Alaska_RockGirl
New Member
Hello All,
I've read quite a few of the boiler sizing threads and I'm pretty sure the bids I've received from 3 heating contractors are too big for my needs. But I wanted to get your opinion to confirm before I call to request bids on smaller models.
I'm in Anchorage, Alaska. 1978 construction, end unit, townhouse-style condo, 1,096 square feet. One bathtub/shower, one dishwasher, in-unit washing machine. Originally electric heat, converted to gas boiler baseboard hot water heat in the late 1980s(?). My wall-mounted Weil-McLain AHE-60 boiler is in the dining room. The crawl space is not sufficiently sized for installing a boiler, so I am keeping it in the dining room, which is an outside wall. I asked about moving it to the utility room with the washing machine/Amtrol, but the contractors said it would be too expensive (though if I save money on the install by getting a smaller boiler maybe that will change).
They also did not recommend a combi boiler and from the research I've done and the fact I'm planning on selling in the next 5 years I am in agreement at this time...though it would be nice to get rid of the space-hogging Amtrol!
Three zones:
Main floor: 43' fin baseboards
Second floor: 31' fin baseboards
41 gallon Amtrol hot water maker (new in 2009)
I participated in an energy rebate program in 2010 and made a lot of upgrades- but not the boiler. The energy program featured a blower-door air changes evaluation along with R values, window to wall ratio, south facing window area. I brought my place up to a 4 star plus rating. My "coldest day" design heat loss is 34,000 BTU/hour.
So far I've received quotes from three different heating contractors in town for five different units:
1. Triangle Tube Challenger TCC85
2. Lochinvar Cadet CDN070
3. Weil McLain 97+70
4. Navien NHB-80
5. Dunkirk CHB-100
Costs are ranging from $7,334 to $8,834 for boiler + install. Efficiency rates are between 85% and 95%.
Based on the coldest day value of 34,000 BTU/hour and the fact that all the proposed boilers have an output of 65,000+ it sure seems like I should be looking at a smaller boiler. In the contractors' defense, I hadn't realized when I had the gentlemen out to bid that the upgrades I made to my home would affect the boiler sizing. It wasn't until I found this board that I realized there were more factors than just "what size I have now" to take into account.
Hopefully I've provided enough details for a recommendation. Please advise, does a smaller boiler make sense, based on the information above?
Thanks in advance!
I've read quite a few of the boiler sizing threads and I'm pretty sure the bids I've received from 3 heating contractors are too big for my needs. But I wanted to get your opinion to confirm before I call to request bids on smaller models.
I'm in Anchorage, Alaska. 1978 construction, end unit, townhouse-style condo, 1,096 square feet. One bathtub/shower, one dishwasher, in-unit washing machine. Originally electric heat, converted to gas boiler baseboard hot water heat in the late 1980s(?). My wall-mounted Weil-McLain AHE-60 boiler is in the dining room. The crawl space is not sufficiently sized for installing a boiler, so I am keeping it in the dining room, which is an outside wall. I asked about moving it to the utility room with the washing machine/Amtrol, but the contractors said it would be too expensive (though if I save money on the install by getting a smaller boiler maybe that will change).
They also did not recommend a combi boiler and from the research I've done and the fact I'm planning on selling in the next 5 years I am in agreement at this time...though it would be nice to get rid of the space-hogging Amtrol!
Three zones:
Main floor: 43' fin baseboards
Second floor: 31' fin baseboards
41 gallon Amtrol hot water maker (new in 2009)
I participated in an energy rebate program in 2010 and made a lot of upgrades- but not the boiler. The energy program featured a blower-door air changes evaluation along with R values, window to wall ratio, south facing window area. I brought my place up to a 4 star plus rating. My "coldest day" design heat loss is 34,000 BTU/hour.
So far I've received quotes from three different heating contractors in town for five different units:
1. Triangle Tube Challenger TCC85
2. Lochinvar Cadet CDN070
3. Weil McLain 97+70
4. Navien NHB-80
5. Dunkirk CHB-100
Costs are ranging from $7,334 to $8,834 for boiler + install. Efficiency rates are between 85% and 95%.
Based on the coldest day value of 34,000 BTU/hour and the fact that all the proposed boilers have an output of 65,000+ it sure seems like I should be looking at a smaller boiler. In the contractors' defense, I hadn't realized when I had the gentlemen out to bid that the upgrades I made to my home would affect the boiler sizing. It wasn't until I found this board that I realized there were more factors than just "what size I have now" to take into account.
Hopefully I've provided enough details for a recommendation. Please advise, does a smaller boiler make sense, based on the information above?
Thanks in advance!