What is so special about the Viessmann Vitola?

SpeyFitter

Can someonein here elaborate why this boiler is "special?" It has a unique design that I"ve read about in the past but can someone explain it to me?

Paul Pollets

The Vitola

The Vitola has an unusual heat exchanger and stainless combustion pot.  The chassis burner (oil or gas) is easy to service and tune, and has the lowest emmissions of any burner (other than the Vitodens Matrix)



Here's the link, you can download brochures or the tech manuals:

[url=http://www.viessmann.us/en/products/Oil-fired_boilers_/Vitola_200_18kW.html]http://www.viessmann.us/en/products/Oil-fired_boilers_/Vitola_200_18kW.html

NRT_Rob

that's all nice and all, but really...

it's just one thing.



40 gallons of well insulated, built in buffer capacity. good stuff.

sam_13

How about

a unique biferral heat exchanger that distributes the heat exchange so evenly throughout itself it almost eliminates cold spots, therefore reducing the minimum return water to 60F.

Unknown

They ARE really good,,,,

No-real bad features(as everyone else says),,, just extremely bulky in physical size and very, very expensive.

SpeyFitter

Cleaning?

For those of you guys who have cleaned the heat exchanger of these boilers, is there a vacuum attachment or way you've come up with to get all of the crap out? They have narrow gaps between the "fins," and the only way we kind of got it going was to "manufacturer" our own vacuum nozzle that sorta worked but I wonder if there is anything better.

Unknown

Crap out?

NEVER had any,,,,, these units work well!



If you had this "crap-out" scenario,,,, maybe it wasn`t set-up right?

SpeyFitter

Must be some other issue.

Well it's mostly a greenish "flak" in the channels. It's very cleanable with the supplied brush, but needs to be vacuumed out. I presume it's probably related to some sulfur in the gas possibly?  This unit sees primarily high(er) temp applications though. I originally heard 6+ years old but then another one of our service techs said it's more like 10 years old. It has one issue about 2-3 years ago apparently where Viessmann had to actually drive out and fix it (they're local to us - Langley, BC), or so the homeowners tell us. I don't know what that issue was. And then 2-3 weeks ago one of our knowledgeable techs went to service it and he replaced the 3 ignition related rods and that seemed to fix it until recently.

Anyways, I was told over the phone by the local Viessmann factory that the Vitola isn't that common where we live and it's more common in "oil burner country," or back east, basically. He said for every 1 call they might get on the Vitola, they get 25+ for the Vitodens.

Actually now I remember - it used to have a Riello burner on it, and now it's got the Viessmann burner.

Steve Ebels_3

It is unique for this main reason

It is a non-condensing boiler but it will operate very nicely with water temps far below what is considered minimum for all other cast iron products. 

I have not seen any other manufacturer utilize this type of technology.

In  Germany and other more progressive parts of the heating world it is available with an "attachment" that captures latent heat in the flue gas bringing efficiency to well over 90%.



Aside from that, the thing is built like an MI Abrams tank. It's easy to clean. The Viessmann chassis burner is a work of art to a flamehead combustion guy. Easy to adjust air and fuel pressure. Very trouble free also. Mine has chugged along with no service whatsoever for 6 years now.



Now.......you have to realize that the Vitola is older technology. It was designed in the days before condensing boilers were available or even dreamed of by most manufacturers. It was Viessmann's solution to working with the problem of low water temperature systems like radiant floors that were coming into use in the late 80's early 90's. All other manufacturers stuck with their high temp design and mandated the use of a mix valve to protect the boiler from condensation. As usual Viessmann "got out of the box" and designed something different to address the problem.



In this day and age of wall hung condensers the Vitola has pretty much lost the edge it once enjoyed by being able to directly work with low temp water.  I still see it as the best boiler for a low temp oil fired application. You will see efficiencies crowding 90% on oil, especially in a low temp system. If I had to pick a boiler that was capable of lasting for 40 years it would be a Vitola.