# burnham boilers



## rex (Jun 13, 2008)

any one with any expirence with theses boilers....im thinking of using the spirit model in a snow melt job im doing right now....im not worried about the efficenciy of the boiler i just need to be able to direct vent it through the wall exterior is brick....i like the simple boliers much eaiser to work on...

ive installed and worked on almost every type of boiler.... one of my supply houses just took on this line so they dont really have much feedback form others as to the performance and servicability of theses boilers.....

i


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

My boss has a Burnham in his house, he installed it when he built the house thirty three years ago, it's still there.


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## TDB (Jun 25, 2008)

Burnham makes a fine boiler. We install them all the time. Thats pretty much the only manufacturer we use...

Why does it have to be direct vent?

You are gonna have a "cheaper to mantain" boiler if you go with a standard 204. No combustion motor, no control board, no HSI... I'd go with that over the spirit line due to simplicity.


Even their older ones are decent and in many cases, still hanging in there...


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## GrumpyPlumber (Jun 12, 2008)

*I do Burnhams, a big fan of the SCG, am looking at the CHG's as well..as for why you'd want to direct vent a boiler, I don't think anyone here should have to ask that question...*


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## vermaraj (Jun 17, 2008)

We install Burnhams all the time, never had any problems. 

Currently looking at the peerless direct vent. We have never installed one so I have no first hand knowledge. 

The feedback I have gotten from other installers is that when the combustion air being drawn directly from outside is consistently below 10F most burners will start acting eratic. There are various work arounds that mstly involve increasing the burner oil pressure. Most of the installers have told us that Riello burners do not have this problem since they run at a higher pressure than most other burners.


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## vermaraj (Jun 17, 2008)

Sorry, I incorrectly assumed you were looking at their direct vent oil fired boilers. Haven't had any issues with DV gas.


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## TDB (Jun 25, 2008)

GrumpyPlumber said:


> *I do Burnhams, a big fan of the SCG, am looking at the CHG's as well..as for why you'd want to direct vent a boiler, I don't think anyone here should have to ask that question...*


I'm asking... So tell me...


DV just causes problems. Wait til there is a solid chunk of ice built up on it or a bird makes a nest in it 

If its cold air you are worried about; ever heard of a heat trap in the combustion air vent?


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## GrumpyPlumber (Jun 12, 2008)

TDB said:


> I'm asking... So tell me...
> 
> 
> DV just causes problems. Wait til there is a solid chunk of ice built up on it or a bird makes a nest in it
> ...


*You know why DV boilers have intake...right?*
*It seemed like you were asking why.*

*As for birds nesting, thats why MFG's include the mesh covered outlet.*
*As for ice buildup, you're supposed to pitch the exaust back to a condensate tee or to ther outlet to prevent standing water, as well as know your local code in conjunction with the nat'l weather service for min height of discharge.*


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## TDB (Jun 25, 2008)

I meant why does he require a DV. It sounds like he just needs it done cheap since he does not care about efficiency. Just currious why it was a requirement. If he opted out of it, there would be more options available and cheaper...

Pitch won't help here... A snow drift will block it up in a hurry. Maybe our (Alaska) weather is just to rough for DVs. We have them all over but they ice up all the time. We have the same problem with gas meters becoming a solid block of ice!  Anything located outside that directly affects your heating system is not a good idea around here. Just more problems.

And as far as mesh goes, wait til summer when when a honeycomb has developed in and around the vent 

Of all the boilers I worked on, without a doubt, a well built simple boiler is the most reliable and cheapest to mantain. I'll take a thermocouple gas valve over a intermitant or hot surface ignition. I'll take room vented over direct vent. I'll use an air scoop over a spirovent. A solid wiring job over a zone control board (those are a joke on home systems) An aquastat relay box over a control board... 

I have a weil-mclain about 10 years old in my house. Only "option" on it is a flue damper. Everything else is bare bones. I have not worked on it ever. Still the same thermocouple from when I moved in. I have not even cleaned it out  I have no dielectric unions either and my pump gaskets appear to be installed correctly. I don't think a home owner would ever have to pay somebody to work on my boiler if they new how to replace a thermocouple every couple years and new how to switch the damper to manual...

From a home owner point of view (barring price of gas) a simple setup is definitely the way to go. You could go 15 years without dropping a penny into the boiler except for a $10 tcouple and a few minutes to put it in. Guage cocks on the autovent makes that a snap too...

From a service point of view - I hope every home owner gets the latest and greates gadgets on their heating system. I'll be back every couple years  and by the time I replaced everything from the control board to the combustion motor; the process will start all over again with the first thing that went wrong!!! 50% of our busniess is boiler repair... We make a killing off idiotic designs like hot surface ignitions...


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## GrumpyPlumber (Jun 12, 2008)

*Aaaaaahhh...say no more...yer in freaking Alaska, I'm MA.*
*Our code requires vent outlets at 28" above grade for snowfall...yours is more like freaking 15 feet.*

*DV intake is relative to cubic feet of space inside a living area, most basements are too small and need either a DV or a "fan in a can" to take air in to prevent O2 depletion...there's NO way around that.*
*Your code doesn't cover the topic?*


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