Thinking of replacing Burnham V-14A-T with either EK 2000 or Peerless - thoughts?

virtualchoirboy

I have a Burnham V-14A-T that is almost 31 years old (first start 7/1990). It's been serviced by same company annually since we bought the house in '98 (we also get oil from them). Had to replace the heating coil about 10 years ago (hard water) and the pump about 5 years ago (had gotten really noisy, tech indicated it was failing during service). During the last service, the efficiency came in at 78.5% (vs 85.5% when first installed, 85% when we first moved in). The pressure relief valve is also leaking and the service tech indicated pressure seemed to be running high. There's a lot of rust/corrosion from minor leaks on various parts so if they fix the pressure relieve and pressure issue, I'm sure there will be other parts that they'll recommend replacing at the same time.

I have money set aside for a new furnace and an offer from family to with the rest of the costs. We won't be moving for at least 5-10 years so helping resale value isn't that important. Two questions:
1) Does it make sense to start down the replacement path rather than continuing to patch things?
2) Our oil company offers Peerless (WBV-03, WBV-04, WBV-05) and Energy Kinetics System 2000. Assuming it makes sense to move forward with replacement, does either stand out as better than the other if cost difference isn't an issue?

Thank you in advance.

STEVEusaPA

I would go with the EK, with or without a storage tank depending on your needs, or a properly sized triple pass boiler with a small indirect.
Sizing to the heat loss is most important, especially with any boiler besides the EK. And with the EK, consider the other models too.
The efficiency is only burner efficiency, not system efficiency. Properly cleaned, cleaned heat exchanger, intact combustion chamber, proper nozzle and properly set up, the efficiency shouldn't have changed that much.
Pressure relief may be your coil starting to fail again, or other causes not directly linked to the boiler but more to the system.

Steamhead

I have a 1983-vintage V-14 without the coil, and maintain it myself. I've never seen its efficiency that low. I think the "maintenance" you're getting might be at fault.

The V-1 series was an almost bulletproof American-Standard design that Burnham acquired around 1970 when they bought the A-S boiler line. At that time they switched to true flame-retention burners from Sunray and Wayne, and later from Carlin and Beckett. With any one of these burners properly set up, you'd get combustion efficiency in the 80s.

The high pressure issue is either a waterlogged expansion tank or a bad fill valve. Neither situation would justify replacing the boiler.

But, tankless coils are quite inefficient, and the boiler is 31 years old, so I get why you're looking at replacement. If the EK and Peerless WBV are your only choices, I'd go with the EK. But I'm sure there are other options- if you tell us where you're located, we might know someone you can call.

virtualchoirboy

Thank you both for replying. This gives me something to think about.

For water, I'd probably go with a storage tank. While my kids are older (youngest in college) and will eventually move out, the house is three bedroom, three bath so it would probably be better to have a system that supports a full family.

The efficiency has been creeping down over the years, but this last year was a bigger drop than I expected. I looked at last years results and it was 81%. That's actually when I started thinking about saving for a replacement. This years results confirmed that I need to get serious about it.

I'm in Western CT in the middle of Fairfield County, but have been very happy with my oil company. They've been quick to respond to concerns and have been reasonable compared to what some of my friends and neighbors have paid. I'm fine with limited choices if the EK system is reliable since I won't be on the hook personally for 100% of the cost. My wife would love the decrease in system noise which has been an issue with the Burnham. Are there systems / "brands" that would be better though? If it matters, I have baseboard heating, 9 rooms + 3 bathrooms + laundry room for 2600 sq ft, two rooms with vaulted ceilings, programmable thermostats from Honeywell, usage is about 700-800 gallons a year.

EBEBRATT-Ed

Most on this board would recommend the EK, not that there is anything wrong with the Peerless.

If it was me I would keep running the old one until it quit. But then I can fix what it needs

SuperTech

I like the EK best, but I inherited a WBV-03. I wouldn't replace it unless the boiler sections failed. It wouldn't be cost effective otherwise,  even if I had a tankless coil. An indirect tank is different from the storage tank that only EK uses. Whatever you do I would get multiple estimates. The installer is more important than the brand of boiler. 

Steamhead

What burner is on that V-14? What nozzle did they put in?

EdTheHeaterMan

I was never a dealer for EK but in the last few years of my business I started servicing 2 customers with EK and I was impressed with the efficiency and how quiet they are. A friend of mine was an EK dealer and switched to Gas heat, so he asked if I was interested in this 4-year-old EK oil boiler setup. At the time, the person who answered my office phones and schedules maintenance was in desperate need of a new heater. (It was a Dynatherm that I kept patching up to for about 8 years) After installing the system (including the indirect tank) She reduced her fuel usage by about 12%. Which I was impressed with (because the Dynatherm was so efficient, to begin with). Still going strong for the last 5 years. Everyone made out great on the deal. Free Equipment, Free labor for an employee, and under $400.00 for miscellaneous stuff. from the supply house.

My vote is EK

Yours truly,
Mr.Ed

EzzyT

EK is my vote, great and fantastic company overall to work with.
The EK boilers a lot more versatile then the Peerless boilers. 

SuperTech

EdTheHeaterMan said:

I was never a dealer for EK but in the last few years of my business I started servicing 2 customers with EK and I was impressed with the efficiency and how quiet they are. A friend of mine was an EK dealer and switched to Gas heat, so he asked if I was interested in this 4-year-old EK oil boiler setup. At the time, the person who answered my office phones and schedules maintenance was in desperate need of a new heater. (It was a Dynatherm that I kept patching up to for about 8 years) After installing the system (including the indirect tank) She reduced her fuel usage by about 12%. Which I was impressed with (because the Dynatherm was so efficient, to begin with). Still going strong for the last 5 years. Everyone made out great on the deal. Free Equipment, Free labor for an employee, and under $400.00 for miscellaneous stuff. from the supply house. My vote is EK Yours truly, Mr.Ed

I would have kept the EK boiler and installed a Carlin EZ gas burner if I was switching from oil to gas.  No modifications to the boiler are necessary for conversion.  The boiler will have combustion efficiency near 90 percent and will outlast most condensing boilers.

Energy Kinetics really makes some high quality boilers.  

Roger

Thank you for your question @virtualchoirboy , and for such kind words about Energy Kinetics boilers from everyone here! We focus our designs on "under-served markets", and for the boilers you are considering, that means we focus on outperforming with higher efficiency, nearly endless hot water, super quiet operation, and the ability to run just using off the shelf parts commonly found on service vehicles. We do have some unique parts that add tremendous benefits to the system performance, like our Energy Manager and plate heat exchanger for hot water, but the system can run without them in a pinch.

As you mentioned hard water, I'll bring up the point that we offer our plate heat exchangers with a non-stick silicon dioxide coating that prevents mineral build up, although we do recommend an affordable AP430 scale stopper for the best long term performance. For multiple showers, we do recommend one of our systems with a hot water storage tank.

It's also reasonable to expect savings of up to 25% top 35% over your current tankless coil boiler, and it sounds like the quiet operation will really improve the enjoyment of your home.

We work very closely with our dealers and I know they are very solid, so you are in good hands. If we can help you with your decision or anytime down the road, please reach out to us or PM me.

Best,
Roger

virtualchoirboy

UPDATE:

Wanted to give everyone a quick update. We ended up going with the EK and couldn't be happier.

Installation was the end of June and we've had zero problems. Install took 4-5 hours (clean setup, easy access) and a follow-up check after it had been in for 24 hours. I had been worried that an external holding tank might cause issues with hot water supply with four adults taking showers but those have been completely unfounded. We did have a brief overnight cold snap with windows open which actually caused it to kick on for heating and it worked exactly as it should have. The biggest difference has been the change in noise level. Even though where I sit in my family room is directly over the furnace and there's no insulation other than the plywood, padding, and carpet, I STILL can't tell when it's heating versus when it's not unless I mute the TV. Even then, it's hard to tell.

Thanks again for the answers earlier. They really helped.

Roger

Thank you for placing your confidence in Energy Kinetics and your heating experts, @virtualchoirboy , and especially for taking the time to report back with such a positive review about your experience!

Enjoy many years of quiet and comfortable heat.
Best,
Roger

STEVEusaPA

Thanks for the update.
I wonder who did the install?
There’s a FB page for EK'ers, I wonder if the installer posted the pics.