Which Wall Hung Boiler?
Folks, my 17 year old Buderus GB142-45 has bought the farm, I need a new heat-only boiler installed before winter and am looking for feedback. Criteria I'm looking for:
-Reliability and durability
-Availability of spare parts
-Ability to get through to tech support
-Broad network of plumbers who can service it
-Simple is better. I do not want WiFi, Bluetooth, turbo etc etc etc
Weil McLain seems to check a lot of those boxes and a reputable local plumber is recommending an EcoTec 199. Any feedback on that model? There are some really high end models like Viessman. however, there is very limited support for them where I live. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!
Comments
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The answer is, the brand that has local support and experience. Lochinvar, NTI, IBC, US Boiler are all reputable brands. Most brands have basic, and higher option choices.
All brands need proper installation, and occasional service, find that guy, or girl :)
Bob "hot rod" Rohr
trainer for Caleffi NA
Living the hydronic dream
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pretty good run for a mod con
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She still may be alive! It looks to be related to the AM10 module. I jumped the WA terminal and the boiler fired right up. It will only do it once after it hits thermostat set temp. Anyone know how to bypass teh AM10 module altogether?
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And, this post will make me look like a total moron. Which is true in this case. The outside temps dropped pretty low last night. I got up five minutes ago to find the Buderus merrily doing its thing. The AM10 had prevented the boiler from firing to prevent an overheat condition. It had worked fine in test mode. I am on borrowed time, however as parts are becoming scarce for a GB142, coupled with a lack of technicians who know anything about them. One tech that came out ten years ago said the reason mine had lasted this long was that I am diligent about cleaning it every year. Oh well, I'll still keep looking at new boilers because it's just a matter of time before this one goes.
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If heat only, why the 199? Its not the 199c combi, right? Have you done a heat loss calculation?
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What area are you in?
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Howdy: thanks for your question. The BTU issue has been bugging me for years. The house is a 2000sq ft bilevel in NW NJ with double pane, new construction Andersen windows and doors, vinyl siding with 1/2" polyiso backing and R48 cellulose insulation in the attic. The house receives very little direct sunlight in the winter because the house is surrounded by trees. Before the Buderus, a 61k BTU Harman pellet stove comfortably heated the whole house. I now have a Woodstock Ideal Steel wood stove which is a thing of beauty. I used some online calculators when looking at the Buderus and came up with 80k, thinking that a 100K BTU model would provide a buffer for mega cold snaps. The plumber who installed it was more of an old school "pipes and drains" type rather than one who understood a modern condensing wall hung boiler. He came up with 130K BTUs. I had another plumber come out last fall to take a look at the system and gear up for replacement of the Buderus. These are his words, not mine: "We install the EcoTec 199 in every house because you can dial it down". Seems kind of odd to recommend a 199k BTU boiler for every job. My house as an EcoSmart tankless electric hot water heater which I love and will not switch from. I am selling the house in 2 years and probably need to install a new boiler before then even if the Buderus is still working because a home inspector with throw a red flag on a 19 year old wall hung boiler. It would be more of a selling point to have a newer boiler installed. The Weil McLain EcoTec 110 or AquaBalance 120 seem far more suited to this house than a 199K BTU boiler that is neutered. Any advice would be appreciated!
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You need a heat loss calc as @HVACNUT mentioned. I would say an 80K boiler would do the job.. Why put in more than you need it is just more expense and the smaller boiler will work better. I used a 50K output in my 1100 sq foot house brick stone and cement block with no wall insulation. I doubt you need a 100k with your insulation and windows.
Although a Heat loss is best you can add up the output of you baseboard to get close I doubt you have over 80K of basebord.
You don't install a boiler with an output larger than the baseboard can output.
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The 80 has a net of 64K BTU's at max firing rate. That's 32 BTU's per sq ft. More than enough for a design day. The "Plumber" has been sniffing PVC glue.
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in your climate with those energy upgrades, I’d guess a load of under 60K
2000sq at WAG of 25 btu/ ft, 50,000, so an 80k boiler
Although that 199 probably turns down to 20k. But. Why pay for more boiler than you need.
Bob "hot rod" Rohr
trainer for Caleffi NA
Living the hydronic dream1 -
Rinnai combi unit. Pretty darn good. Givem a look.
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One that can be supported in your area by a reputable contractor. My go to boilers for customers are Viessman and Burnham Alta or its twin the Velocity Boiler Works Phantom 2. Viessman has more bells and whistles and is well built. The Alta and Burnham is a little bit cheaper in my area. They are easy to work on and install being a little lighter to lift and hang on the wall. Typically I use Viessman for higher end job. The Alta or Phantom 2 fits in a more competitive bid situation, while still providing the customer a good system.
Owner of Grunaire Climate Solutions. Check us out under the locate a contractor section. Located in Detroit area.
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The kind of "plumber" who does things like install the same unit for every job is somebody who should be forgotten about immediately, as well as anything else he said. As others have said, your load is likely 1/4-1/3 of that. An actual professional who services what he sells and does a proper heat loss calculation is what you want here, regardless of recommendations from the internet. I personally use Lochinvar or Burnham boilers and they've been excellent for me, but performance is highly dependent on installation and local support.
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