Is the LAARS FT MFTCW140NA2XN any good? Any way to determine manufacture date?

PeteA

Someone not to far from my place in PA has a LAARS FT for sale that he says was purchased in October 2023 and removed/replaced with another unit. Not sure if it was a sizing issue or the configuration of the homes plumbing but he says his plumber was unfamiliar with the proper way to install it so the hot water was only circulating in a loop. (sounds like it was working but the secondary loop wasn't plumbed properly) The plumber suggested a model he was familiar with and installed that instead.
Needless to say since I'm in the market for a replacement and the price is pretty good for this one is there a way to determine the MFR date of the unit from the label on the box with the model serial number on it and what is folks opinion on these units lifespans and running with cast iron baseboards? I am already installing a better Caleffi air separator into my current heating pipe circuit so I will gladly also add the dirt separator also if that help extend the life. Here's 2 screen shots from the website.

dko

PeteA

@dko thank you very much
At least it confirms it is a pretty new unit

hot_rod

https://www.building-center.org/mascot-ft-boiler-hvac-age/

PeteA

thanks @hot_rod
appreciate the help as always

hot_rod

I don’t know how you could test it before you buy. No leaks, control not damaged, etc

GroundUp

They're okay. Not great, but not terrible either. I know we're not supposed to discuss pricing but this is public knowledge so I'll say that you can pick that boiler up new for under $2k. Unless it's $1000 or less, I'd pass knowing it was most likely abused pretty badly in its short life based on the fact that it was removed from service. For $1k it may be worth the gamble with a 10 year life expectancy.

PeteA

Thanks @GroundUp that's the type of perspective that I needed to help me out. Great info

Ironman

Unless you have an extremely large house, that’s probably way more boiler than you need. It looks like it’s a combi which is the reason for the 140k input.
Count up the linear feet of heating elements in your baseboards and multiply that by 500 to see the total output. Then you can see how close the boiler matches your load.
You could install a buffer tank to compensate for any over-sizing, but that’s another component and more $$.

PeteA

@Ironman Thanks Ironman
one of the things I though I read up on this one was that it could automatically throttle down based on the outdoor temp and the heat load, so even though it maybe larger than needed, it has a huge range of BTU outputs that it may actually run at. I do appreciate the time and there so much to learn about these things that I also could be mixing that up with something else I read.

Ironman

Modulation is to adjust the firing rate to the load as outdoor temperature changes, not to compensate for incorrect sizing.

This is one of the drawbacks of combi’s: in order to heat domestic water instantaneously, the boiler is almost always over-sized for space heating.

Over-sizing can cause many issues including short cycling and a shortened lifespan.

hot_rod

I think that model was discontinued. You can see it is all Kiturami components inside. Probably an OEM Grundfos circulator. I think Laars has their own heat exchangers now.

HTP, Lochinvar and a few others use or have used that fire tube design out of Korea.

Turns down to 14,000, not too bad

dko

You wrote you are in the market for a replacement, what is the existing?

PeteA

@dko currently it is a quietside DPW120 no issues on the heat side but I do have a leak on the domestic hot water plate exchanger. I am shopping around now for info on these other models in preparation of the possibility that if I break something taking out the plate heat exchanger or if I can't get the leak fixed with normal off the shelf parts then I have no choice but to get a replacement because no parts are available anymore for the quietside since they went out of business.
So I'm really lucky in a way since I'm able to research and plan for the replacement. I like to prepare for the worst because eventually I know I won't have a choice. The one I showed in the pics above was for sale in a town or two away from me in PA for what seemed like a decent price but the feedback I got here, rightfully so, leads me to believe that since I can't truly test the one to ensure it's integrity that for not too much more I may as well just buy new.