Wall Mounted Boiler & Hot Water Heater Advice

13bravo

Hi All,

I’m looking at potentially getting a wall-mounted gas boiler and a wall mounted tankless water heater but I’m concerned about all the things I’ve read here and in articles about it not being worth it, poor performance, etc. Looking for whatever thoughts you care to share.

So I’m in NYC and got hit by Ida, ~4ft of water in my basement from outside…boiler and hot water heater submerged. This is the second we got water like this but last time as a ways back (super storm sandy). So the fema folks are telling me I should elevate my units…the ceiling height in basement is low, like 7th (maybe 7.5} so it isn’t like I can put a hot water tank up on a platform like in the fema handbook they pointed me to. Only option, as far as I can tell would be a tankless HWH and a wall mounted mod-con HE boiler.

The HWH is 6 yrs old (6yr warranty)…gas valve shot, boiler is ~30yrs old (Weil-McLain CG-7-SPDN) and also has shot gas valve…rusted to all heck too…have replaced the gas valve once before, replaced the water pump, the pilot, etc….bunch of work over the years but after two floods I think it may be time to replace.

Both are gas, have a 2 pipe direct return hot water system with recessed in-wall convectors in all but one room (which has a cast iron radiator in the recess for some reason). 1900 sq ft of livable space, 1950’s built with no insulation in walls, with four adults here currently although 2 are young adult “children” that will likely be on their own within next 5 years so that will leave my wife and I.

As I’ve been flooded twice now with limited options to prevent should street flood again (although I am looking into flood barriers but may not be practical or even possible, not sure yet) I think I have no choice but to put these units up on the wall and again, that is what FEMA is telling me I should do (well, elevate them above the flood level).

I’m just concerned on how well these will work (performance)…especially in the northeast and what I am looking at repair and maintenance wise going forward.

Any and all thoughts would be great, thanks in advance!

unclejohn

You could switch your water heater to electric and move it upstairs or get a shorty and set it up at least 3 feet. Most evereyone here has there prefered make on Mod-Cons.

GroundUp

Call me crazy, but with a high temp system like that I wouldn't even consider a wall hung boiler and absolutely not a tankless WH. A good old CI boiler with an indirect WH is about the best money can buy IMO- and both are short enough to be elevated a couple feet in a 7ft basement

JUGHNE

Is there any room on the ground floor for a small furnace room?

Or a wall hung Modcon in the basement with indirect tank above it upstairs?

I agree with Groundup on the CI if at all possible, but there are clearances above the boiler and for the flue pipe of CI.

13bravo

Thanks for the quick replies all. Unfortunately, no room at all on the 1st floor…it is a pretty small place and packed tight as it is. So I really don’t have any options for units anywhere but the basement.

I’m 6’2 and the water was up to my belly button so even if I was to elevate it a couple feet it wouldn’t have been enough in this case though I don’t think. Boiler elements would have been submerged and at least the bottom of the boiler would have been…the water pump may have not been submerged complete but still partial.

So sounds like some pretty strong reactions against mod con and tankless in my area, eh?

kcopp

Is it possible to build a small (3 ft x 3ft ) well insulated addition above ground to fit it in?
Another option to keep the modcon combi would be to add more baseboard OR replace the current baseboard w/ higher output stuff....makes it more efficient.

13bravo

Thanks kcopp, not sure but that’s some food for though, will discuss with a few heating specialists, thanks!