I have no boiler as is, so I'm looking for the best boiler for my home. It is a single story ranch with a full unfinished basement. The livable floor is approx 1200sqft. This will be the only zone for now until I finish the basement so I guess two total. Actually I may run another zone for garage, so figure 3 zones. I am looking for a high efficiency boiler that will do the job well and allow for future zones. .
Talk to a couple of people who install this type of boiler, or better yet, call the gas company and ask their recommendations. You sound as though you are getting a hot water boiler, but giving sizes for natural gas hot water heating? Are you getting a combination boiler? If so, a gas technician would recommend the best way to go about this since they estimate the required areas. If you're looking at combi boilers, the type and size of radiators figure into the mix too, for maximum efficiency.
Lots of variables you didn't mention. You use the term Boiler. They are typically used to heat the house - and so I'll assume that is what you are talking about. ALSO, they are used to heat domestic hot water in a separate tank. Years past I had forced hot water heat for my home. Two zones, up stairs and down stairs. The basement had no heat, but it kept warm just from the presence of the boiler. I don't recall the name brand. Even if I did I couldn't recommend it because I had trouble with it. Burner would fail to light, water valves would fail to close (heating the house endlessly) and the circulating pump would start squealing and hollering usually around 3:00 AM, shocking me out of my sleep only to send me running down the stairs to shut the emergency switch off, then to pump oil into the circulating pump bearings just to get it to shut up. That would usually last a few days. I should have replaced the pump but I was selling and moving, so I let the next person inherit the problems. With a boiler you can have as many zones as you like (as long as you don't exceed the capacity of the furnace (boiler). Three zones should be no problem for any decent sized boiler. Just do some research on them. Look to see if they have customer ratings and reviews. I always look for them before I buy. Saves me the big bucks. Calling your local gas company will probably not be of any help. Otherwise if they recommend you buy Joe's boilers and not Tony's boilers (me) then I can sue them. Hope this helps. '')
