Is a High Efficiency Condensing Boiler Right for Me?
I
f you have radiators or baseboards rather than vents, then you have a boiler somewhere in your Maryland home – one that will have to be replaced one day.
If that time is approaching for you, it’s a good idea to know what options are available so you can make the best choice for your home and family. Here are some boiler basics – including information about a type of high efficiency boiler you may not have heard of – to get you started.
Boilers 101
All boilers – whether powered by propane, heating oil, or natural gas – extract heat from fuel as it burns; this heat is transferred through a heat exchanger, which then heats the water (or creates steam, depending on the model) that will run through your radiators or baseboards.
The problem is that no fuel-burning system operates at 100 percent efficiency; invariably, some – as much as 30 percent in some older “non-condensing” boiler models – will be lost as exhaust.
In a condensing boiler, however, one significant hardware addition – a secondary heat exchanger – raises efficiency considerably. The second exchanger pulls heat from the exhaust process and recycles it back into your heating system – a step skipped in non-condensing boilers. By adding this step – and by operating at lower temperatures overall – your condensing boiler typically improves boiler operating efficiency by 10-15 percent.
Why aren’t all boilers condensing boilers?
You may ask why all boilers are not condensing, considering their obvious efficiency advantage. For one thing, it’s a matter of economy: condensing boilers cost more to build, since they need additional parts for the secondary heat exchange process. The second reason is that it requires experts to install a condensing boiler correctly so you’ll realize its full efficiency benefits.
Fortunately, you can find those experts at Carroll Home Services.
Our technicians will evaluate whether your home heating system would keep you comfortable while operating at the lower temperatures needed for a condensing boiler to deliver its advantages. If you choose to add a condensing boiler, we’ll install it quickly and correctly the first time, with no need for repeat visits.
Summer is the best time for a heating system upgrade – especially when you can get $100 off a Rinnai Condensing Boiler (or other Rinnai heating equipment) installed by the pros at Carroll Home Services.
Contact us today to learn more – or claim your Rinnai rebate by downloading the application form here.
