Help distinguish between oil boilers

Unknown

I have narrowed down my choice to two oil boiler options. I'm trying to determine the differences b/t a biasi b10 (b-3) and a buderus g115/21. The Biasi heat capicity is about 10% less, weighs about 50% less and has water capacity half that of the g115. Both are rated 86.6 AFUE and have limited lifetime warranties.

I plan to use the a tekmar outdoor reset and the units will be hooked up to an existing indirect HW. 75% of the heat load is radiant floor, the other 25% is 2nd floor bedroom baseboards.

If the price was the same, I'd be leaning toward the g115 b/c of of name recognition. But the cost difference is about $725 more for the g115. The price is from the same installer. He wasn't the cheapest (for a g115), but I liked him the best, his references were good and he answered all my questions.

So, all that said, what does $725 buy me in my best apples-to-apples comarison attempt? Thanks in advance.

Joe Brix

The extra volume on the G115

might prevent short cycling. But I'd rather see you invest in P/S piping. I'm a big fan of Biasi and would rather use lower volume boilers with buffer tanks rather then letting a boiler sit there with 10 + gal of hot boiler water venting to the outdoors. The water mass should stay in an insulated tank if you ask me.

Unknown

I thought P/S was supposed to help prevent thermal shock? It can also help with short cycling?...I'm starting to get out of my comfort zone. So a buffer tank would be set up similar to my indirect, but used for heat. how big is a buffer tank? Is it any different than an IWH? thanks.

Glenn Sossin_2

Just installed a Biasi B10-3

for a friend. Removed a Weil McClain 57 series 4 section. Must have weighed 600 lbs. What a difference. I was amazed at how physically small the Biasi is.

The only negative I saw was the aquastat well. It was longer than it needed to be, - sticks out the back of the boiler along with everything else, and puts the cover of the L4006A within a 1/4" of the smoke pipe. I came right off the flue collar with an elbow. Suppose I could have offset the flue piping but I was trying to keep the installation centered on the chimney looking nice.

I think its a great little boiler. Assuming the specs are true for both units, I would be hard pressed to spend several hundred more for the Buderus name.

Robert O'Brien

I would

consider the Biasi with a AQ2000 reset control. Absolutely great control,the boiler purge feature is fantastic.You can eliminate standby loss completely

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Steamhead (in transit)

I agree- Biasi

They don't have Buderus' name recognition but their product is just as good, and very easy to work with.

Biasis are sold under several different names- QHT is one, Solaia (with a slightly different casting) is another. We like the Solaia variant, it's marketed by Boyertown Furnace and sold thru the local Columbia wholesaler. Both entities are among the best in the business to deal with.

BF also markets the Solaia with a HeatWise power gas burner, so the same boiler can use both fuels, and the owner can switch fuels without buying an entirely new boiler.

Here are a couple of shots of Solaia installs we've done. One is the smallest Solaia model, a 3-section with a Beckett AFG, and the other is the largest, a 7-section with a Beckett CF375. Both are piped primary-secondary and also supply indirect water heaters. Note that the Solaia doesn't have the aquastat in the rear close to the flue pipe. Instead, a remote sensor is installed there and is wired to the aquastat-relay unit on the side. You can also get the Solaia with a Beckett NX (on 3 to 6-section units, also the AFG only comes on 3 and 4-section units) or Riello oil burner if you prefer it.

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Unknown

AQ2000

Hi Robert:

In HO terms, is boiler purge the ability to use all the heated water in the boiler? Does the control anticipate that the demand will be met and then turns the boiler off in advance of getting the 'end of demand' signal (i.e turns the boiler off sooner than the a regular T-Stat would)?

This reminds me of the old thermos joke...on cold days it keeps my drinks hot and on hot days it keeps my drinks cold....how does it know??

I couldn't find pricing info on the AQ2000. Is it much more expensive than the AQ475A ($195 online)? How significant are standby losses (and mitigating them) for a boiler that holds 3.7 gallons of water?

I thought I only needed OR and priority domestic HW...should I consider the boiler purge control, too?

Thanks!