New oil boiler advice

Unknown

Hi Craig- You might check the "Resources" tab at the top of this page and click on "Find a Professional". The guys listed there are very good. You need a good "Pro" to take a look at your situation and layout the options for you.

- Rod

Craig_20

New Boiler

Hi- I'm new to this site. I'm looking for advice on a new oil burner to heat my home. 1970 1800 sq ft ranch located in West Chester, Pa 19380. Currently Burnham boiler 30+years old) with baseboard . Would ultimately like to convert to radiant floor heating within the next few years. Have heard good things about Crown Freeport CT boilers. Any input would be appreciated on the boiler or the coverting to radiant.

Robert O'Brien

If

you're going radiant,I'd give some serious thought to a Peerless or Buderus condensing boiler.$1500 tax credit to boot!

CMadatMe

Give Some Thought

Into what you are going to do down the line as far as the radiant goes. The tax credit the gentleman above is talking about is only for gas. Nobody has an oil-boiler currently that qualifies. I sell Crown and they make a very good boiler. The cast iron in the boiler you are speaking about is cast by Viessmann for them. The only downfall of the CT w/radiant is that you are going to have to use Tekmar, Taco or someone elses controls for the radiant. You need to look at what you are going to want for a control strategy for the radiant now and let that help you decided what type of boiler you want. Buderus offers a decent boiler and you can get the ecomatic control now and plug in the mixing vlv card later when you decide to go with the radiant. You can also look at a Viessmann Vitorond 100 and run it for now on the basic honeywell aquastat that comes with the boiler and add the control down the line. You can so the same with the Buderus but the Viessmann Control will allow you more flexability then the Buderus control.

R Mannino

Both The

Peerless Pinnacle and Buderus GB125BE qualify for the credit and they're oil boilers.

KevinCorr

Another energy star rated boiler is the American made Energy Kinetics of which I am a former dealer. Mine is 25 yrs old and still fine.

I am now installing a Burnham MPO. It comes with a Beckett or Riello Burner and is similar in design to the Buderus and is the same weight and effeciency, 87%, as the Viessman Viterond 100. Maybe almost half the cost of the Buderus and American instead of German.

I have been looking into the Viessman Vitola 200 which is different than the above named. It is a non condensing, modulating boiler like the Buderus, Burnham and Viterond 100 but is also a cold start boiler as the Energy Kinetics. So it appears to by a combination of those two types. I am considering it as an eventual replacement for my old EK System 2000.

Ivan S

Burnham boilers

Whatever you select, don't buy a Burnham. My 8 section leaked after 2 1/2 years. Burnham replaced the iron but not labor which cost me $2100.

Craig_20

Thanks to all that have responded, I appreciate the input. I'm sure I'll be back again !

KevinCorr

I don't think that any Boiler mfgr pays labor. Am I correct on that?

Two things can go wrong:- Faulty from the factory or poor installation. One would have to see who is at fault. If it is a bad installation the Heating Co is liable.

I never did like those cast iron boilers. I never bought, sold or installed a single one, but I replaced a lot. That is why I was an EK dealer. And Laars. But even those steel boilers can be ruined by a bad installation.

Now with the popularity of the German boilers, Burnham has made a complete change in design.

I do agree that some of those old style Burnhams had problems. I have never heard of any problem with the new design MPO which is very popular here, and I am installing for those customers who want that design but don't want to pay double for German.

CMadatMe

Double the Price

I don't understand why I keep hearing that German boilers are double the price. I can sell a 90,000 btu Viessmann VR1-22 w/beckett NX for less then a 3 Section Peerless WBV or Crown TWZ100.

Steve O

Burnham boilers

Nothing wrong with Burnham boilers, I am a pipefitter and all of the boiler replacements that I do I use Burnham-unless the customer wants a more expensive/ elaborate boiler. I have a burnham in my house, gas fired, 3 zones- 1 series loop system, 1-monoflow t system and 1 forced hot air system I installed it in 1984, clean it once a year and have NOT replaced ANY parts. I live in the Boston, Ma area

KevinCorr

Chris- Sorry, I was trying to say specifically that the Buderus cost double the Burnham MPO of similar stats.