boilers

Lochinvar is the Industry’s Most Comprehensive, High Efficiency Boiler and Water Heater Line.

Now the largest full-line distributor of Lochinvar in the Northeast, the F.W. Webb Company is offering high-performing boilers, water heaters, and other products from the preeminent U.S. manufacturer. Lochinvar makes the most extensive line of boilers, water heaters, pool heaters, storage tanks, controls, packaged systems, and accessories in the industry.

Known for exceptional quality and energy efficiency, the award-winning Lochinvar boiler and water heater line provides solutions for virtually any conceivable project need. The Lochinvar line includes fire-tube boilers from 55,000–6 million BTUs, as well as water heaters and pool heaters from 45,000–6 million BTUs. No other manufacturer offers such a wide range of stainless steel and copper tube products designed for reliability, efficiency and application effectiveness.

“Lochinvar products are well-engineered and meet the rigorous standards we require on behalf of our customers,” said Gregg Leighton, Director of Trade Sales at F.W. Webb. “Residential and commercial contractors not only will be confident with the quality of Lochinvar products, they’ll also find local support before, during and after installation in every area served by F.W. Webb.”

“Lochinvar is proud to partner with the professionals at F.W. Webb and welcome the company as a stocking distributor in the Northeast,” said John Danek, Lochinvar Regional Sales Manager for the Northeast. “We are excited about teaming up with F.W. Webb to provide their customers Lochinvar products and expertise for all facets of residential, commercial and industrial applications.” 

Among their many features and benefits, Lochinvar products are easy to install. The line is consistent from product to product, including common parts, venting and Lochinvar Smart System™ controls – no matter the application. Commercial boilers have onboard controls designed to “communicate” to one another without the addition of complicated third-party controls. The Lochinvar Smart System creates a singular control platform, designed to make set-up and operation easy – and in plain English.

“Contractors find it easy to work with Lochinvar products,” said Michael DelConte, Heating Products Sales Manager at F.W. Webb. “Since the controls interface is user-friendly and consistent across models, once you learn to install one Lochinvar boiler, you’ve learned how to install almost every model. Plus, they’re extremely reliable and straightforward to service.”

With its reputation for excellence, Lochinvar is a sought-after brand, spec’d commercially up to 80% of the time. Lochinvar continually employs the most innovative technology to rigorously design all its products for maximum efficiency. AFUE ratings of 95-98% are the norm for most Lochinvar products. Residential boilers (400K BTUs and under) offer a five-year components warranty directly through Lochinvar with no cumbersome paperwork. The company continuously strives for total customer satisfaction.

The gas-fired Lochinvar line includes these family of products:

• Knight Boilers for Residential Customers
• Knight XL Boilers for Commercial Projects
• FTXL Boilers for Light Commercial Applications
• Crest Condensing Boilers for Commercial Use
• CON-X-US Remote Control Platform
• Armor Wall Mount Water Heaters
• ArmorX2 Commercial Water Heaters
• Shield Commercial Water Heaters
• AQUAS Commercial Pool Heater Package
• Copper Fin and Copper Fin II boilers, water heaters and pool heaters

About Lochinvar

Lochinvar, LLC is a leading manufacturer of high-efficiency water heaters, boilers, pool heaters and storage tanks.  Based in Lebanon, Tenn., with facilities in Chicago, Detroit, Orlando, Phoenix, Pompano Beach and Dallas, Lochinvar stocks all products in all locations. For more information about Lochinvar, contact: Lochinvar, LLC, 300 Maddox Simpson Parkway, Lebanon, Tenn., 37090; Phone: 615-889-8900; Fax: 615-547-1000; www.Lochinvar.com.

About F.W. Webb

Marking its 150^th anniversary in 2016, the F.W. Webb Company has a proud heritage of serving residential, commercial, industrial and institutional customers with their construction, renovation, maintenance, process, and repair needs. Founded in 1866 as the second plumbing supply house in Boston, F.W. Webb has grown from a single location to more than 90 across nine states. The largest distributor of its kind in the Northeast, F.W. Webb has extensive inventory and expertise in 15 distinct areas. Plumbing, Heating, HVAC, Commercial Refrigeration, and PVF are the company’s core businesses. F.W. Webb also operates 40 Frank Webb’s Bath Center showrooms. F.W. Webb employs more than 2,000 people and continues to grow organically and through acquisition to better serve its loyal customers throughout New England, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

For more information about F.W. Webb, visit fwwebb.com.

Weil-McLain Atmospheric Draft Steam Boiler Key to Overhaul

Built at the turn of the last century in 1901, the seven-story Mendota is Washington D.C.’s oldest intact luxury apartment building. Though much of the building had been restored over the years, one area requiring attention was the facility’s heating system. Upgrading to a modern steam boiler restored the Mendota to its former heating glory, improving resident comfort and offering major energy savings.

The Mendota was built during the golden age of D.C. apartment houses along the trolley line in an area that was, at the time, considered the far northern suburb of the city. Today, it’s recognized as the first apartment building constructed in the residential neighborhood of Kalorama Heights.

“The Mendota is one of the grand old apartment houses in D.C.,” said Jim Wood, head of the building and grounds committee for the Mendota board of directors. “While many other D.C. buildings of the era have lost their visual character, the configuration of nearly every apartment unit in the Mendota is identical to when it was built.”

The Mendota’s 50 apartments include architectural details like 10-foot ceilings, ornate crown molding, tall windows, heart pine floors, built-in cabinetry and Victorian-tiled fireplaces. The apartment building was converted to a co-op in the 1950s.

Another historic feature is the Mendota’s original heating system – which consisted of a coal-fired boiler that’s still in place but has long been disconnected. The Mendota is heated by a one-pipe steam system connected to column-style cast iron radiators.

Over the years, the coal boiler was abandoned and a gas steam boiler was installed. But, that system, after many years in operation, had become less and less reliable.

“We allocated approximately $75,000 annually for natural gas, and this expense was a huge portion of our budget,” said Wood. “Also, many tenants complained it was either too warm – requiring them to open windows – or that they didn’t have enough heat. We had to do better.”

System Repairs Pick Up Steam

Dan Foley, president and owner of Foley Mechanical, Inc., based in Lorton, Va., was selected to help remedy the heating woes.

“When we started working with Mendota, a 40-year old steam boiler provided heat,” said Foley. “Upon inspection, we noticed the boiler fired all day long and never shut off.”

Foley also noted that the main venting system was not appropriate for the two 6-inch steel mains that circled the basement of the facility. The boiler would flood on a regular basis, and the condensate would lag as it percolated through the clogged wet returns.

“When the condensate would finally return, the boiler would flood, which required a service call,” said Foley. “Water continuously drained from the boiler as fresh water was added, causing the boiler to disintegrate from the inside out.”

Foley and Wood decided first to make incremental improvements to the aging boiler. Enhancements included replacing multiple ribbon burners that had rusted, and replacing the boiler relief valve and safety controls. Next, the team rebuilt the main venting system.

“The vents were undersized and the two mains were not balanced,” said Foley. “We had a welder cut in two 1-inch thread-o-lets into the end of the steam mains, and then we built vent headers on each main.”

Another step was removing an old electro-mechanical control that had not functioned properly in years.

All of the boiler system improvements had a fairly dramatic effect on tenant comfort and energy usage. The boiler heated the building more evenly and fuel expenses decreased to between $55,000 and $60,000 annually. However, Foley believed there still was room for improvement.

When service calls began to become a weekly occurrence and most of the operational parts of the boiler were replaced, building management decided it was time to consider replacement.

Installing a Weil-McLain LGB-20 atmospheric draft steam boiler improved resident comfort and offered major energy savings for the Mendota.Boiler Replacement Full Steam Ahead

After several years of maintaining the aging boiler, Foley recommended installing a new boiler, re-piping the header and replacement of the rotted, clogged wet returns.

“I submitted a six-figure proposal, and at first the board balked at the price,” said Foley. “When I suggested they review what they paid in fuel over the past five years and add in the service calls and tenant complaints, they quickly came around.”

Foley recommended installation of a Weil-McLain LGB-20 atmospheric draft steam boiler at 2.5 million BTUs. At up to 84% combustion efficiency, the LGB line is one of the highest efficiency commercial cast iron atmospheric gas boilers available from Weil-McLain. Its compact design allows for more piping and venting headroom and the unit’s short draw rods permit faster, easier assembly of boiler sections.

The boiler was sized to the connected radiation using a 1.5 pick-up factor. The header was re-piped to manufacturer specifications.

“Before we removed the old boiler, we conducted a system overhaul to optimize the distribution piping, vents and the radiators in every room,” said Wood. “We then installed new main line steam vents, both at the beginning and the end of the line, checked all the mud legs and replaced the near boiler piping because it had been clogged.

“Our preparatory work and due diligence ensured the whole system would work much more efficiently and we could slip the new unit right in,” Wood added.

The project took two weeks to complete. Installation challenges included navigating stairs and working in a small space.

After the new boiler was installed, the team cleaned the system with steam cleaner and ran it for several weeks to flush out all of the sediments. After flushing the boiler and wet returns, Foley skimmed the water line until it ran clear.

Loop seals also were clogged with sediment. Foley and team meticulously flushed out each loop seal with water, which allowed the condensate to drain and the steam to flow freely. This process helped balance the system.

New System Benefits

With the new boiler optimized and in service, several benefits were quickly realized. Radiators that had not heated in years were hot. Steam circled the mains quickly and the risers received steam at the same time. Windows previously opened in January were closed.

“We actually installed a couple of dozen additional radiators that had been removed with the previous system because it had been run at such a high level that the building was overheating in some areas,” said Wood.

And Wood likes the fact that he doesn’t have to change the operational parameters of the boiler throughout the year.

“The controls are such that we don’t make adjustments at all,” said Wood. “The system learns and fine-tunes settings as needed.”

One of the most significant benefits of the new, higher efficiency Weil-McLain boiler installation was the energy savings realized. Fuel costs for the building decreased to about $30,000 annually – a significant reduction of more than 40% from gas bills years earlier.

Additionally, the system operates quietly.

“When the boiler turns on and the radiators are operating you sense the heat but you don’t hear anything,” he said. “It just purrs.”

And, most importantly, tenant complaints were reduced.

“I believe that steam boilers with radiators really is just the most perfect, comfortable heating method,” Wood added. “We have been absolutely pleased and impressed since the new boiler was installed. And, we’ve saved a lot of money.”

Williamson is excited to announce the new FreeStyle® 155k Btuh input Wall Mount Gas-Fired Condensing Boiler. The FS-155 has an AFUE of 94.4% and is available in combi and heat only models. The FS-155 combi unit provides 4GPM of domestic hot water. The FS-155 joins Williamson’s current 80k and 120k Btuh input units. All FreeStyle models are available in combi and heat only versions. The FreeStyle is designed with a single-tube large diameter stainless steel heat exchange. A digital display control and 24 VAC thermostat relay are standard with each unit. The FreeStyle provides modulating combustion with a 10 to 1 turndown ratio allowing greater system design flexibility. Visit Williamson-Thermoflow.com to view additional FreeStyle design features and ratings.

We are proud to be the first and for now the only boiler manufacturer to have a Heating for a Cure” Pink boiler. Slant/Fin will donate $50 for each pink boiler sold. Currently the S-90 and S-120 are available in the Heating for a Cure- Pink.

We have chosen The National Breast Cancer Foundation to donate to because this charity has been found to efficiently utilize donations to pursue their mission.   We found they provide help and inspire hope to those affected by breast cancer through early detection, education, and support services and research.

An example of a program they have is partnership with medical facilities across the country to provide free mammograms and diagnostic breast care services to underserved women through the NBCF National Mammography Program. In addition, the NBCF National Mammography Program requires that medical facilities within their network have the capacity to continue treatment after an abnormal finding or diagnosis of breast cancer.

NBCF also continues to help women by funding targeted research. They believe improvements in treatment options are needed now. That’s why NBCF is focused on funding research projects that seek to improve the outcome of this disease and further advancements in personalized therapies.

Above are just a couple of examples of why we chose this organization. To learn more go to http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/about-nbcf

We also found NBCF to be highly rated with 4 stars (out of 4) on the Charity Navigator.  

The Charity Navigator’s mission is to guide intelligent giving. By guiding intelligent giving, they aim to advance a more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace, in which givers and the charities they support work in tandem to overcome our nation’s and the world’s most persistent challenges.

Charity Navigator is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization under the Internal Revenue Code and does not accept any contributions from any charities they evaluate. Attached is their link so you can learn more about how they rate charities. http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=17