Boiler installation and replacement in northern Utah

Plan a replacement when the heart of the boiler is failing or when repairs no longer hold.

• The heat exchanger leaks or is cracked. This is the core of the boiler. When it fails, a new boiler is usually the sensible fix.
• Parts are no longer made. Every breakdown turns into a search.
• It locks out again and again. Repeat failures in one winter point to a boiler that is worn out.
• It is far too large for the house. An oversized boiler cycles on and off all day, wastes fuel, and wears itself out.
• The house has changed. An addition, a finished basement, or new radiant floors change the heating load.

Replacing a boiler in the fall is a planned job. Replacing it after it fails in January is an emergency. If your boiler is showing these signs, get an estimate before the cold arrives.

Homes here use three types of hot water boiler.

A conventional boiler has one heat exchanger and sends hot exhaust up a chimney or metal vent. It is simple and works with high water temperatures.

A condensing boiler pulls extra heat out of the exhaust until water condenses from it. It needs a condensate drain and its own vent. ENERGY STAR certified gas boilers have efficiency ratings of 90% or greater, and condensing models are how manufacturers reach that range.

A combi boiler heats the house and makes hot water for the taps. Navien, one manufacturer, describes it as a boiler that heats the building and also heats domestic hot water on demand. It saves space because it replaces the boiler and the water heater.

The table on this page compares them.

We size it by the heat the house loses, not by the label on the old boiler.

A heat loss calculation goes room by room. It counts the windows, walls, insulation, and ceiling height, and it uses the winter design temperature for your area. The result is the heat the house needs on the coldest nights.

Three more things go into the choice:

• What gives off the heat. Radiant floors run on cooler water than baseboards or cast iron radiators. Cooler water is where a condensing boiler is most efficient.
• Elevation. Gas burners put out less heat at high elevation. The Park City weather station sits at about 6,900 feet, so we use the manufacturer's high-elevation ratings there.
• Hot water. A combi boiler also has to be sized in gallons per minute for showers and taps.

A boiler that is too big short cycles. One that is too small falls behind in a cold snap.

The work follows the same order on every job.

1. Estimate. We measure the house, inspect the piping, radiators or floors, vent, and gas line, and give you a free estimate.
2. Permit. We check what your city or county requires.
3. Removal. We drain the system and take out the old boiler.
4. Boiler and piping. We set the new boiler and build the piping around it: circulators, air separator, expansion tank, and fill valve.
5. Gas, vent, and drain. We connect the gas line, run the vent and air intake, and pipe the condensate drain.
6. Controls. We connect the thermostats and zone controls to the boiler.
7. Fill and purge. We flush out old sludge, fill the system, add antifreeze where the system needs it, and purge the air.
8. Startup. We test combustion, set the boiler for your elevation, and run every zone.

It depends on how much changes around the boiler. Swapping a boiler for the same type in the same spot is the shortest job. We give you the expected schedule with the estimate.

The job takes longer when we:

• change from a conventional boiler to a condensing or combi boiler, which needs a new vent and a condensate drain.
• run a larger gas line.
• rebuild old piping, add zones, or replace circulators and valves.
• flush a system that is full of sludge.
• move the boiler to a new location.
• add an indirect water heater, radiant floors, or a snowmelt zone.

The house has no heat from the boiler while the old one is out. In cold weather we plan the work to keep that gap as short as we can, and we tell you ahead of time how long to expect.

We give free estimates. These are the things that decide the cost.

• Boiler type and size. Conventional, condensing, and combi boilers differ in equipment and labor.
• Venting. Reusing a sound chimney costs less than running a new vent through a wall or roof.
• Gas line. A larger burner may need a larger line.
• Piping and parts near the boiler. Old circulators, valves, and expansion tanks are often replaced at the same time.
• Zones and controls. More zones mean more valves, thermostats, and wiring.
• Condition of the system. Sludge has to be flushed, and old antifreeze has to be replaced.
• Removal. An old cast iron boiler is heavy and may have to come out in pieces.
• Permit fees. Each city or county sets its own.

Rebates or tax credits may be available for high-efficiency boilers. We can point you to the current program. Financing is available.

Ask your city or county building department before work starts. A boiler replacement touches the gas line, the vent, and the heating piping, and those are the things inspectors look at.

Utah's State Construction Code adopts the 2024 International Mechanical Code and the 2024 International Fuel Gas Code, with state and local amendments. Local building departments issue the permits and do the inspections, and each one sets its own fees.

Salt Lake City, for example, requires a permit before any installation or alteration to a building's plumbing or mechanical system.

Before work starts, ask us who applies for the permit and who meets the inspector. Keep the signed-off permit with your house records. A buyer's inspector or an insurance adjuster may ask for it later.