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View Full Version : IBC Boilers; Need your feedback prior to purchase


HVACnomore
Apr 3, 2009, 08:54 PM
No ad's Go sell your boilers somewhere else.

scuba404040
Oct 6, 2009, 03:45 AM
No ad's Go sell your boilers somewhere else.

gator1286
Oct 17, 2009, 01:51 PM
No ad's Go sell your boilers somewhere else.

gator1286
Oct 17, 2009, 02:50 PM
Little rude I think, I don't sell them, I just bought one !

gator1286
Oct 17, 2009, 02:55 PM
There was a lot of goo information on the post I did, It was not an "ad" go pull your head out of your Mr. Moderator

hvac1000
Oct 17, 2009, 03:19 PM
This is the second or 3rd time the same stuff was posted about how the guy is a rep or something for the company but his typing is not so good etc. I have a good memory for that kind of stuff. BTW the unit in question is not all that great. Muchkin,Triangle Tube, The new Peerless toy,and many others are better designed. I always like the truth to be told also.

You just got to love it. All 3 new posterd

gator1286
Oct 17, 2009, 04:13 PM
I will reiterate again that I am not a rep and was relating my personal experience to you and I do not view the IBC as a poorly designed unit. Perhaps us Canucks up here might know a little more about cold temperature heating than our warm southern neighbours give us credit for. I was relating my experience to others that may be purchasing an IBC boiler so they might know that it is worth every penny I paid for it. I also have done some research prior to my purchase and it had better features and a 12 year warranty which was not available on other units that were readily available in Canada. They second factor was that it was a Canadian product made for Canadians and I would prefer to buy my stuff local rather than a product from a country who thinks that they are the only ones that feel the exist on the planet. (I hope that you will be able to figure that out) And whether the other guy was a rep or not what does it matter? He was giving out info to someone who wanted it and I thought that was what a forum like this was all about. Oh, by the way are you "advertising" since you mentioned 3 or 4 brands that you prefer? Give me a break "Mr. Expert" and practice what you and the moderator preach.

hvac1000
Oct 17, 2009, 04:32 PM
Brands are mentioned all the time since we advise on repairs. While you might have a bit more cold weather where you are at the university I teach at specializes in testing equipment for HVAC manufactures so I doubt if you know more about boilers than I do. If you look at the posts here they relate more to repair than discussing which unit is better than another. If you want info for your boiler all you have to do is ask. Pick the info you want at there web site
BTW most of the condensing boilers are mismatched to the systems they are installed in so I hope you know what you are doing.

IBC Technologies (http://www.ibcboiler.com/)

gator1286
Oct 17, 2009, 05:33 PM
Thanks for the info, I have been to ALL the boiler sites. Moreover I am not an "expert" or a teacher but I am not naïve either. There was nothing in the posts that got erased that had anything objectionable or offensive, nor was there ant talk of repairs, it was all about information, about someone wanting info about IBC boilers. As well, I did all my installs after consulting with several people who knew what they were doing and I only laid the piping. I have set my boiler up to run at maximum efficiency where possible. The boiler install and related equipment were done by a boiler specialist. My system has worked very and I enjoy the fact that it can modulate down to 15000 mbth all the way up to 150000 mbtu. That is pretty interesting actually because you would have to be fairly stupid to mismatch something with that kind of range after doing a heat loss analysis, but then of course those brands of higher pedigree that you mentioned do not have that kind of range, do they? SO that means that in the summer time when your indirect hot water calls for heat, your boiler is going to run on lets say at a 40000 mbtu minimum? Then again in your climate you seldom see -40 Fahrenheit so you need a smaller boiler to begin with. Up here we need a better range, low output in the summer and high output in the winter. To me the design looks almost identical between all the brands with the exception of superior throttle range for the IBC 150, in fact the widest throttle range for any condensating boiler but then I am not an expert so what should I know?

Rlam
Nov 16, 2009, 08:18 PM
Thanks for the info, I have been to ALL the boiler sites. Moreover I am not an "expert" or a teacher but I am not naive either. There was nothing in the posts that got erased that had anything objectionable or offensive, nor was there ant talk of repairs, it was all about information, about someone wanting info about IBC boilers. As well, I did all my installs after consulting with several people who knew what they were doing and I only laid the piping. I have set my boiler up to run at maximum effeciency where possible. The boiler install and related equipment were done by a boiler specialist. My system has worked very and I enjoy the fact that it can modulate down to 15000 mbth all the way up to 150000 mbtu. That is pretty interesting actually because you would have to be fairly stupid to mismatch something with that kind of range after doing a heat loss analysis, but then of course those brands of higher pedigree that you mentioned do not have that kind of range, do they? SO that means that in the summer time when your indirect hot water calls for heat, your boiler is going to run on lets say at a 40000 mbtu minimum? Then again in your climate you seldom see -40 Farenheit so you need a smaller boiler to begin with. Up here we need a better range, low output in the summer and high output in the winter. To me the design looks almost identical between all the brands with the exception of superior throttle range for the IBC 150, in fact the widest throttle range for any condensating boiler but then I am not an expert so what should I know?

How do you like your IBC boiler, I live in the Vancouver area and I like to get one installed too. Did you install a primary circulation pump too?

gator1286
Nov 21, 2009, 10:43 AM
As you can see from the posts that I have put up that my boiler is working well, and I think it is a great product. I have 4 pumps on my system. I primary pump that that feeds the three other secondary pumps for the DHW, radiant floor for the basement and garage ( 1 pump for two zones) and fan heating coil. I do not have a mixing valve, and the different zones are set on priority switching based on the priority that they are set on the boiler control panel. For larger homes it may make sense to have the boiler run nearly neary constantly but at lower BTUS for maximum efficiency.

hvac1000
Apr 7, 2011, 09:37 AM
Most boilers installed are replacement boilers not new installs. Look at the statistics for yourself. The new condensing boilers do not like return temps more than 120 to 125 degrees F or they do not condense thus losing there efficiency along with all the extra bucks you spent for the unit. Now if you have a new install different story but if you try to run existing fan coils, cast iron or baseboards with low temps you will be very unhappy with the results. There is just not enough radiation area to heat the house at those low return temps and that drives the homeowners to demand higher water temps on these existing systems thus the problems start.

You are only looking at your circumstance which can be very misleading to others who read what is posted. The new style condensing boilers are not designed to work with existing radiation already in place that was used by a higher temp boiler because the return water temp will be to high as said before.

Then you need to talk service. Most old style boilers will run for years without much problem but the condensing units call for service at least every year. Then you will need the gaskets and other worn parts so the service person can put the unit back in service.

So what we have is a unit that will save some gas utility when installed as a complete new system designed to run at a lower return temperature minus the yearly service charge or 2-3 hours and parts. When you subtract the service cost from the savings some of that savings will still be there.

When you install a new style condensing boiler as a replacement unit the gas savings will not be there due to the high return temperature and the cost of yearly service.

These are just the facts but the worse part is you have to pay big bucks for the condensing boiler to start with and that adds to the overall cost. One other item when that condensing gas boiler needs a part no longer in warranty get ready for the big bill. The parts on these units are outrageous in price and the worse part is you can only get them from the OEM.

Monitor products probably made one of the best condensing boilers available BUT they eventually went out of business so now all the people who bought them are SOL since parts are almost impossible to find and sooner than later there will be no parts to be found period.

You can have all the modulation as you call it or turn down as I call it you want but if the return water temp needs to be over 120-125F a condensing boiler is a waste of time and money.

I also like to tell folks to read the real warranty that comes with the unit. Parts are one item but the labor that's not paid for is the real killer. Everyone is allowed to have there own opinion and this is mine.

Iowa HVAC
Sep 7, 2012, 01:24 PM
No ad's Go sell your boilers somewhere else.