Burnham Boiler Reviews - Burnham offers boilers with efficiency ranges from 81% AFUE to 95% AFUE. They are the only HVAC manufacturer High Performance HVAC has found that publishes the certifications of efficiency certificates from GAMA (now AHRI).

Burnham Boiler Reviews | Consumer Ratings - Technical

Here we offer technical advice for Burnham Boiler Reviews. Boilers are available as condensing boilers, a cast iron boilers, and other combinations. Combinations such as an oil boiler or a gas boiler. Gas boilers can be broken down into natural gas or LP. Then you have hot water boilers and steam boilers with steam boilers being cast iron. Hot water boilers can be either cast iron or cast aluminum/stainless steel depending on the efficiency level of the boiler.

A condensing boiler will likely be cast aluminum or stainless steel. It is higher in boiler efficiency ratings than either steam or a typical atmospheric boiler. Burnham offers all these combinations. They also have a good dealer network to help find the right boiler for your home. As mentioned below, it is important to find a qualified contractor for installation.

Boiler Installation | Burnham Boiler Reviews

The boiler must be installed properly by a certified HVAC or Plumbing company. Poorly installed boilers will have problems and cost you more in fuel, repairs, and decreasing the life of the boiler. Many people complain of cracked boilers where a crack forms in the cast iron or cast aluminum. There are factory defects, but most of the time this happens it is because of improper installation and set up of the boiler which results in thermal shock.

Additionally, other problems related to improper installation. The boiler must be tested on a cold day after it is installed. A high-temperature difference between the supply and the return can have bad effects on the boiler and cause it to crack.

Burnham Boilers Buyers Guide | Burnham Boiler Reviews

With the proper flow rate and controls, the temperature difference can be maintained within the range of the manufacturer’s specifications. Your boiler will last a very long time with no problems. Always make sure you hire a contractor that will do the job properly. There are many boiler reviews on other sites, and many of the comments are bad and concern a cracked boiler.

I can bet that these people took the lowest bidder. Additionally, most likely, the lowest bidder had no idea what they were doing. They installed it, hooked it up, turned it on, and let it go. All without testing to make sure it was correctly working using an approved factory start-up sequencing.

In that case, you will have problems that will end up costing you a lot of money and frustration down the road. Hire a competent, certified contractor and avoid these problems in the future.

We have written an HVAC Consumer Buyers Guide to help you avoid problems with hiring a contractor and purchasing a new boiler system. Visit HVAC Consumer Buyers Guide for more information.

Modulation Condensing and Staging for Boiler Control for Efficiency | Burnham Boiler Reviews

Burnham produces boilers for the residential and commercial markets. Features of select hot water boilers are:

• Fully modulating firing rates in select boilers - a modulating firing rate means the boiler can run at 25% or 100% or anywhere in between depending on the load or demand put on the boiler. That requires the boiler to be set up with the proper controls and that the controls receive calibration.

With a proper setup, the boiler will modulate, depending on the demand. If it is freezing outside the demand will be high so that the boiler will modulate up to 100%, but if it is not cold outside, just cool, then the boiler will modulate to a lower firing rate.

The big difference between the modulating condensing boilers and the cast iron boilers is efficiency and heat exchangers. Modulating condensing offers much higher efficiency ratings because they have two heat exchangers. That makes better use of the heat produced in the combustion chamber. The heat exchangers are stainless steel for the Burnham condensing boilers rather than cast iron like conventional boilers.

Burnham Boiler Features

• Reset Control - This increases boiler efficiency which means the boiler will use less fuel whether that be gas or oil you will save money with a boiler that can fully modulate its firing rate. For this feature to work, you will need an outdoor reset control so you can save money on fuel costs.
• Low NOx and CO ratings - This is important for the environment and boiler efficiency
• Direct vent sealed combustion in select boilers - direct vent boilers will use the combustion air from outside the structure, so you do not use the air on the inside for combustion air.
• Cast aluminum and cast iron heat exchangers in select boilers - many manufacturers are using cast aluminum in the higher efficiency boilers and continue to use cast iron in other boilers. If you buy a condensing boiler, it will likely be cast aluminum, but if you buy another wet-based type of boiler it will be cast iron.

Additional Features Burnham Boiler Reviews | Burnham Boiler Reviews

• Gas or oil boilers available in select Burnham boilers - this is usually optional when you buy a boiler. Some people use oil or LP because of the unavailability of natural gas.
• Stainless Steel burners make for durability for the extended life of the boiler system. Regular burner cleaning and maintenance are still required.
• Outdoor reset available for hot water boilers as an option - outdoor reset is a control that will allow the boiler to modulate depending on the outside air temperature. That will save you money by allowing the boiler to modulate in low-load situations and use less fuel. Usually, the outdoor rest control is an added feature which means you will pay an additional cost for this feature, but in many circumstances, this added cost is worth the cost and will pay for itself over some time.

Sage Zone Boiler Control

One benefit of a hot water boiler heating system is the ability to zone the piping. The difficulty with zoning is sometimes getting control of everything correctly. From the boiler firing rate to the individual zones themselves. Furthermore, if everything is controlled properly, big savings in energy consumption can be realized. Additionally, Burnham offers a factory preset controller for up to 4 zones.

It takes the task of zoning and controlling the boiler and turns everything into the most efficient process over conventional methods of boiler and zoning control. Finally, some features of the Sage controller include:

• Automatically adjust the firing rate of the boiler based on zone demand
• Circulator exercise function
• Boiler freeze protection
• Works with most conventional thermostats
• Easy installation for Burnham boilers
• Monitor BTU’s and cycle history

If you several zones in your home, it may be a good decision to have a Sage controller installed with your new boiler. Furthermore, discuss this with the HVAC or Plumbing professional before installation to see if this is a good control for you.

Gas Boiler or Oil Boiler?

Most Burnham boilers are gas-fired, but Burnham does have oiled-fired boilers. While the fuel changes from gas to oil, the efficiency rating is decent for the oil boiler. Rated at 87% AFUE, Burhham’s MPO-IQ oil-fired boiler is for people who use oil for heating fuel. It is a three-pass boiler for added efficiency. The thing is with oil boilers is you want easy access to most components, including the combustion chamber. Easy access makes maintenance a breeze. It also makes it easier when something goes wrong, and the combustion chamber needs to be cleaned for combustion issues.

I can tell you firsthand from troubleshooting boiler problems. I spent one Christmas Eve cleaning an oil boiler that had combustion problems. I had to disassemble some of the boilers to clean soot. The customer had no heat because of the combustion issue. Therefore, I had to clean the soot from the combustion chamber and the heat exchanger (a few other areas also). It was a Burnham, and the job was made more accessible because of access. In that regard, you can take comfort that Burnham designed a boiler keeping things like that in mind. Finally, the other bonus feature for the MPO-IQ Burnham boiler is that it is Energy Star rated.

Burnham Gas Boiler Model Comparison Guide

Warranties

Burnham offers five-year limited parts warranties on many of their boilers. Extended parts and labor warranties are available for an additional cost. Burnham condensing boilers have stainless steel heat exchangers, which are good to resist the corrosive effects of condensation moisture. However, I would still want extra protection since replacing a heat exchanger is not cheap. Furthermore, consider the extended parts and labor warranty, especially if you purchase a condensing boiler.

Lastly, I have many customers who have had Burnham boilers that are 30 plus years old. Aside from an occasional maintenance issue, their boilers are dependable and reliable since the day they were installed. The important part of everything is the installation. Done properly, you’ll have a boiler that will give you heat for years to come.

Condensing Boilers | Burnham Boiler Reviews

Burnham has several model options for condensing boilers. Condensing boilers are rated at a higher efficiency than standard cast iron atmospheric boilers. The reason for the higher efficiency is the heat exchangers. Condensing boilers and furnaces use two heat exchangers, so they make better use of the combustion process and making use of the heat produced. Burnham offers the K2, K2 Combi, Aspen, and Alpine models for condensing boilers. All of these boilers offer wall mount with the Alpine and Aspen have option floor mounting. All Burnham condensing boilers that we reviewed are Energy Star rated.

Cast Iron Boilers | Burnham Boiler Reviews

Cast iron boilers are tried and true with a tradition going back more than 100 years. It is also the only choice if you have steam heat. Cast iron boilers, with proper installation and maintenance, can last you many years. As I’ve noted in some of my other boiler articles, I’ve serviced these types of boilers that were over 100 years old, and the customer was never happier with the reliability their boiler offered them. Once again, these boilers require proper installation to see that type of longevity. I know I harp on that, but it is as true today as it was yesterday. Improper installation can result in boiler thermal shock and low efficiency.

Cast iron can be sensitive to wide temperature differences. After installation, everything is set up for the most efficient settings. In the design and installation, everything is taken into consideration, including any thermal shock conditions. If anything is missed, your new boiler operation offers problems and lacks efficiency. That is why it is crucial to select the most competent contractor for installation.

About Burnham

Burnham Hydronics (US Boiler) has been producing cast iron boilers for much of its 125-year history. Additionally, they also own ThermoPride and Crown boilers. To see reviews of other technical boiler reviews such as this Burnham Boiler Review, use our category navigation and navigate to Boiler Reviews for a complete list.

For more information on Burnham boilers and their latest models and efficiency ratings, please visit the Burnham website.

Burnham Boiler Reviews | Consumer Ratings

Resource: The Home Comfort Book: The ultimate guide to creating a comfortable, healthy, long lasting, and efficient home