THE PROBLEM: The customer’s existing 80% efficient boiler was still working, but the chimney it used for venting had begun to deteriorate. A costly chimney repair estimate prompted the customer to compare the complete cost of a conventional boiler replacement with a high-efficiency upgrade.
THE SOLUTION: Install a high-efficiency Lochinvar boiler with sidewall venting and replace the standalone water heater with an indirect-fired storage tank. This approach removed the boiler’s dependence on the deteriorating chimney and cost less upfront than the conventional boiler replacement combined with the quoted chimney repairs.