efficiency question.

ALH_4

Two words that will save you the most money with an apartment building...<i><u>Outdoor Reset</u></i>. Outdoor reset will only allow the temperature in any unit to go as high as the boiler control will allow.

Couple this with a modulating condensing boiler(s) that generally have outdoor reset controls built in, and the savings are even greater. I would definitely go the indirect water heater route simply based on longevity and recovery rate.

The comparison between forced air and hydronic heat is generally that you feel warmer at a cooler ambient temperature, particularly with radiant heat. Zoning is a feature of hydronic systems that forced air has a hard time achieving. A person tends to feel warmer if the room is heating him rather than the air heating the him. The same radiant component that makes warm floors so comfortable makes forced air feel less comfortable.

dan simon

side arms for boiler systems

I am an apartment manager in colorado springs colorado. We are going to replace our old 1973 boiler with a new 85% efficient model. I am wondering how much more efficient is it to have a 75 gallon side arm water heater as apposed to a standered 100 gallon gas water heater. I am also looking for somewhere to get information on efficiency comparisons fo boilers over forced air systems. IE how does a 90% forced air compair to a 90% boiler in whatever applicaion i might use it.