the choice?
It adds a few things to plan for: sediment, the anode on a tank, an expansion tank, and sizing for cold year-round water. None of them rule any option out. Tell us about the well at the start.