Reviews of different boilers

[njhusky]

folks...thanks in advance for any input. Need to replace a 50 yr old furnace for a hot water baseboard system. Have gotten quotes that recommend different boilers...any feedback on the quality of different systems would be appreciated.

1 contractor uses carrier, 1 recommend Williamson, and the third Weil McClain cGA....any comments on the +/- of each

[BaldLoonie]

Key is best possible installer sizing the boiler right and putting it in right. Doesn't happen that often it seems.

Carrier/Dunkirk is good, that's what we usually use. Williamson is owned by W-M, we've put in a couple CGa models with no issues. Where you find the big differences are in the mod cons, the high end super efficient boilers. Also installation is so much more critical with them too.

[GeorgeCT]

Look into Buderus.
Here's my thread here about my.

http://hvac-talk.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=391622

[skippedover]

There are, quite literally, several hundred gas boilers on the market. Painting with a very broad brush, you first should determine the overall efficiency level of the boiler you wish to install. They start at 80% and go up from there. Next would be if you want a condensing boiler or not. Finally, determine if you would like the domestic hot water to be made within the new boiler or externally from it or not at all. Each of these options affects the price of the boiler.

The CgA Weil Mclain is a basic 80% boiler that requires no special piping and should be installed for a very reasonable price. High efficiency boilers include such high quality units as Lochinvar Knight, Triangle Tube Prestige, Navien Combi, Weil McLain Ultra and Buderus GB-142. Each has different strengths and benefits. Unfortunately, you'd need to do a spreadsheet of some sort listing the various features to get a good comparison. As with any heating system, the quote should be based on a solid Load Calculation done by the quoting company. Absent a load analysis you won't know if the boiler being installed is sized properly or not. In that respect, you'll be gambling a lot of money on someone guessing the boiler is properly sized.

Why does it matter you might ask? Well, an example is the the Triangle Tube Prestige Solo boiler doesn't make domestic hot water but the Excellence does. Digging a little deeper however, reveals that the Excellence boiler is made in one size only and that's for a home needing 86,000 Btu's or less for space heating. So yes, load calcs are important for hydronics as well as for air systems.