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how to choose which boiler unit? IBC HC95 vs NTI FX51

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diamonds96
diamonds96 Member Posts: 2
edited September 2019 in THE MAIN WALL
We have in floor heat in lower level ranch and 3 car garage. Home built 3 yrs ago. Builder put in on demand water heater. (doesnt work right with glyc) so we are replacing unit and these were our 2 options. Thoughts on each unit? We live in WI so of course we use in winter for garage. (keep at about 58-60) Lower level uses a little being it also has forced air heat. They each have their own temp control.

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  • GroundUp
    GroundUp Member Posts: 1,907
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    Your tankless probably doesn't work right because it's piped wrong. Where did you come up with those 2 options? NTI doesn't make an FX51 and IBC doesn't make an HC95 but perhaps you mean Tx51 and HC15-95? The NTI will turn down to 7k versus the 15k of the IBC so depending on your zoning that may be a deciding factor. The IBC is a pretty new product, while the NTI has been around awhile. Both NTI and IBC are reputable companies and I would be afraid of neither, but with a 3 car garage at 60 degrees as well as a basement slab I wouldn't bet on the NTI having enough capacity to cover both loads. I'm assuming you spoke with a couple contractors about the boiler recommendations, did either one of them do a heat loss calculation to figure out how many BTU you actually need?
    diamonds96
  • Tom_133
    Tom_133 Member Posts: 884
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    Both brands have their pro and cons more than likely. Better to find the RIGHT installer, who knows the product and the system well. That will him invaluable later on, when inevitably the boiler you choose will need maintenance and repair.
    Tom
    Montpelier Vt
  • diamonds96
    diamonds96 Member Posts: 2
    edited October 2019
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    I went to 2 different heating specialists that have been around for years. Each one recommended a different one. We live in WI so winters are brutal :). The on demand water heater wasnt meant to have a glycol in it. so it whistles when it runs. Contacted maker and no resolution. We need glycol because if something was to happen we wouldnt want the garage floor to burst in winter. We bought the house as it was being finished so it wasnt our choice then on unit. Our lower level is heated by forced air also. Walls are reinforced outside with foam insulation, coating and inner walls and also insulated so we dont lose much heat. Garage has insulated walls and drywall so it holds heat. So I wouldnt say it run constantly. We are now spending $ 4500.00 so I want to hopefully make sure this doesnt happen again. I appreciate your thoughts on this. @GroundUp
  • Erin Holohan Haskell
    Erin Holohan Haskell Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 2,284
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    This discussion appeared twice, so I've merged both threads into one.
    President
    HeatingHelp.com
  • GroundUp
    GroundUp Member Posts: 1,907
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    What part of WI are you in?

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