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[email protected] January 25th 06 09:51 PM

3 pass vs conventional boilers
 
I posted awhile back about boilers. I'm still trying to make up my
mind. I am hearing a lot about 3 pass boilers. They are slightly more
efficient and are said to stay that way b/c they are easier to clean.
Are they really a lot better than conventional cast iron boilers? How
long have US manufacturers been making them? Is it really that hard to
keep a conventional boiler clean if you service it regularly or is this
a marketing thing? System 2000 also goes on about how hard
conventional boilers are to keep efficient.

Any thoughts? Thanks.


Edwin Pawlowski January 25th 06 10:48 PM

3 pass vs conventional boilers
 

wrote in message
ps.com...
I posted awhile back about boilers. I'm still trying to make up my
mind. I am hearing a lot about 3 pass boilers. They are slightly more
efficient and are said to stay that way b/c they are easier to clean.
Are they really a lot better than conventional cast iron boilers? How
long have US manufacturers been making them? Is it really that hard to
keep a conventional boiler clean if you service it regularly or is this
a marketing thing? System 2000 also goes on about how hard
conventional boilers are to keep efficient.


Three and four pass boilers have been the most efficient in industrial
boilers for at least 50 years. It is not really a "new" technology, just
being applied to residential.

Regular boilers need cleaning about every 1000 gallons of oil. Gas can go
for years with minimal maintenance.



Bob January 26th 06 12:30 AM

3 pass vs conventional boilers
 
System 2000 can be difficult to work on without special training, and has a
higher frequency of repair than many other boilers. They're not worth the
extra money or aggravation. IMO, there's no better system on the market
today than the New Yorker FR-HGS boiler
http://www.newyorkerboiler.com/frhgs.cfm combined with an indirect water
heater like the Amtrol BoilerMate http://www.amtrol.com/boilermate.htm The
FR-HGS is a 3 pass, horizontal tube boiler that's easy to clean and simple
to work on. The basic design has been around since the 1960s. New Yorker
Steel Boiler Co. is owned by Burnham Corp.

wrote in message
ps.com...
I posted awhile back about boilers. I'm still trying to make up my
mind. I am hearing a lot about 3 pass boilers. They are slightly more
efficient and are said to stay that way b/c they are easier to clean.
Are they really a lot better than conventional cast iron boilers? How
long have US manufacturers been making them? Is it really that hard to
keep a conventional boiler clean if you service it regularly or is this
a marketing thing? System 2000 also goes on about how hard
conventional boilers are to keep efficient.

Any thoughts? Thanks.




[email protected] January 26th 06 01:21 AM

3 pass vs conventional boilers
 
Thank-you. But are they really that much better? I know the 3 pass
are easier to clean, but do conventional boilers really lose that much
efficiency if maintained yearly? I can't really get excited about a
boiler that is 2% more efficient. Why are HVAC guys so excited about
these? Also, is it possible for a homeowner to clean a boiler? Where
can I find info on this?

Thanks.


Bob January 26th 06 01:58 AM

3 pass vs conventional boilers
 
Which boiler are you asking is better?
Which boiler are you calling "conventional"?
Which boilers are they getting excited about?
It's possible for the average home owner to clean his own boiler. It's not
possible for him to adjust it without proper training. New boilers don't
require as much cleaning, but the adjustments should be checked every year.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Thank-you. But are they really that much better? I know the 3 pass
are easier to clean, but do conventional boilers really lose that much
efficiency if maintained yearly? I can't really get excited about a
boiler that is 2% more efficient. Why are HVAC guys so excited about
these? Also, is it possible for a homeowner to clean a boiler? Where
can I find info on this?

Thanks.




[email protected] January 26th 06 02:15 AM

3 pass vs conventional boilers
 
When I say conventional, I mean a pin type boiler. Maybe this is the
wrong term. Better refers to 3 pass boilers. the only advantages I
see is that they are slightly more efficient and easier to clean. I
assume they are fairly new for residential use. I am just trying to
determine if they are significantly better than the pin type and why.
Thanks.


Bob January 26th 06 02:32 AM

3 pass vs conventional boilers
 
Cast iron boilers with the "pins" on them are a pain to clean. The 'steady
state efficiency' of any vertical pass boiler is about the same as a
horizontal pass boiler, but the 'seasonal efficiency' is not.

wrote in message
oups.com...
When I say conventional, I mean a pin type boiler. Maybe this is the
wrong term. Better refers to 3 pass boilers. the only advantages I
see is that they are slightly more efficient and easier to clean. I
assume they are fairly new for residential use. I am just trying to
determine if they are significantly better than the pin type and why.
Thanks.




[email protected] January 26th 06 02:58 AM

3 pass vs conventional boilers
 
You mean that the pin type boiler becomes less efficient as the heating
season passes, but returns to its normal efficiency after cleaning.
The 3 pass keeps a more consistent state of efficiency between
cleanings if I understand you correctly.

This doesn't seem like such a big deal if you service your boiler
regularly.


zero January 26th 06 03:26 AM

3 pass vs conventional boilers
 
On 25 Jan 2006 12:51:20 -0800, "
wrote:

I posted awhile back about boilers. I'm still trying to make up my
mind. I am hearing a lot about 3 pass boilers. They are slightly more
efficient and are said to stay that way b/c they are easier to clean.


It depends. A closed system burning fual gas will require next to no
cleaning.

Are they really a lot better than conventional cast iron boilers?


They each have grown into their own use by popular demand.

How
long have US manufacturers been making them? Is it really that hard to
keep a conventional boiler clean if you service it regularly or is this
a marketing thing? System 2000 also goes on about how hard
conventional boilers are to keep efficient.


Marketing speak like that is always suspect. I don't know the
"System 2000" however, that _is_ marketing speak.


Any thoughts? Thanks.


Unless you need a boiler for a multiunit dwelling (8-10 + units)
cast iron is most likely your best choice. Others hear are very
qualified to speak of the better residential brands to look into. Talk
to a contractor that does residential and commercial boilers as well
if you're on the bubble.


-zero

Bob January 26th 06 01:42 PM

3 pass vs conventional boilers
 
A horizontal pass boiler is usually more efficient while running, because it
extracts more heat from the flame. They are usually retain more heat when
not running, because there is less natural draft to cool it down.

wrote in message
oups.com...
You mean that the pin type boiler becomes less efficient as the heating
season passes, but returns to its normal efficiency after cleaning.
The 3 pass keeps a more consistent state of efficiency between
cleanings if I understand you correctly.

This doesn't seem like such a big deal if you service your boiler
regularly.




[email protected] January 26th 06 10:16 PM

3 pass vs conventional boilers
 
Thanks. I noticed that the listed efficiency difference is about 2%
between something like the Burnham V8 and 3 pass like the Burnham MPO.
Is that the only difference in terms of efficiency, or does that figure
not tell the whole story. Sorry to beat a dead horse, I'm just trying
to determine how significant a difference there is between a pin type
and 3 pass boiler. It doesn't really seem like that much. Sorry to
beat a dead horse.



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