Dougsey said:
Hi Don, Can you post a couple pics of your boiler setup? I have a steel boiler w/tankless that will need to be replaced at some point so I'm looking at different options. Where did you score the Buderus for $1200? Sounds like a deal!
We heat mostly with pellets so the thought of the boiler always maintaining temp for DHW use is getting old, especially in the summer.
Did you consider one of those Marathon electric HW tanks?
Hi Doug
Wow a steel boiler and tankless coil certainly needs updating and if you do it right you will cut your oil bill in HALF!
I put an OAK on the Oil Boiler after I did the pellet stove so they are not like divers underwater fighting for the same air to breathe! LOL
So here are some pics.
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/58408/
Also no matter how efficient the DHW tank is, you still need a heat loop and DHW expansion tank to really save oil!!
see pics of this
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/73695/
The Marathon electric water tank is a really good tank with a lifetime warranty
The Superstor tank I have is very similar with no anode and also has a lifetime warranty.
So the difference I believe is the recovery rate so the superstore will provide more hot water for the family.
Another reason is that I still have oil heat if we go away for a week in the winter so the house will not freeze. Can't do that with a pellet stove.
Also nice to have oil heat as a backup if the pellet stove breaks. Although I do have a gas fireplace if we loose electricity!
So the best place here to buy a Buderus is from the Granite group in Hookset NH. Their tech support in second to none!! I spent hours with their tech Dana and he is the best in the world!! Man that guy knows everything about the Buderus Boiler, Tekmar outdoor reset and all the other controls. He has so many stories like using twisted pair wire for the outdoor reset because a customer near the Manchester airport had problems with airplanes and straight wire! he is the best of the best
So get an oil man that deals with them like I did and arrange it so you call the Granite Group and buy the parts. They take charge cards. Then you get the wholesale price like I did and just pay for installation!! You cannot beat it! My neighbor like my setup so much, he used my oil guy and got the exact same system! My neighbor used 691 gallons of oil last year and so far this year he has used 300 gallons last October! He can hardly believe it!!
The granite group has a special designed Buderus system with American controls that are the most reliable and not too expensive that any oil man can fix but may never need to!! We both went with separate circulators instead of zone valves which is also better for more efficient DHW so keep that in mind also!!
Good luck
See Buderus Wire Diagram Below: