Replacement for very old Hydrotherm Boiler

This is my first post here so hi. I have a very old Hydrotherm Boiler (my son says it's a Hydrotherm) I need to replace it. Cause its got a cracked exchange. It was installed in 1954. I would like to get another hydrotherm if they are still any good. My son and a friend will install it so it would be nice if the pipes were in the same place.

I've been looking online and Westinghouse has a combi boiler/water heater (wall mounted) that looks nice, though my water heater is still good. But that unit is stainless steel, not cast iron. I would like to get a 120k btu unit.

Last summer i got estimates of between $6-10,000 to install a new boiler. I say B.S. to that. I live in a smaller town and they just gouge you so I spent the last winter (in the Rockies) with kerosine heat and don't want to do that again. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Also, I'll be happy to post pictures of the old unit if anyone wants to see it.

 

the combination ones (heat and hot water tank) require at least two pumps. if you plan on getting a high efficiency boiler, there's a certain way to plumb that boiler, meaning a "loop" is required with it's own pump. so, you MIGHT have to install three pumps, and i'm just guessing here with the information you gave.

before you buy one, look into the installations, and yes, the installs are quite expensive.

I removed my old boiler and installed a high efficiency slant fin 95% (I didn't go for the extra hot water tank) my house is zoned into two sections, and the one pump to supply those zones is sufficient, but still had to install another pump for the loop. the "loop" is required so that when the boiler turns on, the heat exchanger won't be shocked by a surge of cold water. the older cast iron boilers really didn't have that problem, but new ones have stainless or aluminum exchangers and they might not be able to take the initial shock of cold water.

-ps: BIG difference in the heating bills with a new boiler