Anyone have information on Smith Boilers Oil http://smithboiler.com/

Bertman

Hello,



evaluating 3 brands to replace my almost 30 year old oil boiler.



The DV8 from Smith boiler came up  <a href="http://smithboiler.com/ ">http://smithboiler.com/ </a> however I am unable

to find very many installers who carry it, and many have never heard of it.



Can anyone give me any info. on this, reputation specifically?



BTW:  The other 2 I am looking at are the Buderus 215, and the EK System 2000.



Thanks in advance.

kcopp

The boiler...

you are asking about is a Direct vent/ Balanced flue. Complete diff boiler that the other 2. Will you continue to use the chimney? How big is your home? Did you start w/ a heatloss? The  Buderus 215 is a really big boiler.... the 115 will take care of most homes.

Bertman

A little more info

Yes some more information would be helpful.



-The home is only

around 1900 Sq Ft. (we will add a zone  for a 300 sq. ft. finished

basement section) So new boiler would be expected to do 2200 sq. ft.

-Current heating is with a 28 year old steel oil fired boiler called a Blue-ray 2./ Becket burner.

-2x6

exterior walls fully insulated,all new double pane energy efficient

windows installed in 2010, double layer insulation in attic.

- Mid new England area so the climate is cold for 6 months of the year, and about 3 months of that can be extreme cold.

-Hot water baseboards, and one kick space heater.

-internal

coil for hot water,  fast and endless HW, but will update to a holding

tank or maybe a propane Rinnai tankless depending on cost, and also what a fat boy propane tank will cost.

 I understand heating the water by internal boiler coil is

the least efficient way to do it.

- Do not have propane on site now.

-No

heat Loss eval done yet - (not sure what that would gain us since we

know the current boiler does ok)  Open to any explanation on what we

would gain from that.

-Will

continue to use the all internal up through the roof masonry chimney (

it is in good shape however 2 installers have mentioned it may still

need to be lined for about $400 -$500)

 Looks like terracotta on the inside.



Seems

like I would pay about $1500 more for the Buderus or the  EK S2000 over

the Smith Series 8 http://www.smithboiler.com/html/series8.asp, but it

looks as though we are talking a different tier of efficiency.  The

Buderus and the S2000 would be a bit more efficient on fuel.



My 2 concerns with the smith is it is possibly less efficient than the other 2, and also finding installers who do

not even know about smith, they keep calling it A.O. Smith which is different....That worries me.  But on the EK S2000 I am

also finding most in the business know of them, the first estimate was

by a dealer who installs them.  My worry with the EK S2000 is that I am

finding a lot of installers who formerly carried them saying they

prefer not to install them due to problems and longevity issues, fragile electronics, and non standard parts.  The

Buderus seems to come up in real life issues from installers as well as home

owners as just as efficient as the EK S2000, but may be a bit more

reliable, longer lasting, still has fragile electronics, but more standard parts than the S2000.



Any thoughts, suggestions or real life experiences evaluated and appreciated.



Bertman

unclejohn

Not many around

I have only worked on one Smith boiler and that was recently. The owner said the first gas fired boiler lasted only a year and was replaced. I was there due to a hi CO reading from a energy audit firm. I found that the flame roll out swithch had been bent up and out of the peep hole where it should have been. After I bent it back down it tripped off in less then 5 mins. and when I brought the home owner back down to show him what was done we saw and ever expanding puddle of water coming from the left side of the boiler. Smith offered him a replacement cell only.

billtwocase

first

we don't talk price here. I would have a heat loss done by whoever is bidding the job. As far as EK, that would be my 1st choice, but that's just me. Most of their parts are standard, and any service company should have them on hand. The chamber, manager, puff switch, plate heat exchanger are not common but can be had quickly by mail. I installed my first EK in 84. They are quiet and efficient

kcopp

You start w/...

a heatloss so you know what you need for the proper boiler. Who knows if the current boiler is properly sized... it could be too big.... that wastes fuel. Smith is a fine boiler. The only thing I would say is to get a 3 pass boiler. That will be more efficient and easier to clean in the long run. A Buderus 115 series is 1 example but Biasi, Trio, Burnham and Peerless also have them.

Bertman

thanks

Excellent information here, just got myself a lot more education.  Appreciated.