New Triangle Tube Combination Boiler and Domestic Hot Water 95% efficient

[Oldawg]

I have bids from 2 competent firms in Tacoma Washington.

I am replacing an oil burner with a gas burner. I have 2 floors in my home heated by water.

* One is proposing a Triangle Tube Combination Boiler; as I understand it I will not have a water heater but still heats my water (magic). This provider is a larger company and says the new high efficient Combination boiler is best for me.

* A 2nd smaller (but still 30 people) responds the the first proposal:
I am hesitant on the combination boiler/hot water heating 'all-in-one'
> package as proposed. The factory rep has steered me away fron these type of system,
> Simply due to as many issues I've heard of, and experienced on these
> systems.
> Many manufacturer's have tried, and failed to produce such a device that
> heats your domestic hot water at one temperature, while heating your home heating another temperature.
> My system is *Triangle Tube Challenger Solo cc110, with a Smart indirect
> water tank*.

(note - we are nervous about leaking water heaters)
> As far as the leaking water heater possibilitygoes, most water heater
> located in an 'unconditioned space', such as garage or basement, tend to
> fail and leak due to the temperature in the space surrounding it.
> I would not want to offer a system wiuth know issues, especially since the
> type of system has history of issues.
> Lennox tried this some years ago, and ended up offering removal of the
> systems from homes, and covering the costs to install a different type unit.
> We are still replacing those type of systems today.
>

[skippedover]

There are 2 models of the Triangle Tube combi boilers. One is the PE-110 Excellence boiler and the other is the Challenger. It would help if you had a model number included in your post.

The Excellence is an excellent boiler but comes in only one size. It does in fact have a 14-gallon tank-in-tank indirect water heater included in the boiler jacket. The recovery rate on the indirect water heater is in excess of a constantly running shower. We've put in many and never had a complaint of insufficient domestic hot water or for that matter, heating issues. We've had one unit, less than 6-months old, where a control board went bad. Other than that, we've had zero issues.

We've not installed the Challenger as yet but that uses a plate heat exchanger to produce domestic hot water. That's no new science and we have again, several boilers by a different manufacturer that have used the plate heat exchanger for years for domestic hot water and again, no problems.

I would recommend a good quality water filter to trap calcium and other minerals be installed before the domestic water heater, just to eliminate plating of the heat exchanger surfaces.

A load analysis is critical if you're using the Excellence boiler. It's a great boiler, modulating too, but it's only produced in one size and that's 86,000 Btu's output I=B=R. If your home needs more heat than that at design temperature, then you're likely talking about the Challenger that has a greater output.