I am getting a new boiler, what brand should I get?

Joe.G

Hi, this is a repost my other thread had gotten off teh track that I was looking for, please don't get into all that other stuff I am a homeowner and the other stuff made no sense. Thanks i am getting a new hot water boiler, to heat my house and hot water. I was wondering what brand I should order, everyone tells me somthing else. Thanks a lot

P.S Gas or oil? oil, Direct vent or chimney? chimney, Using radiators or fintube baseboard? old cast iron radiators, Will you use an indirect HW tank or are you looking for a combo unit? I am thinking about going indirect I don't want to run out of hot water so it needs to last for hours at a time sometimes

Maine Ken

With an indirect and wanting hot water to "last for hours" you will most likely need a larger indirect and will also need a boiler that is oversized for your heat loss. Recovery on an indirect can use up a lot of btu's.

I think that the very nature of your question of which brand leads to personal preferences by the folks here. Everyone has their favorites for many good reasons too!!!!

To ask for a definitive answer and consensus is akin to asking who has the best baseball team.

If you are getting professional help with the install or for service in the future you should involve that pro in helping determine the correct system for you. If you are going alone I would suggest finding out about availability of systems and service items for the future. Not all places sell to HO's and you may get your heart set on a boiler only to find you need to be licensed to get it.

Hope this helps.

"Maine" Ken

Constantin

There is no simple answer.

No one heating system is the best in all regards. Like cars, some excell at some things, not so much at others. What little information we have at this point is you have:

• a chimney to vent into
• use oil as a heating fuel
• cast iron radiators
• want unlimited hot water

We still don't know if your heating system is steam or hot water-based. If steam, you're probably off best with a coil to heat your potable water. Anyway, here is what I would do:

• Click on find a professional and find someone qualified to work on your system
• If the house has been insulated, upgraded, etc. since it was built (and the heating system installed) have the professional do a Manual-J compliant heat-loss calculation.
• Then have the professional have a closer look at your hot water needs. Perhaps it could be as simple as a Phase III triangle-tube IDWH on a primary loop to keep things cooking.
• Lastly, decide on a system manufacturer. The installer is the most important aspect of your heating system! Even the best-engineered systems can be destroyed by hacks.

Consider going back to the original thread and take a look at the list of boiler manufacturers I listed there. Also, check out OilTechTalk, a wonderful site maintained by a oil heating expert and gentleman, Alan Mercurio. You'll find lots of oil heating experts over there that might give you even more insight into oil boiler choices.

As a fellow homeowner, the choices can be bewildering. However, I urge you to find a good, qualified, and conscientious installer first. Everything else will then come naturally.

Joe.G

Also I may put a addtion on in the future that will double the size of my house, is it ok to teh size the boiler for that? also I have hot water heat not stream.

Constantin

Oversizing a boiler can lead to trouble...

...however, a number of oil boilers are sold with a wide latitude of allowable firing rates. In other words, it is possible to do though I would go over the house expansion with the installer in detail. Two heat loss calculations will be required, one for the house as-is vs. as-it-may-become.

As an installer, I would shy away from installing something now that can handle a fictional addition later, simply because you could call me back later on complaining that the addition is not getting enough heat, even after maximizing the firing rate of the boiler. Naturally, the installer may not be at fault if you changed the design in the meantime (as people are wont to until the framing actually goes up).

One thing that might guide your purchasing decision is to find a boiler with a wide latitude of allowable firing rates. While the well-regarded Burnham V-8 series allows for about about 30,000 BTU's in terms of input capacity latitude, the EV series from Dunkirk allows up to 200% latitude in terms of firing rate. One risk of underfiring a large boiler though is condensation in the flue, so get it lined with an insulated stainless liner.

Please keep in mind, the universe of oil boilers is not limited to the V-8 or the EV. There are plenty more out there, and only an installer will have the gamut of the locally available units handy.

Lastly, with your hot water requirements, you may find that the boiler will be sized to meet your hot water needs, not those of the house. Simply put the indirect water heater (IDWH) on a primary circuit and use a IDWH that has a very high recovery rate, like the Phase III from Triangle-Tube.

Kal Row

it's simple, your reqirement for \"hours at a time\"

puts you squarly into the realm
of tankless water heaters

starting from there, you need 1.6-2.5gpm @105f per continous shower - depending on your water pressure and showerhead


if you want to combine with heating - (dont care which heating type - all have pros-n-cons) you need more then one tankless combo unit with controls to stage them as needed