Which Boiler Should we Purchase to replace Munchkin

JohnDG

Hi Folks - hoping for some direction/help here. We live in Sonoma County, CA, so we do not get too many cold days. The coldest it gets in the winter is usually about 40 degrees.

We bought the house with radiant heat through the hardwood floors and have been struggling with the Munchkin boiler for some time. We are on propane and well water. This week we had another round of the boiler not working and the F09 error code. This time the heating company said that the boiler was damaged and the recommended replacement.

Our house is only about 1600 square feet and the propane bills have been crazy. Partly due to the amount of doors and windows, but still in the $600 a month rage in winter. Again, it never goes below freezing where we live.

Any recommendation on a boiler that we should look at or ones to stay away from? I am totally new at radiant heat and would love to get a few opinions on good quality options and ones to avoid.

Thanks a ton!
John

Jamie Hall

I would respectfully submit that boilers don't damage themselves. They get damaged -- by something. And, depending on the nature of the damage, it could be any number of somethings. So... before you even think about replacing the boiler, find a heating contractor (not just a plumber) who is willing and able to find out what the problem is.

That said, the F09 error code is rather common -- and easy to fix, in most cases. Type "Munchkin F09" into the search box -- upper right corner -- to see a whole raft of threads on the subject.

kcopp

Most of us here have our favorites. (I like IBC)
For you... you have to get a reliable installer who knows his fav inside and out AND will install it properly. The "best" will not work right if not piped in right.
Furthermore the local supplyhouse needs to have repair parts in stock so that when the time comes you will not have to wait days to get them.

Gordy

600 dollars a month is crazy high for 1600 sf with those kind of winter temps. Unless the house is all glass, and single pane....

Can you post pics of the boiler, and its piping?

GW

What are you paying for LP? That's a crazy heating bill for a regular sized home

You'll be happiest of you buy a boiler from a good local contractor. The world is changing, heating systems aren't simple like the old days. If you become interested in one certain brand you'll probably easily find some guy to install it. But 3 years down the road I'll bet he won't come and work on it

JUGHNE

For that much LP money you should have a heated pool in CA!

Laurelie

Locally speaking for our area (Bay Area, north to Sonoma and Marin), most of the good radiant pros use Triangle Tube and there are always parts and repair people available. Everybody loves Triangle Tube, because it's a great boiler with a great heat exchanger. But I agree with the others--figure out why the thing has the error code so you don't mess up a brand new $3,000 boiler.

Other brands with good local support are Buderus and Viessmann, but I'd stick with Triangle Tube. If on the other hand, you are a cheapskate and are selling the house within five years, Navien NHB series will work. But if a local guy installs those, he's probably a cheapskate in other ways--so many Bay Area radiant systems are bad installations. If you get a guy who is good at what he does, he will be installing Triangle Tubes mostly.

Most of the time, the super-high fuel bills come down to a lousy radiant installation. That was the case in my SF home.

j a_2

kcopp said:

Most of us here have our favorites. (I like IBC)
For you... you have to get a reliable installer who knows his fav inside and out AND will install it properly. The "best" will not work right if not piped in right.
Furthermore the local supplyhouse needs to have repair parts in stock so that when the time comes you will not have to wait days to get them.

Totally agree with this post....You got an outdoor reset on existing boiler....?