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gas condensing boiler recommendation

Matt Wynne
Matt Wynne Member Posts: 8
Hi All:



I have an oil-fired hydronic heating system and am looking to replace with a high-efficiency gas-fired boiler.  My weird situation is that one of the boiler zones is a shell-and-tube heat exchanger that provides swimming pool heating.  I was considering the WM97+ 155 model, but have taken pause after reading some reviews.    The thing I like about the WM97+ is that it can easily interface with an indirect-fired storage tank (WM Aqua-logic).  It also has a SS heat exchanger.



Any thoughts on the WM, or another similar model.

Comments

  • Zman
    Zman Member Posts: 7,561
    Fire Tube

    The stainless firetube heat exchanger is a plus.Triangle Tube first designed it and has improved on it.



    All Mod con boilers interface easily with indirects so that would not be a consideration for me.



    What negatives have you heard about the WM?



    How well supported are they in your area?
    "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"
    Albert Einstein
  • Robert O'Brien
    Robert O'Brien Member Posts: 3,540
    I agree

    My first choice would be Viessmann and Triangle Tube next. The WM 97 is a fine boiler with a proven HX and if the support is there,you will be happy with it
    To learn more about this professional, click here to visit their ad in Find A Contractor.
  • Matt Wynne
    Matt Wynne Member Posts: 8
    Weil McLain

    The brand is very common in this area and evidently there are many nearby distributors.  I didn't read bad reviews about the WM97 in particular, but for other WM systems, furnaces too.  Scathing reviews in fact.  I was hoping one of the readers of this list has experience with the WM97 and could share some insight about it.  Someone who has installed one, or 10 maybe...



    I'm familiar with those other brands, but they don't have much market presence in this area.
  • Matt Wynne
    Matt Wynne Member Posts: 8
    and...

    BTW, what does HX mean?
  • RobG
    RobG Member Posts: 1,850
    edited August 2014
    Heat exchanger

    Heat eXchanger, it is essentially the heart of a boiler. Without a good ticker, the rest of the body is useless.
  • BobC
    BobC Member Posts: 5,476
    HX

    HX is the heat exchanger which is the heart of any boiler. I believe the 97 has a stainless steel fire tube heat exchanger and that design  is well thought of.



    Bob
    Smith G8-3 with EZ Gas @ 90,000 BTU, Single pipe steam
    Vaporstat with a 12oz cut-out and 4oz cut-in
    3PSI gauge
  • Rich_49
    Rich_49 Member Posts: 2,766
    What

    area would that be Matt ?
    You didn't get what you didn't pay for and it will never be what you thought it would .
    Langans Plumbing & Heating LLC
    732-751-1560
    Serving most of New Jersey, Eastern Pa .
    Consultation, Design & Installation anywhere
    Rich McGrath 732-581-3833
  • Drewser
    Drewser Member Posts: 34
    online reviews

    Homeowner here, recently gone through the boiler decision process.



    I've read a LOT of online reviews, and many seem to share similar undercurrents of A) not understanding how such a system works and B) poor installation.



    Sure, sometimes there are bad parts, a lemon product here and there (we see it all the time in the automotive industry), but nowadays it seems like most boilers have had their kinks pretty well worked out before they reach the consumer...especially the models that have been around for a few years.



    But the best boiler in the world, sized and/or installed incorrectly, will be a lemon 98% of the time. Make sure your installer knows what they're doing.



    Best of luck!



    Andy
  • Jean-David Beyer
    Jean-David Beyer Member Posts: 2,666
    W-M boilers

    Here are links to two W-M boilers. The first one is like my Ultra 3 that I got in May 2009. It has a cast aluminum heat exchanger.

    The second I have never seen, and is newer than mine. It has a stainless steel firetube heat exchanger.



    You can find tabs on each of these pages to find out more about these boilers. One of these tabs on each page will enable you to download (.pdf) installation manuals.



    http://www.weil-mclain.com/en/weil-mclain/pd-ultra-series-s3-ct-gas-boiler/



    http://www.weil-mclain.com/en/weil-mclain/pd-wm-97-wall-mount-gas-boiler/



    If I were getting a new W-M boiler today, I would get the WM97 mainly because it has a 70,000 BTU/hour model and my house on really really cold days needs about 35,000. My Ultra 3 is their smallest: 80,000 BTU.



    I have had only two problems with this boiler, and one was the fault of the installation contractor: he hooked up the PVC supply and exhaust pipes, painting the joints with the purple primer. But he forgot to put the cement on many of the joints. The inspector did not notice this. The second heating season, the boiler quit and gave bizarre messages on the display (they are normally in plain English). It turns out the condensate in the exhaust leaked out of the PVC pipe, and ran down into the top of the boiler so the electronics board was under water. It was easy to see that the board did not work because it was under water, but it took about a week to actually find the source of the water. By then, we had the W-M technical representitive out here too because we were stumped. We figured it out when he was here. After we dried out the board, it was working fine. But The W-M rep did not want us running with the board that had been soaked, so he gave me a free new one. Very thoughtful. I consider that good service.



    The other problem was that one of the circulators got noisy. Taco gave me a free new one (though I had to pay my service contractor to put it in. The old circulator was working, but the noise promised a short life.



    I do have it serviced annually, and I have a new contractor because of dissatisfaction with the installing contractor.