AO Smith Vertex

Wind

I'm looking for any feedback I can find on the Vertex's reliability so far. It has caught my eye because it's a perfect replacement into my existing home/domestic heating system and because I can get it for under $1,200, about $1,400 installed myself with materials and condensate pump. Even at that price the payback is pretty long because my combined home and domestic water heating load is only about ~$600.00 per year. Both are currently handled by a single 40k btu, 50 gallon water heater rated for 33.9 gph @ 100* rise (~70% thermal). A $3000+ system seems well beyond what my heat load could ever justify.

We have had some really bad luck at work with Weil-Mclain Ultras. While they perform great we have had expensive part failures on 5 out of 14 of them in under two years of operation (main controller and the rest fan assemblies). I'd hate to get into that problem at home. But at the same time, there are 84 new condensing forced air furnaces that have had 0 failures over the same period.

I've Googled quite a bit but it just may be too new to find an answer. Any info and experience is much appreciated.