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Looking for recommendations on propane condensing boilers. 200k BTU

tclougherty
tclougherty Member Posts: 7
edited April 13 in Gas Heating

Comments

  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Member Posts: 6,069

    ok

    mattmia2
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 12,720

    there is a thread from about 6 months ago that answers what i think you wanted to ask

  • tclougherty
    tclougherty Member Posts: 7

    thanks. I’ll try to find it

  • Kaos
    Kaos Member Posts: 624

    200k boiler is pretty large for a house. Are you currently burning about 5000 gallons of propane per heating season?

  • tclougherty
    tclougherty Member Posts: 7

    very helpful

  • tclougherty
    tclougherty Member Posts: 7

    currently running a munchkin 199m. House is 3800sf.

  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 25,069

    Just a WAG, 3800 X 26 btu/ sq. ft = 98,800 BTU/ hr.

    A 150, maybe a 120 would cover a load like that.

    A detailed heat load would give you a more accurate load number.

    26 btu/ sq.ft is a reasonable expectation from a radiant floor.

    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
  • Kaos
    Kaos Member Posts: 624

    The size of the existing boiler has nothing to do with house heat loss. House size does effect it but doesn't tell the whole story.

    Fuel use on the other hand is directly related to heat load, unless you are running a large generator a good portion of the time, most of the fuel you use in the winter goes to heating the house.

    When working with expensive fuel like propane, you want to get the most out of it. This means you want to get the boiler somewhat right sized. An ideal setup should run the boiler non-stop from Nov to mid March.

    @hot_rod I recently did a heat calc for a non-insulated brick house in zone 5 and it came in at 21 btu/sqft. Anything more recent than 100years old should be well under 26. For sure it is not 52.

    Hot_water_fanGGross
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 6,764

    Who's installing the propane condensing boiler?

  • tclougherty
    tclougherty Member Posts: 7

    Thank you all very much. I will do a heat load analysis before replacing. The purpose of my post is to get recommendations on reliable manufacturers for replacement.

  • Kaos
    Kaos Member Posts: 624

    Since the house is existing, you don't need a man J. Fuel use will get you a much more accurate load in most cases. My above ratio is in the ballpark, so if you use about 2000gal of propane per year, the house load is around 80000BTU. For a more accurate number run through the math here:

    https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/article/replacing-a-furnace-or-boiler

    As for brands. What matters is what local installers are familiar with and most important, local parts availability. I would phone around local supply places and see which modcons they carry and select from those.

  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 25,069

    Or live on the edge, get a 120K mod con! It will modulate down around 12K so you have a nice wide operating range.

    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 6,764

    Its usually the contractor that offers a manufacturer or two, or three. Don't pick the contractor based on what equipment they install. Start vetting contractors.

  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Member Posts: 6,069

    The name of the installing contractor is the most important name to choose. A bad unskilled contractor can screw all equipment equally.

  • TAG
    TAG Member Posts: 788

    My PA project is over 4k sf and uses the smallest Viessmann .. around 60k BTU. That is with spray foam.

    The 36k heat pump will keep the place cool under most conditions …. I did install three mini splits for odd places and one has never been needed.

    Getting a proper load on a building is so important for comfort .. especially with ductwork.