Local gas supplier, National Grid is offering a promotion to change to NG. They are offering this boiler for $999. plus tax and install. Is this a quality boiler? 95% afue.http://www.burnham.com/freedom.htm
Can this be vented thru my existing tile lined chimney if the proper piping is placed in the flue?
Any clue as to what the installation would cost?
They are also offering a standard series 2 boiler for $499 with a 80% afue. I assume it would be less costly to install as it it a natural draft and would require no chimney work and has basic controls. Is the more efficient boiler worth the price?

 

Get other quotes... the combined cost is what really needs to be compared and kept in consideration with what they propose to do, and their references.

 

Is it a quality boiler? Yes. The engineering looks solid. The components are standard-issue (e.g., the Honeywell MCBA controller) for this kind of boiler.

Can you vent up the chimney with PVC/CPVC/whatever? It depends.... You would have to look at total allowable vent and intake lengths, feasibility of your specific chimney, etc. etc. etc.

Cost? It depends. Where you are in the U.S. (or even what region of New England.) How involved the chimney venting/intake install would be (if possible). How much hacking out of old boiler and reworking of near-boiler piping. etc. etc.

No way, no how would I install a Series2 boiler in 2008. (Speaking as a former owner of a Series2.) It's a good boiler, but 80% AFUE doesn't cut the mustard in the 21st century. Not at these fuel prices and not with highly competitive, much more efficient offerings. It's somewhat amazing that they even charge for that boiler. They used to give them away.

But as Who said, shop the installer. The CM is not hard to install, but it's easy to get it wrong. The installer needs to read and follow the directions in the manual, not just use the manual as a kneepad. Get quotes, check references, ask to see pictures of their other installs, ask more questions here.

 

If the installation instructions are followed it is not hard to install. The boiler may be vented up the chimney as long as the rules are followed and nothing else is vented into the chimney. The pipe must go all the way up and terminated out the top. The chimney now becomes a chaseway and not a chimney.

 

I was told by a Gem Plumbing salesman that annual maintenance is the Freedom CM is a pain and very expensive, eating up all your savings on the old 80% AFUE models. True?

 

Speaking from zero experience in cleaning a Freedom CM....

This is a relatively new modulating/condensing boiler compared to some other brands out there. Burnham appears to have improved in some ways on the designs of others, and based on what they saw and learned from installer feedback during product development.

From the hood-open view in the Freedom literature package, and the annual maintenance instructions in the installation/operation manual, it does not appear to be any more onerous to service than other modulating/condensing boilers. And probably easier than several others.

So the Gem Plumbing guy may just be anti-mod/con.

Yes, these boilers are not the "throw it in the basement and leave" boilers of previous centuries. Like an automobile, they need periodic maintenance. Do you change the oil and do other periodic maintenance on your car? Sure. Does it add to the total cost of ownership of the car? Sure. What's the alternative? Drive it until it fails big-time and then pay to have major repairs.

The cost of maintenance will eat into some of the annual savings. Will it eat all of it? I would say unlikely.