boilers

scott4

being new to the field could anyone give me some insight as to what makes one boiler better than another. i see that there are a multitude to choose from and i would like to become familiar with the characteristics that make up a quality boiler. thank you.

Josh M.

There are entire books written on this very subject. But let's start with the fundamentals. First thing we tend to lean toward is efficiency. There are two types of efficiency in residential boilers. First is thermal efficiency. Basically the percentage of heat that is transferred to the heat exchanger to the amount of heat lost to the atmosphere. Second and in my opinion very important is the combustion efficiency (how well she burns). Dan wrote a great article about efficiency rating in the heating Q & A section of this web site. Also what kind of material is used in the construction of the boiler. Copper fin tube heat exchangers are becoming very popular because the manufacturing cost is low and they tend to be lightweight and compact. The disadvantage is that they are tough to clean the heat exchangers don't last as long. Cast iron sectionals will last a lifetime and tend to be very reliable, but the technology is about 50 years old and as such they are generally on/off control in the residential models. The latest and greatest is condensing boilers. I have seen cast iron, stainless steel, steel, aluminum, and copper fin tube models. You should do some research on these boilers and form an opinion of your own as the opinions of everyone on this website is different.