What is the problem with Giannoni heat exchangers?

SpeyFitter

So after reading several threads about condensing boilers, I see several "inklings" about inferiority, or lack of preference, for Giannoni made heat exchangers. I find this interesting because I recall reading somewhere that something like 80% of all boilers in Europe contain one of these heat excahngers in them. So what is the excact issue with these heat exchangers over others? Are you seeing failures with the heat exchangers themselves or?

Also it is interesting that I think they make several different types of heat exchangers, and they even offer HE's that do up to about 1.7 million BTUH (500 Kw), where I know Lochinvar seems to be one of the only companies utilizing the larger sized Giannoni's to make big condensing boilers in their Knight Commercial line.

paul_79

knight lcommercial

here are a few pic of the new lochinvar shield 1.5 million mod con boiler in a leed certified building

paul_79

lochinvar

sorry i should have said lochinvar sync boilers. old age is a drag. they are in a slc area building

Erich_3

English Boilers

I have read (Don't know how true it is) that in the UK people only expect their ombi boilers to last 10 or 12 years. I have read that the Combi boilers are considered to be "dispoaable" because of their low cost and quick wall mointed installation.

Bill Clinton_6

The problem with Giannoni style heat exchangers

My experience is limited to Munchkins, although my understanding is that the heat exchanger scaling problem is shared across the board with all hx of this type: Please let me know if I'm wrong.

I have seen a few with minimal "coffee grounds" in the chamber after a couple of years of use. I have also seen a couple that were horribly clogged after less than a year: So bad they stopped working!

The manufacturer's seem to be shrugging their shoulders and saying: "We told you these boilers have to be cleaned every year and if you're doing that, there's no problem and if there is a problem, clean them twice a year."

I have to agree: clean them frequently enough and the problem will go away. Keep them really clean and they may actually live up to their rated efficiency.

Now, anyone who doesn't accept that is, I guess, a jackleg mechanic who does'nt want to be responsible for his installs, doesn't care about his customers, doesn't realize regular maintenance is a gold mine, and that's just the way it is and that's the price for high efficiency and that's the truth, so there!

Unless it isn't the truth.

Perhaps, just perhaps, that's not the truth. Are there boilers out there that work reliably and don't have these problems? We all know there are.

Are those boilers dramatically more expensive than the Giannoni style? No, they're not.

Are there any areas where Giannoni style boilers have an advantage over those without that problem? Not that I can see.

So, unless someone can enlighten me (certainly possible and welcome), I have to say: "Once again the emperor is walking around buck nekkid. Why do so few want to say so?"

Bill