Wall Hung Boilers

[ericwagner4]

Hey guys,
a customer/old man friend of mine wants to swap out his boiler
he has a 100,000 about 30 yr. old boiler in a retirement development
he wants maybe about a 130,000 boiler
(i gues maybe he thinks he needs a larger boiler?)
got a price of weil mcclain 100,000 about 1600
wondering if you guys put any of those wall hung residentail boilers in, how you like them, the price range/manufacturer & if you think this would be a logical alternative in this situation
i like giving my customer/friends all the available options (since it is their money) & educating them on the new/more efficient/space saving products
besides, he'd probably be able to brag to all his old friends about his new boiler/toy & maybe i'll get more work in this development
thanks

[westcoastplumber]

I don't do boilers, so I may not be a big help, but Raypak is a real popular brand out here, not sure about weil, but last time I checked they were cast iron, Raypak is copper core.

I see only Raypaks in my area, and many years ago when I worked in a supply house, they were the favorite.

[ericwagner4]

thanks robert
yea the weil mcclain boiler i got a quote on is a basic floor standing model
i think raypak also only sells floor standing models also
i was wondering about the wall hung models from other manufacturers (kinda like tankless water heaters)
we installed large commercial wall hung boilers at a clubhouse on a golf course, they were small & space saving, supposedly super efficient, but extremely expensive

[plumberscrack]

Eric,

Look at the Weil-Mclain Ultra boiler. It's a high efficiency (92%) boiler that can be floor or wall mounted with a bracket. Keep in mind it is a condensing, sealed combustion boiler and needs to be vented through the wall or up through the roof in PVC. Cannot connect to existing chimney. It will cost you a bit more than the cast iron boiler but its a real space saver being able to wall mount and it purrs like a kitten. It does require a primary/secondary piping system so a little extra labor involved for installation. Most likely he could downsize to a 80,000 BTU. If he can wait until Dec. Weil Mclain is releasing the new redesigned model with a better control board and upgraded electronics.
http://www.weil-mclain.com/

I put in a Peerless Pinnacle (95%) in my house last year. I can't say enough good things about it except that it looks like a recycled trash can. Peerless has a few wall mount versions also or a wall stand for a floor model.
http://www.peerlessboilers.com/home/index.cfm


If money is no object then go with a Viessman Vitodens 100. I've only installed 2 of these but they were real beauties.

[ericwagner4]

thanks for the info
ill check out all 3 manufacturers
now at least i can tell him someone installed & recommended some

[DuckButter]

I do them.
Viessman, Buderus, Munchkin, Baxi Luna are a few more popular names.
They're called condensing/modulating boilers and they are nothing like their steriotypical draft vent counter parts.
If you have no license/insurance I'd strongly advise you to get a pro for liability/safety reasons, there are numerous things that can go wrong if you don't have experience with them.
The prices on these boilers generally run at around 3 to 4 times they're draft vented counterparts, and the labor is more as well because venting/intake is usually completely redone.
I have a customer that has been regularly updating me with his gas bill since an install early this summer...his average gas bill for indirect hot water alone has been less than one half what it was this time last year.

[bigPipe09]

I dont know how important initial savings are to your customer, but if you're going to spend the money i would go with Viessman or Buderus. Stainless steel heat exchangers and burner tubes are a big plus, as well as space savings. Another fav is IBC..They are all high efficient (90%+) very small and very quiet while operating.

[ericwagner4]

I do them.
Viessman, Buderus, Munchkin, Baxi Luna are a few more popular names.
They're called condensing/modulating boilers and they are nothing like their steriotypical draft vent counter parts.
If you have no license/insurance I'd strongly advise you to get a pro for liability/safety reasons, there are numerous things that can go wrong if you don't have experience with them.
The prices on these boilers generally run at around 3 to 4 times they're draft vented counterparts, and the labor is more as well because venting/intake is usually completely redone.
I have a customer that has been regularly updating me with his gas bill since an install early this summer...his average gas bill for indirect hot water alone has been less than one half what it was this time last year.
Sounds great
yea, my father is a licensed, insured, & bonded master plumber over 50 yrs.
around my area though, we do not see many residential wall hung boilers
we install many tankless water heaters though
the install will be on an exterior garage wall so exhaust/intake will be a breeze
the upfront estimate of 3 to 4 times that of a standard boiler is a lot, but im interested to hear your customer's gas savings over the winter for heat & hot water
i wonder how many years of gas savings average it would take to offset the initial higher price of the wall hung boiler
that would be another option to tell him to eliminate his old water heater & add an indirect tank for additional fuel savings
ill try to get some local prices on the Viessman & Buderus - stainless sounds good
thanks for all the info provided