In a continued search for more efficient small gas steamers>>>>

Boilerpro_5

I was thinking my next look would be into 3 pass steel boilers with a small gas burner... Alot like the big Kewaness with GP burners boys...just smaller. I see mid 80's analyzer efficeincy and better with big 3 pass steel steamers, how bout something smaller for homes. Any suggestions on good 3 pass steel boilers. I have seen some in Dan's Virtual Trade Show section, but would like real experience.

Thanks all

Boilerpro

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Steamhead (in transit)

Smith 8 series?

the 3-section model has a rating of 283 square feet, and can fire with gas or oil.

Of course, my favorite would be the small Mega-Steam if it were available in gas.... how about it, Burnham?

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Boilerpro_5

I looked at those, but...

They stop a little short in sizing for larger residences. I also was thinking steel, which should open up more options and keep the initial cost in check. When a customer is already puttin out quite a bit more for a power burner, burner installation and tuning, it would be nice to compensate some with a little less boiler cost.

Boilerpro

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Brad White_9

Life Cycle

I cannot imagine a steel boiler having a lifespan anywhere near that of cast iron. Sure, there are steel fire-tube boilers but those tend to have at least deaerators and chemical treatment of make-up water given their scale of size and complexity.

In a house? Water of X quality? I would want to see thickness and a track record in your area. A closed water system, fine. That is one thing. Open systems with air and water? Ion buffet.

Funny how steel starts as iron, add some manganese, carbon, depleted uranium, etc. and you get steel, yet somehow it is less expensive on the market in the finished product. Never occured to me before...

Boilerpro_5

I agree, however....

I have seen a large number of old Kewanees in systems in very poor shape (IE condensate pumps not working with no water treatment) and these boilers appear to have been untouched for decades and are still not leaking. Maybe the 3/8 inch of lime inside was holding them together! What I am looking for is a steel boiler of the same build Quality as these old Kewanees, but in a smaller scale. I have been starting to push water treatment for all boilers, no matter what size. After people spend thousands on replacing a home steam unit, they are thinking of how to make sure they don't need to spend that money any time soon. Also, lets say you get only 20 years out of the steel boiler instead of 30 on a cast iron, but are able to deliver 15% lower fuel costs. The economics are likely to still favor the steel boiler. Besides, in my neck of the woods the most common cast iron boiler used for steam usually only lasts about 17 years. Other brands tend to last much longer, it seems.

Boilerpro

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Charlie from wmass

The math does not add up though. you will not get 15% lower fuel costs. Also to get 20 years from a steam steel boiler what is the cost of the water treatment. You may earn more from the customers selling them water treatment but are they going to save that money in return of boiler life? Also water with a load of chemicals in it is harder to boiler so it requires more therms to reach boil. This is why we use antifreeze in cooling systems of engines. We all deal with heating solutions when we add antifreeze to our hydronic systems. When we desolve things in the boiler water to "treat" the water we often raise the boiling point. Even a degree or 2 can drasticlly effect fuels usage. I say filter the feed water and go with a good cast iron unit. The laws of Physic are going to keep the efficentcies in that mid to low 80's range as you can not use condensing technology as you are making Steam.