The Boiler - Plumbing Engineer

The BoilerAERCO International, Inc.www.aerco.comCompany profile: AERCO International, Inc. (AERCO) is aleading supplier of boilers and water-heating products.Founded by Henry Angelery in 1949,the company introduced a revolutionarydesign for an indirect-fired water heaterthat heated water on demand, withoutstorage, at a controlled temperature.This innovation became the standard forwater heaters. In 1988, AERCO becamethe first U.S. manufacturer to offer afully modulating and condensing commercialgas-fired water heater andextended this design to the hydronicSmartPlate water-to-waterheaters help reduce systemenergy costs by utilizinginnovative designsuniquely suited for usewith high-efficiency condensingboilers.411Plumbing Engineer has obtained the inside scoopfrom the top boiler manufacturers about new productintroductions and other industry news andnotes. Here is a compilation of companies interviewed.They appear in no particular order.boiler marketplace.What’s new: The new SmartPlatewater-to-water heaters help reducesystem energy costs by utilizing innovativedesigns uniquely suited for usewith high-efficiency condensing boilers.Capable of supporting up to 90gpm domestic loads at a 100° F rise,these fully packaged, instantaneous heaters incorporate real-timeload tracking capabilities and responsive controls to maintainaccurate hot water temperatures under diversified load patternscommon in commercial and institutional applications.All SmartPlate water heaters incorporate a PID temperaturecontroller and a high turndown, electronic control valve tomaintain outstanding ±2°F temperature control when operatedunder constant load conditions with variances held to ±4°Funder normal load changes. Each SmartPlate heater utilizes acounter flow, stainless steel, brazed plate or plate and frameheat exchanger — the most efficient heat exchangers availablefor indirect water heating — in an instantaneous design thateliminates the need for storage tanks and blending valves.AERCO also has launched a new website(www.aerco.com) makes it easy to find information on highefficiencyboilers and water heaters, as well as on condensingtechnology. Plumbing engineers now have a convenientresource to determine what boilers and hot water heaters arebest suited for their projects.HTP (Heat Transfer Products)www.htproducts.comCompany profile: Established in 1974, HTP isa full-fledged manufacturer on the cutting edgeof energy-efficient space and water heatingtechnology. HTP was the first U.S.-based manufacturerto release a condensing gas waterheater domestically, unveiling the Voyager in1994. In 1996, HTP delivered anotherbreakthrough with the launch of theMunchkin boiler. This highly compactboiler coupled condensing technologywith a modulating burner tofurther trim energy consumption.HTP’s offerings include residentialand commercial boilers, residentialThe EliteHeating Boiler Series featuresinputs ranging from80,000 BTU per hour to399,000 BTU per hour andan industry-leading turndownratio of six to one.and commercial water heaters, indirect tanks, and a range ofsolar products. All offerings are high-efficiency.What’s new: HTP will be introducing an new heating boilerset for release in the fall of 2010. This new boiler will redefinethe hydronics market by offering a product that is both highlycombustion efficient and highly thermal efficient, coupled withenough hydronic mass to stabilize any system and eliminate theneed for primary/secondary piping.High efficiency boilers have continued to gain as a percentageof overall boiler market share. With federal and state legislation,as well as utility companies, encouraging upgrades andnew installations through rebates and stimulus programs, anincrease in sales of high efficiency boilers is forecasted.Hydrotherm, a Mestek Co.www.hydrothermkn.comCompany profile: Hydrotherm created a smallcast iron boiler suitable for New York apartments.Playing off that same concept, Hydrotherm enteredthe commercial market bybanking these smaller boilerstogether, thus forming themodular boiler concept. In the1970s, Hydrotherm producedthe first successful condensingboiler. In an age where typicalefficiencies were 65-70%,Hydrotherm’s Pulse boilerprovided efficiencies of 90%.Hydrotherm joined the Mestekfamily of heating products in1990 and continued its stronginnovative path. The KNSeries, Hydrotherm’s flagshipKN-Series boilers featureHeatNet controltechnology, whicheliminates the needfor wall-mounted third-party controlpanels. Built into each KN-Seriesboiler, the plug-and-play HeatNetcontrol maximizes operating efficiencyand turndown rates to createsubstantial energy savings whetherit is operating on a single unit, partof a Building Management Systemor as a member of a network of upto 16 boilers.product offering is the industries first cast iron condensing boileravailable with outputs ranging from 200MBH - 3,000MBH.KN Series units feature HeatNet control technology. Heat Net isa proprietary control platform ensuring optimum combustionperformance offering superior system efficiency control andcommunication.What’s new: Offering efficiencies of up to 99% with inputsof 200 and 400 MBH, the new KN-2 and KN-4 Series boilersoffer the ultimate combination — the small footprint of modernlow mass boilers and the long life and reliability of cast iron.Page 32/Plumbing Engineer August 2010

Laars Heating Systems Co.,a subsidiary of Bradford White Corp.www.laars.comCompany profile: In 1948, Laars engineers invented a way toimprove the transfer of heat between metals, which led to thedesign of a new commercial boiler.Their concept was based onthe principle that water could beheated rapidly through a finnedcopper tube heat exchangerexposed to gas flames, a techniquethat virtually eliminated theThe NeoTherm®c o n d e n s i n gboiler is a fullypackaged, space-saving hydronic solution thatoffers 95% energy efficiency. Laars is now addingthree additional commercial NeoTherm boiler sizes(600, 750, 850) to the full line-up of current residentialsizes (80, 105, 150, 210) and commercialsizes (285, 399, 500), extending the NeoThermrange from 80 MBH all the way to 850 MBH.scaling and electrolyticcorrosionthat shortened thelife of the castiron and steeltube boilers.In the 70s, thecompany expandedinto residentialhydronic systems.Laars Heating Systems Company (www.laars.com) was purchasedby the Bradford White Corporation in 2005, greatlyexpanding Laars’ scope and marketplace. Recently, Laars completedfull consolidation of all manufacturing at its Rochester,N.H. plant, with facilities in Canada.What’s new: Laars has just introduced three new commercialsizes of our NeoTherm mod-con line, the NTH 600, 750,and 850, each with a 5:1 turn-down ratio and standard controlsthat will modulate and stage up to 8 boilers with outdoor resetand lead/lag boiler rotation. Also, Laars has just released 5 sizesof a new condensing volume water heaters, the NeoTherm NTV150, 199, 285, 399 & 500. Also, in the new product category,Laars will soon introduce the Laars System Commander, anautomatic “gateway” device that allows the Laars IntegratedControl used on NeoTherm boilers to communicate directly withbuilding automation systems with BACNET and LON protocols.The Laars System Commander is a “plug ’n play” controlthat auto-detects the BAS protocol and communicates seamlesslywithout having to map data points, and also auto-detects andnames all Laars boilers connected to the system, with up to 12burners.Lochinvar Corporationwww.Lochinvar.comCompany profile: Lochinvar's historydates back to 1919 with its founder WalterVallett, Sr.’s entry into the water heater business.A true industry pioneer, Vallett wasinstrumental in the development of the firstautomatic gas fired water heaters early inhis career. He founded the Walter VallettCompany May 16, 1946, which eventuallybecame Lochinvar Water Heaters, and isknown today asLochinvar Corporation.What’s new: The latestaddition toLochinvar’s family ofcommercial, stainlesssteel, condensing boilersis the CREST heatingboiler, which will beavailable later this year.CREST will includethe SMART TOUCHoperating controlplatform enhanced with an eight-inchtouchscreen display; this advanced controlwill offer ease of set-up and use byinstalling contractors and will includeModbus protocol for easy integration intoBuilding Management Systems.This innovative new line has been developed to offer engineersmore system design flexibility, sizes and distinctive performancecharacteristics to meet today’s building standards for new constructionand energy retrofit applications. The CREST heatingboiler will be offered in five models with capacities of 1.5, 2.0,2.5, 3.0 and 3.5 million Btu/hr inputs. Each of these models willfeature an advanced burner and combustion system designed toprovide exceptional turndown capabilities and improve overallseasonal efficiencies.Lochinvar also announced their Solar Thermal Heating initiative,which is the result of a new partnership with TiSUN®GmbH of Tyrol, Austria. The partnership between Lochinvarand TiSUN has resulted in a winning team with smart strategiesthat provide the exact product, training and support thatmechanical and plumbing design engineers and contractorsneed to provide renewable energy solutions for their clients.Lochinvar has expanded upon its highly successful Squire®Indirect Water Heater line to include a total of 12 stainless steelmodels with capacities between 30 and 119 gallons. Among thenew models are six solar units, each of which features a hybridsystem incorporating solar thermal panels along with a secondaryboiler heating coil or electric back-up.Slant/Fin Corpwww.slantfin.comCompany profile: Slant/Fin was founded in 1949 byMel Dubin. He began manufacturing commercial fintube in the back of a bakery in Brooklyn, New York.The company has since grown and is still a privatelyheld company now manufacturing in Greenvale, N.Y.Slant/Fin manufactures a full line of residential andcommercial fin tube radiators, as well as a full line ofgas and oil boilers. Since 1949, heating contractors,engineers and builders have depended on Slant/Fin forproducts of the highest quality. Slant/Fin is dedicatedto satisfying its customers through on-time delivery ofquality products — along with the best technical andcustomer support in the industry.What’s new: The EUTECTIC Series is the newesthigh efficiency, cast iron, oil-fired boilers by Slant/Fin.Made from proprietary cast iron, the heat exchanger is resistant tothermal shock and corrosion. Suitable for lower temperature operationand outdoor reset controls. The speciallydesigned three pass heat exchanger maximizes heattransfer and delivers 87% AFUE. Runs quietly.There is plenty of room for thermal expansion ofthe flue gasses to keep burner and flame noise to avery minimum. It is easy to clean, the door isreversible, the baffles are removable and brushingthe flueways is a snap. Cleans easily with areversible swing-open door and removable baffles.Engineered to run clean under all ambient conditions.Available in sizes you need from 88,000 to350,000 btuh.The cast iron is flexible and resilient which allowsfor lower temperature operation especially with outdoorreset controls. This yields significant energysavings. The EUTECTIC boiler, like other Slant/Finoil boilers, will operate cleanly under all the differentoperating conditions. It has done the testing andhas matched burners and components to this boiler to make sure theboiler will stay running clean after you leave the job.The specially designed threepassheat exchanger maximizesheat transfer and delivers87% AFUE. Plenty of roomfor thermal expansion of theflue gases to keep burner andflame noise to a minimum.Plumbing Engineer August 2010/Page 33

RBI, a Mestek Co.www.rbiwaterheatersInfinite Energy, highefficiency condensingboiler products, operateswith combustionefficiencies as high as97.3% and can bevented through standardschedule 40 PVCpiping.Company profile: RBI built its foundation as a contractbuilder of copper finned heat exchangers. In the mid-1990s,RBI became a Mestek company. Withthe leverage of Mestek’s marketing andtechnology resources, RBI was able toquickly grow and establish itself as anindustry leader in copper finned-tubehot water supply equipment. The introductionof the near condensing XLFSeries gives new meaning to “high output,small footprint” boilers with sizesup to 4000MBH. The condensingFusion Series offers full input efficienciesof up to 98%. Select RBI units featureHeatNet control technology.What’s new: Infinite Energy high efficiencycondensing gas boilers, the latestaddition to the RBI family of high efficiencycondensing boiler products operateswith combustion efficiencies as highas 97.3% and can be vented throughstandard schedule 40 PVC piping.It’s fully modulating LoNOx commercial-gradestainless steel burner configurationinsures optimal efficiencies and superior performancethroughout all firing rates.The Infinite Energy’s stainless steel heat exchanger assemblyincorporates an integral condensate neutralizer with floatswitch protection for safe and efficient operation.Units feature an exclusive on-board control platform allowingapplication versatility and master/member boiler communicationof up to 16 units using outdoor reset as standard.The direct-vent, sealed combustion Infinite Energy uses asmall footprint with zero clearance to combustibles. Features:• Up to 97.3% efficient• Direct vent, sealed combustion• Full modulation• Pre-mix stainless steel burner• Integrated boiler control platform (operate up to 16 boilers)• ASME & ETL Certified• Built-in condensate neutralizer and float switch protection• Outdoor reset capable• PVC venting approved•Environmentally friendly — Low NOx.Weil-McLainwww.weil-mclain.comCompany profile: Weil-McLain is a leading designer,manufacturer and marketer ofheating and cooling equipment inresidential, commercial and institutionalbuildings. Building on atradition of quality and innovation,the mission is simple: todesign and build the best productson the market, to make themfirst and to make them last — fordecades. In September of 2010,Weil-McLain will celebrate its130th anniversary. With a corporateheadquarters nestled alongsidethe beaches of LakeMichigan in Michigan City, Ind.,and a state-of-the-art manufacturingfacility, as well as a worldclasscustomer training facility inEden, North Carolina, Weil-McLain is a leader in the comfortAvailable in two sizes (550& 750 MBH), the UltraCommercial offers an efficiencyrating of 94%. TheUltra Commercial is CSD-1compliant and is lightweightand require minimalclearance, making for afast & easy out-of-the-boxinstallation.heating industry. Weil-McLain is now taking its expertisebeyond North America’s borders, as well — with approximately700 employees worldwide.New products: Weil-McLain unveils Ultra Commercial:Available in two sizes (550 & 750 MBH), the UltraCommercial offers an efficiency rating of 94%. The UltraCommercial is CSD-1 compliant and is lightweight andrequire minimal clearance.Key features include:• 93.9% thermal efficiency• 94% combustion efficiency• CSD-1 Compliant is standard• Lightweight and requires minimal clearance• Fast & easy out-of-the-box installation• Low NOx Certified• PVC venting for direct vent and direct exhaust• Compact design packaged boiler• 20% - 100% modulation• U-Control flexibilityU.S. Boiler Co., Inc.www.usboiler.burnham.comCompany profile: The Burnham Brand made by U.S.Boiler Company has introduced more new, high efficiencyproducts over the last several years than anyother company at any time in the history of hydronicheating. From new energy star® certified, gas-fired residentialboilers — to high efficiency oil-fired boilersincluding advanced-design, three-pass,cast iron boilers — along with the industry’sonly 3-pass, oil-fired, steam boiler.Taken together, U.S. Boiler Company’sexpansive lineup of Burnham hydronicheating products boasts the highest averageefficiency, exceeding 85%, withmaximum efficiencies more than 95%.The Burnhambrand continuesto set the new standards for hydronicheating equipment in residential andcommercial products for gas-fired and oilfiredapplications — with water andsteam boilers — and super high efficiencycondensing boilers.U.S. Boiler Company now offers the broadest line ofBurnham condensing boilers available from any manufactureranywhere including both cast aluminum heatand stainless steel heat exchangers. Also, manyBurnham products now boast exclusive leading-edgeboiler control technology with both the Burnham IQcontrol system and the advanced Burnham Sage2boiler control system. Both systems have been specificallydesigned by U.S. Boiler engineers forunmatched control of Burnham boilers.To provide this extensive and industry-leading productlineup, U.S. Boiler Company has invested in worldclass manufacturing facilities along with the BurnhamFoundry, LLC in Zanesville, Ohio and new assemblyoperations in Lancaster, Pa. with state-of-the art computernumerical controlled machines providing exactingproduct tolerances.Page 34/Plumbing Engineer August 2010