Peerless vs. Buderus mod con
#1
07-26-10, 08:21 PM
Peerless vs. Buderus mod con
The installer that I trust the most is recommending either a Peerless Purefire or a Buderus GB142-30.
-Buderus is 25% more expensive installed.
-Buderus HX is Al vs Peerless is SS (and my water is municipal, and not hard or soft)
-I think Peerless uses other companies' HX, blower, controls, burners. Buderus is probably mostly made in house.
-Buderus has made these for a while, Peerless high efficiency has been manufactured for less than 2 years, and before that they didn't make their own high efficiency boilers
-Folks in the business seem to like both brands
-As quoted, Buderus has a 1 year labor, 10 year parts (prorated), 20 year HX warrant. Purefire has a 5 year labor and parts, 12 year HX.
I understand that the install makes a huge difference, and I'm trying to control that.
So - is it worth spending the extra $$ for the Buderus? $1200 or so difference (after state rebate)? Anything else I should be considering?
-Buderus is 25% more expensive installed.
-Buderus HX is Al vs Peerless is SS (and my water is municipal, and not hard or soft)
-I think Peerless uses other companies' HX, blower, controls, burners. Buderus is probably mostly made in house.
-Buderus has made these for a while, Peerless high efficiency has been manufactured for less than 2 years, and before that they didn't make their own high efficiency boilers
-Folks in the business seem to like both brands
-As quoted, Buderus has a 1 year labor, 10 year parts (prorated), 20 year HX warrant. Purefire has a 5 year labor and parts, 12 year HX.
I understand that the install makes a huge difference, and I'm trying to control that.
So - is it worth spending the extra $$ for the Buderus? $1200 or so difference (after state rebate)? Anything else I should be considering?
#2
07-27-10, 12:40 PM
Don't know much about the new Peerless. Looks like a Giannoni stainless heat exchanger and a new rev of the Honeywell MCBA control (??). Both commonplace. Not great, not bad.
The turndown ratios look like ~3 or 4:1. Not great, not bad. But make sure the installer sizes to the heat loss. Just because it modulates doesn't mean you don't need to do a heat loss. Any boiler needs to be sized to the heat loss. In the case of a modcon, it will keep it running in the best part of its performance curve and reduce short-cycling at low loads that are below its minimum modulation (e.g., when only one zone calling, and spring/fall shoulder seasons).
The Buderus has been around a few years and has a decent track record. In general, however, my personal bias is to stay away from aluminum heat exchangers. Among other things, they are very sensitive to water chemistry. Additives and maintenance of additives are essentially required.
If you want another option, check out the Triangle Tube Prestige and Solo. Better-quality stainless than Peerless, and IMHO a superior heat exchanger design that does not always require a dedicated primary/boiler pump like the Peerless. (Depends on specifics of an installation.) That's one less pump to suck electricity and one less component to fail, leak, etc.
The turndown ratios look like ~3 or 4:1. Not great, not bad. But make sure the installer sizes to the heat loss. Just because it modulates doesn't mean you don't need to do a heat loss. Any boiler needs to be sized to the heat loss. In the case of a modcon, it will keep it running in the best part of its performance curve and reduce short-cycling at low loads that are below its minimum modulation (e.g., when only one zone calling, and spring/fall shoulder seasons).
The Buderus has been around a few years and has a decent track record. In general, however, my personal bias is to stay away from aluminum heat exchangers. Among other things, they are very sensitive to water chemistry. Additives and maintenance of additives are essentially required.
If you want another option, check out the Triangle Tube Prestige and Solo. Better-quality stainless than Peerless, and IMHO a superior heat exchanger design that does not always require a dedicated primary/boiler pump like the Peerless. (Depends on specifics of an installation.) That's one less pump to suck electricity and one less component to fail, leak, etc.
