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Residential boilers - Weil McLain, Pennco etc. - anyone know what's what?
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Our very old Weil McLain 250k BTU steam boiler crapped out a week ago. It was polite enough to wait until Spring but the quotes we're getting to install a replacement are all over the place - from $7k to $15k (we're in NY so there's a premium and the install is definitely going to be awkward).

A big part of the difference between quotes is the brand we're being recommended. Some plumbers (the expensive ones) are advocating for a straight replacement with a Weil McLain. At the cheaper end we're being recommended a Pennco / Utica 260k BTU model.

There's very very little on the internet by way of useful comparisons and 90% of the reviews are from disgruntled owners of both models who are venting. We hope to not revisit this for 30 years so there'll be no ongoing relationship with the plumber and we're prime candidates to be taken advantage of.

Does anyone work in the industry or is anyone otherwise in a position to give me some objective advice?



"Are you sure we're going fast enough?" - Emil Zatopek
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Re: Residential boilers - Weil McLain, Pennco etc. - anyone know what's what? [Bretom] [ In reply to ]
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I had my Weil McLain steam boiler replaced in 2016. The original was 37 years old and after doing some research online, and talking to a plumber friend, I went with a Weil McLain. He mentioned that Weil McLain is still one of the best residential steam boilers around, and my 37 year old boiler certainly didn't owe me anything.

The new boiler was almost a direct replacement, just one size smaller. The original was oversized for the house, which isn't the best way to run a steam system. The fact that it was pretty much a direct replacement meant that the install was much easier (no need to relocate the flue, water supply, gas supply, etc. You'll find that the person doing the installation, and whether they do it right, is equally if not more important than the brand of boiler.

Check out https://heatinghelp.com/, specifically "The Wall" on that page. It is a great source of info regarding all heating systems, but particularly steam systems.

Edited to add: Make sure you calculate the EDR (Equivalent Direct Radiation) to determine the correct size boiler for your house. The EDR (in square feet) is calculated by the size of all your radiators. You then size the boiler based on the amount of steam (in square feet) it can produce. You don't want it to be too oversized as this can actually increase fuel costs, and cause short-cycling of the boiler, which can shorten it's life. If the quotes you are getting were just a direct replacement without the companies calculating the EDR, you should look for additional quotes from companies that take this into account. Look for someone that specializes in steam systems.
Last edited by: bm: Apr 3, 19 7:56
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Re: Residential boilers - Weil McLain, Pennco etc. - anyone know what's what? [bm] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks very much.



"Are you sure we're going fast enough?" - Emil Zatopek
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