Replacing a Boiler and Water Heater in Bristol Township, PA

When Bristol homeowner, Tony Pressimone, called ECI due to a boiler leak that already caused three inches of water in the basement, we knew we had to act fast. 

As Tony was drying out the cellar, he wanted some options for a replacement and, of course, wanted to find out how he could prevent this from happening again.

We quickly got to the bottom of the situation and worked with Tony to find a solution that would save him money in the long run.

In this case study, we’ll explore what caused the boiler to leak and how Tony will avoid this in the future. We’ll also explain how we got the house back up and running quickly. Finally, we’ll look at the energy-saving model he chose for his new unit.

What caused the rust and leaks

So, why did this boiler rust through and start leaking? And, how can you prevent this from happening in your home?

It turns out there was a slow leak that went unnoticed for a long time; the signs of a leaking boiler are usually subtle.

Our homeowner first got a few complaints about the heat from his tenants. The house just wasn’t staying as hot as it used to and it seemed like something was up. Meanwhile, the system was using significantly more oil than the year before. At first, our landlord thought maybe the tenants were using more water -- but the water bill hadn’t increased. 

Soon, the flooded basement obviously tipped him off that there was a real problem.

A boiler uses water in a closed-loop system. As it heats up, it travels to the radiators in the house to give off thermal energy and provide hot water for the house.

In this Bristol Township home, the boiler sprung a leak and was losing water. So, whatever company Tony had called was just adding more water every so often.

However, that fresh, cold water entering the system kicked off an oxidation process that began rusting out the unit from the inside. There shouldn’t have been that much air mixing into the closed-loop system.

Eventually, that rust ate through the entire unit. In this case, it looked as if the slow leak had been there for years.

Regular maintenance for a boiler prevents issues

Now, no one could have seen the rust forming in time to prevent the break -- after all, it was on the inside of the unit. But, someone should have caught the leak much earlier. Since it’s a closed-loop system, the only reason you’d need more water is if you were losing water when you shouldn’t have been.

This is part of why it’s essential to have your HVAC equipment checked out once a year. With regular maintenance, our techs look over your entire system for any damage or worn-out parts.

That process would have revealed the leak much sooner. Once we noticed the boiler was losing water, we would have purged it, identified where the problem was coming from, and repaired it.

Doing this during preventative maintenance is much more effective than calling when there’s something already wrong. In those cases, sometimes the best a company can do is fix the immediate problem without catching the bigger issue.

That seems to be what happened in this case with the company that was here before us. But there’s no use crying over spilled milk … or, in this case, hot water.

Here’s how we got Tony back on track.

Emergency hot water unit replacement in Bristol Township

Our first move was to get the Pressimone's up and running again with an emergency hot water unit. This way, they could shower and do their laundry while sorting out the rest of the problem.

By seven o'clock that night, we had a backup unit all set up. This way, the family could get on with their daily lives and Tony could concentrate on choosing a permanent replacement.

High efficiency boiler with an indirect hot water tank

Even before the leak, Tony was concerned about how much oil his system was using. The unit that had broken down was a 20-year-old boiler with a tankless coil for domestic hot water. This type of system, also known as “summer-winter hookups,” don’t store hot water. Instead, they continuously heat the water as it passes through the pipe.

These setups are often attractive because they cost less to buy than a traditional water heater; but they end up costing more in the long run because they’re constantly running — and using oil — to heat the water on-demand.

So, Tony opted for a high-efficiency, Burnham V8 boiler with an indirect hot water tank. An indirect water heater attaches to your boiler. The primary heating unit warms up liquid in a coil that runs from the boiler to the inside of the water tank. That thermal energy gets transferred from the coil to the water in the tank. Then, when the cool liquid returns to the boiler, it gets heated up again.

The new boiler had an 85 percent annual fuel utilization efficiency, or AFUE, rating. That means it will use less oil than his older model to provide the same amount of heating. At its best, the old model had a 65 percent AFUE rating.

The new boiler also has a feature that the first-floor tenants will appreciate: especially quiet operation. It has a covered burner -- an extra panel that reduces the noise when the unit kicks on. 

Now, it was just a question of keeping it working.

Benefits of a Service Plan for Boiler and Water Heater

After a rough few days, the last thing the Pressimone's wanted was to go through the whole ordeal again. So, along with his new boiler and water heater, Tony also signed a service plan for regular maintenance.

Now, we’ll inspect his heating system once a year, no matter what. And we’ll call or email him when it’s time to set up an appointment. He doesn’t even have to worry about keeping it in mind!

The benefits of a service contract like this are making sure the system is always in great shape and heading off any potential problems.

With a tune-up, we’ll clean and inspect all the inner components. If anything’s looking worn down or broken, we’ll replace them before they cause a bigger problem.

Optimizing everything like this also keeps the unit running efficiently. The older an HVAC unit gets, the more energy — in this case, oil — it uses to do the job. By keeping it in good shape, it will last longer and use less oil along the way.

Need Help? Call ECI

It was a rough couple of days for the Pressimones, but thanks to our expert installers, we had everything back to normal in no time! Now, they’re paying less each month for their hot water, and they’re confident the system is in great shape all the time.

If you notice anything strange happening with your heating or cooling system, don’t wait until something goes wrong! Call ECI right away, and we’ll get to the bottom of the problem before it’s a more costly emergency.

We’ve been serving Bucks and Montgomery Counties, Philadelphia and the entire Delaware Valley community for nearly 30 years. You can check out our learning library to find out more about your heating and cooling systems. 

Click the button below or give us a call at 215 - 245 - 3200.