To modulate or not to modulate - what furnace to go with?

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mike02563

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Any advice is greatly appreciated:

I'm in the middle of an oil to gas to conversion. I have to make a decision on a new furnace. At the moment I have two furnaces in mind. The cheapest to purchase would be the Burnham Alpine being offered at an already discounted price from National Grid for around $1K after rebate. I was given the suggestion of the HTP Elite as well which seems a better furnace overall and with a higher rebate may not be that much more then the Alpine($500-$800 difference).

Can anyone please tell me if, on a moderate budget with a mind towards longevity and reliability, am I on the right track here? Or should I not bother with mod-cons at all since it seems issues abound - but are the older style furnaces that much more reliable?

I also hear good things about the Triangle Tube company but hear they have install concerns.What concerns me now since I was leaning towards the Elite, and I had heard good things about Munchkins. My understanding is that they are / were made from the same company and built similarly? Since I couldn't find reviews on the Elite, I looked at reviews of the Munckin. After reading the reviews on the following site, I am no sure I should go with either - the Alpine OR Elite now.

http://www.furnacecompare.com/furnaces/munchkin/reviews
http://www.furnacecompare.com/furnaces/burnham/reviews

seems to be a lot of very unsatisfied consumers...

I am just looking for some advice on what furnace to go with - one of these or is there another I should consider. I'll be making a decision soon - any help that anyone can give me will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Mike
 
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BadgerBoilerMN

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I have personally installed condensing boilers since 1987. The high efficiency condensing boilers made today all modulate flame, condense AND include weather sensitive controls (outdoor reset). Most are quite reliable provided
they are installed by a qualified (read experienced) contractor. A factory training certificate provides evidence of intent, if not competence.

I would look to the local market for support and professional training. The cost of the boiler is irrelevant since you can't use it until it is in working order. Warranty unfortunately doesn't reflect the finished product.

First the size of the boiler matters, second the proper fit to application and most important the guy who will install it.

http://www.badgerboilerservice.com/boilerchoice.html

Furthermore, the Munchkin boiler was an HTP product, but the Elite is the top of that line, featuring upgrade HX and controls. It, like the Alpine condensing boiler use the Giannoni SS HX and are water-tube boilers in contrast to the Belgian made SS water-tube HX made for the good folks at Triangle tube. All are good boilers depending on the system they are applied to and the expertise of the installer.
 
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