Boilers are central heating systems. Most of us heat our homes with a furnace or boiler. Your boiler system is a continuous circuit that pumps hot water out from the boiler through all the radiators or heat emitters and then returns it to the boiler to pick up more heat. Schwantes offers boiler in essentially (3) categories:
Today’s Cast Iron Boilers are fueled by natural gas or propane and are relatively efficient (84%) compared to decades ago. Most vent directly into your existing chimney and offer a cast iron heat exchanger for long life and excellent durability. We offer products from Burnham and Weil-McLain, and with proper maintenance, a cast iron boiler can average 25-30 years of operational life.
High-Efficiency Condensing boilers fueled by natural gas or propane are VERY efficient, often running at 95% efficiency. A condensing boiler takes advantage of the fact that when the fire burns at a lower temperature, it can condense and make water vapor used to pull more heat energy out of the heat exchanger. This increases efficiency and saves on gas or propane use over the life of the boiler. Condensing boilers also draw in outside air to burn, meaning less heat loss from your home. With regular maintenance, high-efficiency boilers can provide solid performance and reliable life expectancies. We recommend the ALTA boiler from US Boiler, the ECO Tec and Evergreen from Weil-McLain, and the HTP Elite Ultra and HTP Elite Fire-Tube Boilers.
*** High-efficiency Boilers may qualify for local utility rebates and Federal Tax Credits. We can help you navigate the field to find the best deal for you.
Condensing combi (or combination) boilers are becoming very popular due to their small size, high efficiency of 95%, and ability to do two things at once. They supply hot water directly to your kitchen and bath without needing a storage tank and still have a main hydronic loop to heat the home using radiators or other heat-emitting systems.
They are also cost-effective and space-saving (like the wall-mounted models). We highly recommend the Alta Combi Boiler from US Boiler, which can run up to three showers and a dishwasher simultaneously, depending on the incoming water temperature. It also has a 95% AFUE rating. Combi boilers are space-efficient because they don’t have a water tank and are mounted on a wall, creating more space in a basement for other uses. We also install Weil—McLain ECO-Tec and Navien Combi Boilers.
*** High-efficiency combi Boilers may qualify for local utility rebates and Federal Tax Credits. We can help you navigate the field to find the best deal for you.