High Efficiency/Old House

I've got a hot water system that has been in my house since 1926. The best heat I've ever had. Except the old converted gas coal fired boiler costs an arm and two legs to feed. I'm getting an ultra high efficiency (hang on the wall type) - 94% efficient. No changes to anything else except the boiler. Anybody done this before??? Do you think I'll need the same btu rating as the old converted boiler?? (300,000btus) Thanks.

 

1: You can't vent that boiler to the old chimney without a new lining.

2: You absolutely must have a heat loss done to determine the required net BTU to heat the home on the coldest day.

 

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

That old boiler wasn't efficient at all. If it was 50% efficient then it burned 300,000 BTUs worth of energy and added only 150,000 of those to the house to match wjat you lose through the structure. It's what it adds to teh house that is important for sizing, not how much it burns...

There are NO advantages to oversizing the boiler and many disadvantages such as paying more for the boiler, reduced efficiency etc...

Like RadioConnection said, you have to do a heatloss.

Who is installing the boiler and what kind are you getting?

 

I used three different calculators that I found on-line and averaged the btus reccommended for my room sizes and insulation. If I did this right - then your comments make sense. I came up with 162,900 btus required.

We are looking at Buderus products - Germany? - just because fuel costs are so high there.

 

Check the Burnham MPO which is very similar. The boiler is easier to service and is slightly more efficient. Buy american.

 

The Burnham MPO is a nice boiler BUT it is oil fired.
Buderus makes some very nice equipment. Their wall hung units (GB142), like the rest of the line, are top shelf.

 

Take a look at the Trianglle Tube Prestige 175. I wouldn't be surprised if couldn't actually even get by with the 110 but the 175 has a monster sized HX capacity and the pump's better on the outside.

Buderus Pros
- outer cabinet has better design / material feel

Prestige Pros
- free flowing HX made from 439 alloy, an extremely durable SS
- is a self-cleaning design so it shouldn't require cleanings or cleaning as often
- doesn't require strict PH control because the HX isn't alu based like the GB
- the venting is simpler, can drain back through the HX
- doesn't require P/S piping, which increases ΔT (increases savings) and reduces electrical pumping consumption in half (requires 1 pump not 2)
- won't short cycle
- has better, more function rich controls
- more flex in piping methods (Buderus comes with pre-built P/S)

Made in Belgium