Oil Boiler sizing---specifially EK

narcaparbebra

Thanks so much...just to make sure...your last sentence refers to issues of using oversized non-EK boilers, right?

narcaparbebra

Oil Boiler sizing---specifially EK

I've learned on this board that's important to get a heat loss calc and to match the load to the bolier size. According to EK specs, the smallest oil boiler they make is 104k. Does that mean if my house has a 60, 70 or even 80k btu loss that I shouldn't consider an EK? I noticed the gas/lp units get into the 70k range but gat/lp is not an option for us. Thanks!

Robert O'Brien

The EK

system manager control negates to a large extent the drawbacks of oversizing.An over sized boiler will have increased idle losses and short cycling.

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Robert O'Brien

Yes

the manager gives the EK the least idle loss of any oil boiler and reduces short cycling.A house with multiple small zones will still cycle quite a bit however.The savings with these seem to be on par with any other though

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Ken Field

3 firing rates

make the EK-1 able to go below the 102,000 and more toward 80k. It could impact domestic hot water production at that rate but it is approved by EK.

Ken

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Jim_139

Just to clarify Ken's statement re lower firing rates - these are specified for power venting only due to a lower stack temperature that would probably lead to condensation in a chimney.

In my own home I've had an EK-1 for about 11 1/2 years. Heat loss is approx 65K, 3 heating zones. I haven't really seen any issues with short cycling.

Bruce M_2

Four Firing Rates

SPECIFICATIONS: EK-1 FRONTIER
Input Gross output AFUE Domestic Hot Water
.68 GPH 83,000 BTU/HR 87.9% 170 Gal /Hr.
.74 GPH 90,000 BTU/HR 87.7% 180 Gal /Hr.
.85 GPH 104,000 BTU/HR 87.5% 162 Gal /Hr.
1.00 GPH 121,000 BTU/HR 86.2% 228 Gal /Hr.

chapchap70_2

Chimney Venting

Just to clarify, the .68 and .74 GPH for the EK-1 are recommended for use in a power/sidewall vent only by Energy Kinetics according to their manual. The lowest input recommended for a chimney application is .85 GPH.

Ken Field

What about

a stainless lined chimney. My take on that is that is that there is little or no condensation due to quick heating of the liner. If that is the case, the power vented firing rates may apply to a lined chimney. Maybe Hankinson will clear that up for us(me).

Ken F.

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Robert O'Brien

I've

used the lower firing rate in lined chimneys as well as very short triple wall metal chimneys with no problem.Just watch your stack temps.The standard firing rate gives about 415 net

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Jim_139

lower firing rates

Yes, the lower firing rates have been used with a chimney vent successfully, however not all of the attempts were successful. Therefore EK can't recommend them and won't stand behind the company that does so and has a condensation issue.

I also should point out that it's not just the firing rate that affects stack temp but also the CO2/02 setting. Higher CO2, lower stack. Lower CO2, higher stack.

Robert O'Brien

Lower firing rates

It's certainly not for every job and I wouldn't lower the CO2 just to increase stack temp.Depending on field conditions,it's another tool in the bag.

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Ken Field

I agree

It is hard on the combustion chamber when you increase the combustion temperatures that much, so there will eventually be collateral damage. I have several systems nearing 20 years with the original chamber. And others I see only a few years old have cracked refractory because they have not been adjusted correctly. I'm sure there is a happy medium but we usually stick to factory spec.

Ken F

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