Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

Electric Boiler & Indirect

heatboy
heatboy Member Posts: 1,468
I have a small radiant project that will incorporate an electric boiler (Burnham) and I was thinking of using an indirect (Burnham Alliance) for domestic instead of a 40 gal electric. It would seem to make sense from an operational point since I don't have to heat 40 gals directly and recovery will be faster than the normal 4K watt elements. Or, maybe not? Pros/Cons?

hb

<A HREF="http://www.heatinghelp.com/getListed.cfm?id=103&Step=30">To Learn More About This Contractor, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"</A>
heatboy



The Radiant Whisperer





"The laws of physics will outweigh the laws of ecomomics every time."

Comments

  • Gary Fereday
    Gary Fereday Member Posts: 427
    Redundentcy?(bigugh)

    What "If" comes to mind! heating costs are the same. Electric heating is efficiant at the plant where it is made, not in the heating vessel. So what "if" the boiler quits? Would the extra cost of either system make sense? Just trying to brain storm you, and all else who would read this?
  • Dale
    Dale Member Posts: 1,317
    Why would anyone want only

    a 40 gal. electric? Nicely insulated 80 gal electrics mirror a 40 gallon gas to most applications so if the floor space is available the large electric would seem the best choice, effeciency is the same and no extra pump.
  • Very interesting question!

    Based on operational efficiency standards, the best choice may be the Csrefree Boiler for heating and Electric Water Heater for domestic. Operational efficiencies of using the boiler to heat the indirect are reduced somewhat due to the extra step process utilizing the heat exchanger and the standby losses of the boiler during the summer months. However, taking into effect the difference in standby losses of the indirect versus the electric water heater, the efficiency differences may balance out somewhat. The longevity of the indirect may certainly be longer and it carries the limited lifetime warranty to back that up. In addition to this, there will be half as many elements and related controls to maintain. The choice is yours on this one and I will be the first to admit that it may not be an wasy one! Hope this helps!

    Glenn Stanton

    Burnham Corp.
This discussion has been closed.