Quality of Crown boiler

GigiRod

Hey, does anyone have experience with Crown boilers, specifically the Kingston line (steam, fuel oil)? I can't find many reviews on it, saw some that say Crown has gone down in quality.

I know that proper installation is important above all else, but I'd like general impressions from those that have a Crown Kingston or have installed/serviced it.

Steamhead

The Kingston is a typical "pin-type" boiler which is similar to the Burnham V8 series. Both Burnham and Crown are now owned by U.S. Boiler Co. It'll work, but pin-type boilers are harder to keep clean because of their construction, and some have been known to not last long.

If I were going to use a Crown on your job, I'd use their Freeport 2 steam boiler:

https://www.velocityboilerworks.com/product/freeport-2-fsz/

This is a 3-pass boiler which is much easier to maintain, and more efficient. It should last longer too, because there are no "hot spots" in the cast-iron block to cause unequal expansion and contraction.

The Burnham equivalent of the Freeport 2 is the MegaSteam, which is an excellent boiler. The only caveat is that these boilers are quite heavy- make sure the basement stairs will hold the weight!

JohnNY

I don't have a strong opinion about the "quality" of a Crown boiler compared to other units but I can offer that the one experience I had with their technical service staff was exemplary. I use several other boiler manufacturers based on application but the guys at Crown provided uniquely accommodating customer service for me at a moment when it really mattered. I'll never forget that.