Table of Contents
Note to reader - Crown has an upgrade to this boiler. It is now the Aruba 4 Gas Boiler.
Crown Aruba Gas Boiler Reviews - Crown Boilers notes that the Crown Aruba Gas Hot Water Boiler is Crown’s best-selling gas-fired boiler. Many Crowns boilers are named after tropical islands where many tourist resorts are located. We don’t know if Crown does this as an excuse to take vacations to tropical resorts or because it is a coy marketing scheme to make people think pleasant thoughts when they are shopping for a boiler.
Imagine going window shopping for a boiler and seeing the Aruba 3 in one window and another hot water boiler named the Buderus GB142 hot water boiler in another window. Dreamy visions of Aruba come to mind and instantly I am attracted to the Aruba 3. Huh? I suppose some people would become hypnotized by the Aruba 3 moniker but not me.
Of course, given my background, my occupation, my profession, and my trade I have an unfair advantage over the average Joe or Josephine when window shopping for my next heating system. And this is the reason why the Joes and the Josephine’s will come here to get their anti-hypnotizing dose of reality. “Joe and Josephine” (with a low voice) “when I snap my fingers you will awaken from your daze and read this blog column” SNAP! Okay, are you ready? Here goes….the review that is and not all expense paid trip to Aruba.
On initial impression, I am wondering why the Crown Aruba 3 hot water boiler is their top-selling boiler. It looks good in its black and red colors but this is not about fashion or looks. We want a heating system this is reliable, efficient, and at a good price. I do not have access to prices for Aruba and neither does anyone else except the plumbers and HVAC people who install this boiler. Since each installation is different the price for any boiler you buy will be different and that is why we do not give any prices in our reviews.
Reliability - the craftsmanship of the Crown is good and from my field experience, Crown has a good reputation among HVAC and Plumbing professionals and customers alike. I have never heard anyone say anything bad about any Crown product. The Crown Aruba 3 hot water boiler has a cast-iron heat exchanger and stainless steel burners and this also good. The cast-iron heat exchanger is great provided the installation is correct.
Some things that can go wrong here are installing the wrong pump or have near boiler piping incorrectly configured. Pipe size is also a factor. What can make a good cast iron heat exchanger bad? Thermal shock. Thermal shock is when really cold water returns to the boiler heat exchanger which is very hot. The temperature difference can cause the heat exchanger to have a short life. The cast iron can crack or become brittle which will lead to stress cracks.
This is why it is very important to have your boiler installed by professionals who know what they are doing and can do all the correct calculations to make sure the boiler has a long life. This way you are spending your money on trips to tropical islands and not on replacing your boiler every few years. The heat exchanger meets the specifications of ASME.
Crown Aruba Gas Boiler Reviews | Consumer Ratings - Economical
Crown claims the price for the Aruba 3 hot water boiler is economical and the design is simple. Good on both accounts. It is available with either a standing pilot or electronic ignition. It is recommended that you get the electronic ignition model.
Crown Aruba Gas Boiler Reviews | Consumer Ratings - Features
Features for the Crown Aruba 3 Hot Water Boiler are listed as:
- Spill switch for safety with flue problems - typically standard on many manufacturers boilers
- Cast Iron heat exchanger with a limited lifetime warranty - standard
- Honeywell Controls - good
- High-limit circulator relay control for water temperature regulation - standard
- Relief Valve 30 PSI - standard
- Roll-out switch for heat exchanger and flue blockages - standard
- Fully assembled and ready for installation
- Factory tested for operation and combustion - good
- Powder-coated jacket - good
- Fiberglass insulation for low heat loss - good and standard
- temperature pressure gauge and drain valve - good and standard
- Built-in draft hood for fitting in tight spaces - good
- Motorized boiler vent damper for reducing heat loss up the chimney - excellent
Crown Aruba Gas Boiler Reviews | Consumer Ratings - Conclusion
The Crown Aruba 3 hot water boiler comes in sizes from 37,000 BTU to 295,000 BTU which makes it appropriate for residential and light commercial. Overall I give this boiler 7 out of 10 on the rating scale. Why 7 out of 10. Everything listed with the Aruba 3 is good. In fact, I think it is a great boiler however it lacks in the efficiency category. There are boilers that are more efficient than the Aruba 3 hot water boiler.
Crown Aruba Gas Boiler Reviews | Consumer Ratings - Efficiency
Crown does a good job dressing this boiler up to make it as efficient as possible but there are more efficient boilers out there. If the price is right then I would say go ahead and buy it but definitely, keep window shopping for a more efficient boiler for a similar price. If you can’t find a more efficient boiler for a similar price then go back to the Crown Aruba 3 hot water boiler window and talk to the salesman and enjoy your Aruba boiler.
Don’t forget after you get your new Aruba 3 hot water boiler to keep it maintained by having regular boiler maintenance done.
For more information on Crown Boilers and their latest models and efficiency ratings please visit the Crown Boiler website.
Crown Aruba Gas Boiler Reviews
Crown Aruba Gas 2011 Boiler Reviews
I purchased a Crown Boiler just over 2 years ago for my home. The blower motor went out this weekend and we had no heat or hot water. Velocity refused to consider it under warranty and I’ll have to buy a $550 part for my new boiler after spending several thousand dollars on a boiler and water heater from them. The company that sold it to us tried to persuade them to replace it and they still refused. I will never recommend a Crown/Velocity boiler to anyone!
Crown Aruba Gas Boiler Reviews | Consumer Ratings
Admin Transfer from old site to new site
Submitted by Cheryl Biswurm on 2013/03/08 at 6:12 am
I am interested in your feedback on a problem I have encountered with my Crown Bermuda boiler. It was installed 4 1/2 years ago and now has two “holes” in the cast iron “block” (I assume that is the “heat exchanger” mentioned in your reviews). Crown’s warranty only covers the “part” and therefore they will only replace the block and will not cover any labor. After a long battle and many letters, the best we could do (aside from going to small claims court) was to get the installer to absorb their labor costs to remove and install a new Crown Bermuda boiler. We are having to pay the installer the cost of the new boiler plus fittings. We do not feel that this should have happened after just 4 1/2 years! We have also been told by the installer that this “same” problem has occurred with other Crown boilers that they have installed over the past few years. Do you have any feedback as to what may have caused this? I’d also be curious to know if you think that our outcome (the fact that we are having to pay over $1200 for a new boiler after 4 1/2 years) is a fair one? Thank you.
Submitted on 2013/03/15 at 7:42 am | In reply to Cheryl Biswurm.
I have seen cast iron boilers spring leaks from time to time and problems range from improper installation to a manufacturers defect. It is not uncommon for the consumer to pay for the labor of installation and get the part or new equipment free. I would recommend purchasing the extended warranty that covers parts and labor. It costs more but in the future if something goes wrong you are covered 100%. The problems mentioned above not only come from Crown but other manufacturers also.