Looking for recommendations on propane condensing boilers. 200k BTU

tclougherty · April 12

pecmsg · April 12

ok

mattmia2 · April 13

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

tclougherty · April 13

thanks. I’ll try to find it

Kaos · April 13

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

tclougherty · April 13

very helpful

pecmsg · April 13

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1852148#Comment_1852148

I thought it was a good question

tclougherty · April 13

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

hot_rod · April 13

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.

Kaos · April 13

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1852153#Comment_1852153

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.

HVACNUT · April 13

Who's installing the propane condensing boiler?

tclougherty · April 13

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 · April 14

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 · April 14

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

HVACNUT · April 14

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1852183#Comment_1852183

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 · April 14

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1852183#Comment_1852183

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

TAG · April 17

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.

Looking for recommendations on propane condensing boilers. 200k BTU

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