The Prestige Condensing High Efficiency Gas Boiler is one of the most popular series of boilers from Triangle Tube. These boilers are rated with an impressive efficiency of 95%; it is tough to get much higher than that. The Prestige gas boiler has the capacity to adjust the firing rate to about 25% of the rated input. This will help save you money on your electric bills as well as your energy bills.
The Prestige Condensing High Efficiency Gas Boiler is available in 5 different models the 110, 110LP, 175, 250 and the 399. Some of the features that Triangle Tube’s Prestige Gas Boiler offers are the fact that each model and each boiler are all factory tested and certified before being shipped out for the public. The Prestige Condensing Gas Boiler offers a Flanged Grundfos UP-15-58 System Circulator Pump that is rated for 110 volts only. The Prestige Condensing High Efficiency Gas Boiler contains a factory installed stainless steel heat exchanger; this is the best material that can be used on heat exchangers. It will protect them from rust and corrosion but they are also known for keeping the heat in. The burners installed inside the boiler are also made from a stainless steel construction.
The condensing boiler also includes a drain valve; a pressure gauge and a condensate drain assembly. The unit contains a 30-psi relief valve that should maintain 30 psi to maintain a smooth operation. It is important to read all of the manuals when purchasing a boiler. If you understand what the gauges and the valves do then you may be able to maintain the operation of the boiler without any outside maintenance.
The gas boiler contains a negative pressure gas valve and the 24 Volt terminal strip with removable jumpers for the manual reset or the automatic reset of the external controls. The NTC temperature sensors on the boiler ’s supply, return and the flues. The specifications of the Prestige Condensing High Efficiency Gas Boiler from Triangle Tubes are as follows. The Solo 110 uses Natural Gas only and has an input MBH of 30,000 to 110,000 with an energy efficiency of 93% and a heating capacity of 103 MBH. The Solo 110LP uses Propane Gas only and uses the input MBH of 30,000 to 110,000 and has a heating capacity of 93 MBH and an efficiency of 93%.
The Solo 175 can use either the Natural Gas or Propane. They use an MBH input of 50,000 to 170,000. The have an efficiency rating of 92% plus a heating capacity of 157 MBH. The Solo 250 uses either Propane or Natural Gas, it has an MBH input of 65,000 to 245,000. The efficiency rating is 92% with a heating capacity of MBH of 226.
Question: What rating system is used to determine the boiler’s efficiency?
Answer: The Energy Star Rating System. This is the most popular system rating for all appliances today.
Question: Are these boilers rated for commercial use?
Answer: No, these are designed and rated for residential use only.
Question: What type of warranty comes with these boilers?
Answer: Triangle Tube offers a Limited 10 year Warranty on the Prestige Condensing High Efficiency Gas Boilers
Triangle Tube’s Prestige Condensing High Efficiency Gas Boiler offers high efficiency service; a reliable and dependable boiler and it will save you money on your heating bills in the cold winter months.
I have a car wash that has a Weben Jarco 700,000 BTU non moderating boiler that is used to heat a glycol based floor heating system. It has been recommended that I consider a 399,000 BTU Prestige boiler for this application. My concern is that in the FAQs above you indicate that this boiler should not be used for a commercial application. Please advise.
All of the triangle tube boilers can be used in residential or commercial applications. Triangle tube also offers a Commercial 10 year parts and labor warranty for only $465 per boiler. The unique advantage that triangle tube has over other high efficiency boilers is the heat exchanger. The burner is at the top burning down, so all of the condensate washes the heat exchanger creating a self cleaning effect. By the time the flue gasses start to condense they are far enough away from the burner so they do not turn into steam. Other boilers like the NTI, Munchkin, Lockinvar Knight, and Pearless boilers all have a gionenee heat exchanger which has a side burner and a coil heat exchanger trying to reproduce the higher cost Veissmann boilers. Some of these boilers have issues with condensate backing up into the burner chamber, or having the condensate drip past the burner turning to steam creating a white powder which creates havac with the ignitor and flame sensor.
No I am not employed by anyone related to Triangle Tube. I did however sell these boilers as well as Munchkin boilers and Lockinvar Knight boilers for several years wholesale.
Ron~
Of all the boilers you sold, would you HIGHLY recommend the Triangle Tube Prestige Solo?
Yes,
If nothing else look at how each are made, what materials are used (what grade of stainless steel) and how they are assembled.
The Lockinvar Knight is also highly recommended (2nd choice)depending on how it is installed. The Munchkin boiler was one of the first on the market, but is is very tempermenatal if not installed exactly right. It has received a bad reputation mostly on bad installs, but you have to wonder if so many people have had problems with them. Something elso to look at is required annual maintenance. Lockinvar, Munchkin and others with that heat exchanger require the boiler to be dissassembled annually and cleaned with lime away or CLR to clean the heat exchanger due to condensate steaming and clogging the heat exchanger. The Triangle Tube does not require that because of the top down burner design.
My current employers are looking at building several carwashes this summer, all of which will have infloor heat and snowmelt. They are strongly considering the Triangle Tube boiler over the equipment offered from the car wash equipment supplier. Not to mention the car wash people only want to supply 80% equipment. It is also a major plus that these are wall mounted, freeing up floor space, and PVC vented through the roof or side wall.
You mentioned replacing a 700 MBH boiler with a 399 MBH. Be careful on sizing. If you are doing snowmelt you can ballpark about 80 – 120 BTU/SQFT. If you are using infloor heat to heat the automatic wash bays (instead of tube heaters) than you should figure 35-40 BTU / SQFT. as long as you have automatic doors. It is alway best to err on the high side for sizing a modulating boiler. It will ramp down on it’s own, it costs a lot more to try to add on afterward. You may want to look at 2 250’s or 1 250 and 1 399.
Let me know if you need further comments or advise. I’m not selling anything so, it’s just another opinion for you.
I am replacing a boiler in my parent’s home. The price was close to the highest (Triangle Tube I mean), but I felt the salesman was the most honest and had high integrity. He was the only one of the four quotes that explained in detail a lot of things and answered my questions thoroughly. Their installers are certified/Master boiler technicians, which I have read is a good thing. Am leaning toward the Prestige solo with a water heater attached. (The current water heater is 80 gallons, and probably 40 gallons more than what is needed. If you have other comments for me or a further opinion, it would be appreciated.
Remember to look into the $1500 federal tax credit, and ask for a price on the 10 year parts and labor. The average service call is over $200 depending where you live.
Make sure you are comparing apples to apples. I think Triangle Tube is one of the only manufacturers with a built in water heater tank. Some boilers have a heat exchanger that can be added, or even have the heat exchanger built in. Try to compare gallons per hour output of domestic water. Also if other pumps are required, what is controlling them? All pumps touching potable (drinking) water must be stainless steel, bronze, or composite (plastic).
Side note.
What type of heat is in your parent’s home? If it is baseboard heat or cast iron radiation heat that requires 180 degree water do you realy need a high efficiency boiler. All of the high efficiency boilers are only efficient at a low return water temperatures (below 140). The high efficiency boilers are only about 89% efficient at 180 degrees. Your everyday boiler now is 82% – 85%. So you are not gaining a lot of efficiency. If you need a new vent, then the up front price becomes a lot closer, as PVC is easier to run and costs less.
As far as replacing the water heater, if you can afford to do it. I have not seen a tank type water heater tell me it’s efficiency. The professionals best guess is around 60%. Even the PVC vented ones are no more efficient. They just blow out the vent to fast to melt the PVC.
Finally make the salesmen convince you with facts. Most of the salesmen are just smooth talkers. NEVER sign an agreement the same day. Think about it overnight first. Dont get caught up in the salesmen’s excitement and half truth. Ask the salemen about the other guys stuff. Most mechanical contractors buy products at 2 or 3 different wholesale houses. He has at least that many options on boilers. Is he lazy and only installs what he knows, or is he really looking to put the best in your house.
I am a pretty smart guy with exceptionally high mechanical apptitude and two tankless water heater installs so far. Do you see any problems with a DIY install?
No
In Michigan all boilers must be installed by a licensed mechanical contractor. So if you can do it by code go ahead. The worst you can do is blow up the house. (Just kidding)
After I have seen these licensed guys checking for gas leaks with a BIC lighter, it makes you wonder.
If you do it yourself, here is some simple troubleshooting tips for start up.
The boiler will not light unless it has 10 PSI of pressure. It has a guage right on the front.
Purge the gas at the union inside the boiler. After 3 tries the boiler goes into a fault mode that you have to reset. (Push the reset button)
Venting is key to any high efficiency boiler. Read the manual and do it right.
Thanks for the response. I’ve read the install manual and don’t foresee any issues other than I tend to work excruciatingly slow when in relatively unfamiliar territory, especially working with carbon monoxide and natural gas. I suspect I’ll be finishing this up around the All-star break but will be sure to increase up my homeowner’s coverage if I decide to accelerate my schedule.
I’m not sure about the condensate disposal though as it is a good 30 feet to the closest drain. If it is only a few ounces a day I think draining it into a length of 4″ PVC with crushed limestone to neutralize the ph is as good an option as any. I’m all about simplicity.
I’m shocked to learn a lighter isn’t the best way to find a gas leak. Next you’ll be telling me looking into the business end of a garden hose isn’t the best way to tell when the water’s coming.
Ron: Thank you for al the great information. My wife and I are finishing off our walk out basement this winter. We built our house 3 yrs ago and had pex-tubes placed prior to pouring the concrete (but didn’t finish it off as we were not planning on using the basement right away). Given that we are now finishing off the basement we want to finish off the radiant heat with a boiler, but we like the idea of tying in to the DHW as we currently have a 50g hot water heater with 2 young kids and occasionally already run out of hot water. We have also thought of using a baseboard unit in our garage as we live in Rochester, NY and the car can be quite cold in the am. We first looked into the company that installed the radiant and they wanted to install a Savio wall hung tankless boiler that could tie into the DHW for $6000. Seemed high as we didn’t know much at the time…Got a quote from a reputable HVAC company, wanted $13,500 for a Weil McLaine Ultra series 3 80MBH with 40g indirect tank for DHW – BLEW ME AWAY! Was not expecting anything that high, and did a bit of research and found many negative comments on the Weil McLaine. I also found a lot of positive feedback on the Prestige unit – so got a quote from the same HVAC company on the Prestige solo 110 alone $10,700, or Excellence $12,000, they are coming back to us with a price on the solo with an indirect tank for DHW if the excellence is too small. I’ve seen the pricing of these units online and know that they sell for around $3000 and $1200 for the indirect tank…I do certainly understand that the install with these is extremely important, but we’re looking at $7-10K in install and misc parts. This seems high, so I was wondering if you had any input on relative pricing? The main issue is that every time we get a different company to give us a quote, we get different answers/products etc. so we can’t compare. One other quote said to use a Muchkin 50,000BTU for the radiant and add a 50g regular hot water heater in series with our current one. Another said to use a hot water heater for the radiant…We’re lost. I like the idea of the prestige as we can do the radiant, DHW, and even the baseboard in the garage, and do it effiecently, but the cost seems outrageous. Any help would be great! Note that the prices given are pre Govt $1500 tax credit, $1400 local energy rebate, and also 10% off. So would be getting the most expensive ones listed for about 9-10K.
Thanks
Sean
Hey, Sean. Hopefully you’ve put off purchasing a boiler system for a bit. The timing does influence the price of an install. I’m also in Rochester, NY and I’m having a Triangle Tube Prestige Solo 110 + Smart series 40 (36 gallon) indirect water heater installed for a flat $8200. That includes bringing everything up to code (trust me, the current system is a disaster), an Argo zone control system, all the pumps and fittings, labor, and even disposal of the old equipment. The thing is, it is currently the middle of March (well into the down-slope of boiler installation season). I’m almost certain that is what has brought the price down so significantly. Installing in the fall is probably the worst time. Sean, look for a service company that deals with all the home warranty companies. They are usually the most competitive. Hint: mine begins with a “T”. ;)
Thank you for your great posts, especially to Ron!
I have a hydrotherm high-efficiency boiler AM-100 (multi-pulse) and triangle tube indirect water heater for domestic water. The heating system is hydronic. I love how the system works. The only problem is that AM-100 is noisy and is getting harder to find parts for. I want to do the research on my next boiler in advance. I have some questions and I would appreciate your opinion!
1) relative to multi-pulse boilers, how noisy is the prestige solo 110?
2) my AM-100 model is 100BTU – would solo 110 be a logical replacement? The current AM-100 is doing a good job heating the house and the water.
3) I understand one needs to be certified by TT to install and maintain the boiler. If I take the certifiction course with TT – is that enough or do I need other certifications (like certified mechanic etc)? I’m mechanicall oriented person (DIYer) but no formal engineering education. (my current boiler/system is 20 years old so there I am not worried about the warranty).
4) my current piping is 3/4″ – is it a problem for solo 110? I saw in the manual that recommended pipe size is 1″.
I appreciate your responses!
BB