What heat source with Taco X Block?

freeflyer14

Little background - I have a 100+ year old house in Chicago that has undergone several renovations, the most recent of which included a basement dig-out (3 feet down, to create 8' ceilings and a finished basement). New poured slab, foundation under-pinnning, etc. There are 2 loops of pex approx 150-200 feet each in the slab, insulated below, the rest of the house heated and cooled through standard furnace/AC with new ducting throughout (basement vents remain closed throughout the winter as the radiant system heats the basement. Basement floor is stained/sealed concrete and will remain (no carpet).

The current system includes a 50 gal Bradford White power vent WH for DHW, and also runs through a Taco XBlock for the relatively small basement radiant heat system (closed loop). Heater is about 7 years old, have had absolutely no problems with it whatsoever. My question as I look into eventual replacement for the heater, is what should/could I use to replace this relatively inefficient system. The water heater runs A LOT in the winter, but we have only had a lack of hot water once or twice due to multiple showers in a row. Due to space constraints in the mechanical room, multiple fixtures would be a very tight/impossible fit i.e. modcon plus indirect, multiple tankless, tank WH plus tankless, etc. I would like to use 1 unit to provide DHW, plus run the relatively small radiant load through the Taco XBlock.

There's 2 full bathrooms, sometimes (but rarely) 2 showers at once, dishwasher, washing machine, etc.

So far I have narrowed down the list to some of the HTP products, the Hydra Crossover, Crossover Floor, or Phoenix light duty. Also the Westinghouse WBRCNG140W, Navien NCB (or alternative). Thoughts on Polaris? Vertex? Another traditional power vent? The possibilities seem endless. Efficiency and reliability are the main issues, we plan on staying in this house for the foreseeable future. It is currently very comfortable in both winter and summer, but gas use is high compared to before the basement project (which is understandable to an extent since we added a lot more conditioned space, basement was extremely cold prior to the dig and essentially un-insulated.

Rich_49

Forget the Westinghouse branded stuff . If you ever need warranty assistance it will be difficult as the Rep agencies and local stocking distributors will be unlikely to help .

I would also stay away from the low mas stuff with the low price point because it will require maintenance which will quickly chew up any first cost savings .

Due to your having 2 showers and the possibility of using quite a bit of hot water rapidly I would suggest the Light Duty Phoenix . The adjustable differential that can be programmed makes a good fit . It can also be had in 60 and 80 gallon sizes . The Crossover Floor unit does not at present have adjustable differential but is going to be , if not already , available in a 40 gallon size .

freeflyer14

The HTP Phoenix Light Duty certainly seems like a good fit and choice, albeit a larger footprint than I was hoping for in an already crowded room. Is the Westinghouse branded version not recommended simply due to the lack of support? It seems like it is the exact same heater otherwise... HTP Phoenix PH76-50 vs Westinghouse WGR050NG076. Are parts interchangeable?

Rich_49

Correct

freeflyer14

Does anyone have any experience with the Crossover Floor, either in general or in use with a radiant load? I certainly like the small footprint vs the light duty. What are the pros/cons for the light duty vs the crossover floor?