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Energy Kinetics System 2000

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tommyoil
tommyoil Member Posts: 613
in THE MAIN WALL
Others hate them. Let the games begin!

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  • Dan Houston_2
    Dan Houston_2 Member Posts: 1
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    Energy Kinetics System 2000 - thumbs up or down?

    It's just a simple question, really. I need some quantifiable advice on this system. Is it reliable? Is it good, bad, or ugly?

    Just a bit of background: I have three proposals for replacement boiler systems. They are apples for apples as far as boiler sizing as well as price (relatively close in $$). The systems are the Energy Kinetics System 2000, a Buderus, and a Burnham.

    Any help offered is greatly appreciated!
  • Dave Mayer -3 Sons Heating
    Dave Mayer -3 Sons Heating Member Posts: 59
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    System 2000

    I am not selling you any of those for your home. In my opinion, 15 years in the business, I would not install a System 2000. I could, but never have and never would. In the short term they are really nice and pretty. In the long term, if they make it, they are tough to clean, succeptible to scale on the plate exchanger, operating card failures.

    Stick with cast iron, Burnham or Buderus-your choice-I am not going to enter the ring for that rumble.

    Dave
  • billtwocase
    billtwocase Member Posts: 2,385
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    EK

    I started using them in 84, haven't had any real issues with them. The occasional aquabank, chamber, pacman, a couple of plate heat exchangers, but they are worth it if you want to have peace and quiet from down below. I started replacing my rotary boilers with these mainly beacause a rotary you never heard running. Put any other gun fired unit in, and i'd be hung from noise complaints. It is funny how you see the plate heat exchanger thing going on out there thanks to Energy K. peace
  • oil-2-4-6-gas
    oil-2-4-6-gas Member Posts: 641
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    Dave have you installed any? hAve you serviced any?
  • billtwocase
    billtwocase Member Posts: 2,385
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    just to add

    I still have one from 1978 still rock'n and roll'n out in the field. They do last. peace
  • Dave Mayer -3 Sons Heating
    Dave Mayer -3 Sons Heating Member Posts: 59
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    System 2000

    I have never, I must humbly say. I have taken the class etc., back when Bruce Marshall worked for them. Like I said I have been doing this for 15 years. I have worked on System 2000's, if you are looking for a rough number...200-300. And I have also replaced many that have failed. Like I had said, it is simply my opinion. I own my company and would not and have not put one in even when asked about them. Not looking to get into a stream contest just offering my opinion.
  • Bruce L.
    Bruce L. Member Posts: 9
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    Have been selling them for ten years an have had very few problems, very quiet and energy efficient.
  • Bob Bona_4
    Bob Bona_4 Member Posts: 2,083
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    I'm

    with Dave. For the reasons he stated. Backed up by just about 20 years of working on them. Not that they are a pig, it's just that they have those idiosyncracies that don't exist with a Buderus or Burnham system.
  • Steven Eayrs
    Steven Eayrs Member Posts: 33
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    Around 20 years now......

    since the first EK I installed, and a few hunderd boilers later, I still think they are great......when installed right.
    The other two.......Would take the Buderus over the Burnham any day and don't believe they are even in the same camp.
  • Brett_3
    Brett_3 Member Posts: 1
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    EK

    I have installed quite a few I find them easier to clean then bu weil and most cast iron the new frontiers are great I get rid of their heat exchanger and throw in gold series indirect gets rid of all the hassles with exchanger now its jus built in to indirect real energy effecient
  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    Thumbs way up

    Easy to install , the easiest oil boiler to service , and the fuel savings .............

    We installed this EK2 in October . Savings adjusted for degree days is in the low 40% range .

    The low mass and control system are what give it the savings .

    And hot water ? The flat plate heat exchanger outperforms every other type of heater we used so far . 9 minute heatup time using the EK1 and 40 gallon storage tank . 75 degree temperature rise .
  • billtwocase
    billtwocase Member Posts: 2,385
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    EK

    Dont care much for the Frontier, the chamber takes more of a beating, and can damage easily. The plate heat exchanger is a stong point for EK. They produce some of the highest #'s in hot water production. JMO. peace
  • Hank_5
    Hank_5 Member Posts: 16
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    I started installing them in 1994. Installed one in my house in 1997. No problems so far. Plate exchangers are like anything else that's exposed to hard ward and gets hot. Don't curse it, just protect it. Install a Scale Stopper, replace the cartridge once a year and never worry about a blockage.

    Well over half of the managers that get replaced have no problem with them. They get replaced due to misdiagnosis. If it does need to be replaced the cost is very reasonable due to the manufacturer's limited lifetime warranty.
  • Mr Spam
    Mr Spam Member Posts: 4
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    I am not a technician, just an owner. Have a System 2000 in my house installed in 2001. 5000 sq ft 4 zones. Used about 300 gallons of oil this year.

    Had to replace the digital temperature sensor once. The Energy Manager board is not hard to understand at all. Spent about 1/2 hour reading the manual to understand how it works. It is a self diagnostic board. If something goes wrong, the board will blink lights to indicate the problem.

    When I had the temp sensor replaced, I told the tech what was wrong when he entered my house. He didn't believe me and didn't know how to diagnose the problem even though I showed him what the problem was. Had about 5 techs come to my house before one showed up who knew what I was talking about.

    It's not beacuse the System 2000 is hard to diagnose. Like I said, spent 1/2 hour reading the manual to understand it. It's beacuse the (not named) oil company doesn't want to train their techs. Lost my business.
  • Supply House Rick
    Supply House Rick Member Posts: 1,404
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    Nice Job! One Question

    Why do they uses an electric water heater for an indirect? Don't they last about 5 years?
  • Hank_5
    Hank_5 Member Posts: 16
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    Hot water tank

    The hot water storage tank in the picture is just that. It has no electric elements or tappings for elements and just one aquastat.

    It's not an indirect. Instead it uses a plate heat exchanger for making the hot water. The standard glass lined tank has a 12 year warranty and will last considerably longer than that.
  • billtwocase
    billtwocase Member Posts: 2,385
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    water tanks

    I am now replacing the electric tanks used on them after 15 to 20 years of my original install dates. Not bad for a glass lined tank. peace
  • billtwocase
    billtwocase Member Posts: 2,385
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    Spam

    There is a 5 year warranty on the digtal manager sensor, too bad it didn't happen sooner. They had a bad run of them. Not very exspensive, and takes all of 5 minutes to replace. peace
  • steve_29
    steve_29 Member Posts: 185
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    Spam you've said it in a nutshell... incompetence.

    I'm looking forward to all the stories that will soon come out when more of the B125's are installed.

    When someone doesn't understand something it's a POS.

    By the way I could of installed anything I wanted and I chose a S2000.

    Why ... because it does what it says it will!
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