Replacement Boiler

Ricky

I am looking for some assistance in choosing a replacement boiler.  My duplex condo is ~1,600 sq ft, two zones of mostly basesboard (2 Runtal towel warmers).  I also have a 200 sq ft sunroom with radiant floor heat that I set at 40 degree in the winter.  My existing Burnham boiler is 18-20 years old and I have an 60 gal electric HW heater.  Only two people live here.  We have 2 baths (one with a large, but seldom used whirlpool tub), a dishwasher and a washing machine.

The proposals (all within $500 +/-) are as follows:

1.  Lochinvar KBN080 & Lochinvar 40 gal Indirect Fired SS Water Heater

2.  Burnham Alpine #80 & Superstore 80 gal HW Heater

3.  Munchkin MC80 Wall Hung Boiler & Superstore 60 or 80 gal HW Heater

4.  Weil-McLain Ultra 105 & Super Stor Ultra60 60 gal Indirect HW Heater

All of these boilers appear to be 'state-of-the-art' so I can't determine their track record.  Therefore, I'm asking for information on these proposals.  Is one boiler significantly superior (or inferior) to the others?  Is 40 gal too small? Is 80 gal too big?

Thanks in advance

Tim Potter

Do it once, Do it right...

...Is what I have learned from this site.

As a fellow homeowner, I have found some great advice from this site.

Even though you rarely use the whirlpool, when you do use it its nice to fill it quickly, and you might want to sell that unit someday and the next owners will surely want the WH to be big enough.

Smart people have advised to oversize the Indirect to supply the hot, rather than oversize the boiler to supply the indirect. They don't loose much heat through the jacket.



Just a couple of thoughts, others will chime in I'm sure



Tim

CMadatMe

Scrap 3 and 4

Choice 2 will be having some upgraded controls in the near future. Burnham is beginning to get ready for 2012 and is starting to implement the same control strategy that is now in the ES2 into the MPO and the Apline. You may find that the current Alpine is not current by mid next yr. Don't know much about choice 1 as not used in my market very much to the best of my knowledge. The new Viessmann Vitodens and Triangles Solo seem to be the boiler of choice in my market with the VItodens being the leader for me.

Charlie from wmass

Who answers you questions best?

Which installer best answered your questions? Who looked your job of the closest? Who did a heat loss of any shape or form? Also who did a hot water survey of what you have for fixtures and what your water usage is and what it could be? The 80 sounds big but they were on your job I was not. The 40 sounds small but the same applies. All 4 boilers have their pros and cons and all 4 have their fans and detractors. I lean towards cast iron and I am will to loose some condesation gains for a longer boiler life. The debate can go on for years and you still do not have a new boiler.