Plumbing Question 123
Question:
I need to replace my steam furnace and have quotes from two of the local oil companies.
One company would install a Peerless ECT-03-S4 cast iron steam boiler. The other would install a Burnham #MST396 both without internal coils (get hot water from a hot water tank).
Is there really much difference between the two?
The rep using the Burnham told me that the Burnham is a true steam furnace. Where as the Peerless is a hot water boiler modified to do steam.
When I look at the Peerless website it does say the Series EC/ECT boilers can be used for steam or a large volume hot water application.
I also noticed that the Burnham site had several models listed depending on the amount of “steam sq ft.” I would need. The rep using the Burnham took his time and looked over the house and at all the radiators measuring them and came up with a figure to determine which boiler I needed.
The Burnham runs about $1,000 more to install.
Answer:
The Burnham is definitely a better built unit and are preferred in higher end applications. They also have great customer support and like you pointed out, the Reps take their time to make sure you are sized correctly for your particular needs.