Replacing oil boiler with which gas boiler

Roy Starrin

I am about to replace a 50 year old oil fired water boiler in a 3 BR

ranch in Virginia Beach, VA. Because natural gas is now available

to me, I will be using a natural gas fired boiler. Replacement boiler will have a tankless coil, (which either preheats or can bypass a 40 gal electric water heater) and will heat the house through installed baseboard radiators

Now there are reasons that I am looking into boilers of the type I

will name. I do not want the WhizBang 99% efficient model. On the other hand, reliability will be important. My wife could wind up in the house by herself. I would like to leave her with as few

problems as possible. Also, I have a recently installed 16i heatpump, which will provide most of the heat, except on those occasions when the outside air gets below 35 and we shift to boiler.

Local contractors have thus far provided me bids on the Utica MGB series, the Columbia EMG series, the Crown Cayman series, and the Weil McLain CGT 5. Any experience that could qualify or disqualify that particular series and/or the manufacturer would be appreciated. Any recommendations of similar series by other reliable manufacturers would also help.

Thanks much

starrin

Tim McElwain

Any of those are

a good choice, the big thing is the installer. Make sure they are going to understand all that is required and will be able to service the system after installation.



 I have had some experience with the Weil-McLain CGt which can be side wall vented or chimney vented and has a three way mixing valve for your tankless application. Have you considered perhaps going with an indirect water heater instead of the tankless?