My home oil-furnace also makes my hot water (for baths, etc...) Can I shut it off at night?

Question

My oil-fired baseboard heat furnace (I live in CT) also makes the heat for hot water via a domestic coil. To do this, it stays hot all of the time, 24-7 regardless of temp outside. It's 176,000 BTU and ends up using a full 275gal tank of oil (currently at 4.15/gal) during the summer months. I have accidently hit the emergency switch at night to find no heat the next morning for a shower, but after flipping the switch back on, we have hot water in less than 5 minutes. Is there a way, and is it safe, to shut the beast in the basement off during the night hours (say after 9pm) and have it stay off until a set time or possibly until it detects water flow in the hot water pipe? For that matter, would I be able to have it shut off all the time (in summer of course) and fire up only in on-demand hot water situations? Please ONLY answer if you have valid infomation on my question. Thanks!

Answer 1

What you really need is a new water heater.  Then you could shut the boiler off all summer.  From what you've said about fuel consumption, it would pay for itself in about a year.

There is nothing wrong with turning the thing off though.  I'd manage it that way for now.

Answer 2

when i lived inNY we had a oil fired water heater....not connected to regular heating furnance...for one tank of oil you could do it...or get a seperat tankless waterheater for abt 1500 dollars...only makes hot h20 when needed.Rani i think is the name..or yahoo/google tankless hot water..