[Greenbuilding] boiler

[Benjamin Pratt]

Maybe not the best question to ask here, but can't find a better option:

I have a 15yo 50kbtu boiler, that works fine. It is rated at something like
84% efficiency. There is no damper--it is always open. There is also a cold
air inlet in the room that is always open.

The boiler is getting old, and the chimney it, and the water heater vents
out of is in need of repair.
If I upgrade to a boiler and water heater that vents out of the side of the
house, I will I save a lot of energy? If a newer boiler is rated at 94
percent efficiency, does that include the inefficiency off all the cold air
being dumped into the house, and all the warm air escaping out of the
chimney?

I am hoping the upgrade also will allow me to eliminate the chimney (at
least to the roof line), save heating costs, and, hopefully, keep the
furnace room warmer--indirectly heating the kitchen above (which is the
coldest room in the house).

There is a local person who will sell you a boiler--even a used one-- and
be a resource for you to do a self-install. I believe, if I go through this
guy, that I can do a good job installing it.

WIll the upgrade do what I want it to and does it make sense from an energy
saving/economic standpoint?
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