This past June, our inefficient, high-maintenance and unreliable 25-year-old oil-burning boiler finally bit the dust. Our 5-story, 7-unit building made the decision to convert to natural gas, mainly because it is better for the environment and costs less than traditional heating oil, and we asked four Con Edison approved contractors for quotes. After getting a lackluster response from the other contractors, Absolute Mechanical, a family-run business based in Brooklyn, was the only company that answered us immediately and with such enthusiasm and knowledge about boilers and all things heat-related. They offered to give us a tour of their most recent installation and we had an estimate within the week.
By July, Absolute Mechanical's plumbers began the installation of our high efficiency gas boiler, indirect water heater and new gas line and meter to the boiler. It took two months to install the new systems and to remove the existing risers and piping in all 7 apartments. Having plumbers in my personal space, cutting holes in my ceilings and drilling holes into my floors for new piping, for the entire summer was, surprisingly, a pleasure. The plumbers were all trustworthy, kind, considerate, clean and helpful with all things boiler and non-boiler related.
On the administrative side, Absolute Mechanical's office staff was equally patient and helpful when it came to scheduling inspections, paperwork for Con Edison rebates and arranging third-party contracts and contacts with construction workers to repair our ceilings and to remove our old oil tank. Even after they received our final payment, Gennady and his crew have been back weekly (sometimes staying until 10pm) to tinker with the system until every tenant in the building is happy with their heat.
It's now January and 20 degrees, and for the first time ever, my apartment is always incredibly comfortable! The heat is constant and ambient, there is no rattling or banging or steam coming from the radiators and the new copper piping in the apartments is beautiful. Our basement, sans oil tank and bulky old boiler, has never looked better. Plus, every Con Edison employee and New York City building inspector that has seen the installation rave about how innovative and progressive our new system is and how impressed they are with Absolute Mechanical's workmanship.
It's too soon to determine how much we will save on our monthly heating bills (our first gas bill since the installation was $137), but our monthly average for oil over the last 5 years was $631 for 194 gallons/month and at the rate for oil, $4/gallon that would be $772/month.
In any case, I'm so glad we decided to convert and that we went with Absolute Mechanical. I would certainly recommend them to anyone who wanted to replace their boiler and convert to gas. read more