Condensing Boiler Venting is the key to safety and efficiency

Condensing boilers are the modern and efficient way to heat your home.  The combustion process in condensing boilers relies of a fan to push air through the combustion chamber and heat exchanger while traditional boilers rely on a open flame and natural draft.  The natural draft is a simple but inefficient process while the forced air is slightly more complicated but much more efficient.    

The bottom line is that the ventilation is much different than a traditional atmospheric boiler.  The good news is that there are now more options than ever.  High efficiency boilers use a sealed combustion process.  Air is pushed into the burner by a fan.  This air is usually piped from the outside directly to the boiler to minimize drafts.  Room air can often be used, but in most cases, especially residential, this is not optimum as the room air has been heated so the energy that was used to heat the air was wasted.

Vertical TerminationOnce the propane or natural gas fuel has been burned and the gas has passed through the heat exchanger, it is critical that this flue gas is properly sent outside.  Traditional boilers would use a chimney in most cases to carry the flue gas outside.  The natural convection of the hot flue gases would rise naturally up the chimney.  Because high efficiency boilers use a fan to drive the gases, and because their flue gases are not as hot as a traditional boiler (resulting in low NOx emissions), a chimney cannot be used directly as the flue-way.  It can be used as the chase that holds a flue pipe. The Prestige is approved to be vented through a chimney using a flexible polypropylene flue-way. This allows the flue-way to be installed around bends in a chimney making it much easier to use the chimney as a chase.

If an existing chimney cannot be used the Prestige and Challenger can both be vented Sidewall Terminationvertically through a roof or horizontally through a wall.  There are many options for the terminations of the venting that will allow it to both function properly and look attractive.  Engineered terminations are highly recommended because they can help prevent flue gas recirculation, which can destroy a boiler.  It is important that the location of the venting be considered.  It must be located far enough from doorways and windows so that the flue gas cannot enter the house.  Triangle Tube's boilers are supplied with guides that outline the options. 

Contact your factory trained contractor here for more information.



How to maximize the efficiency and comfort of radiant floor heating

Radiant Floor Heating is one of the fastest growing heating methods.  The benefits of radiant floor heating are obvious to anyone who has been in a home with tPrestige TriMax Condensing, Modulating Boilerhis heat.  The warm floors provide an even, comfortable heat.  The heat radiates throughout the entire space, is silent, and does not circulate dust.

Radiant floor heat provided by a high efficiency condensing boiler like the Prestige TriMax or the Challenger, is among the most efficient heating systems available.  This system operates at lower system temperatures, which allows boilers to operate at their highest efficiency.  Traditional boilers cannot operate at these lower temperatures.  Traditional boilers must mix their high temperature supply with low temperature return water to bring the water down low enough to pass through the radiant floor.  The Prestige TriMax's burner design and stainless steel heat exchanger allows it to operate efficiently and provide supply water at precisely the right temperature.  This allows the boiler to condense, providing the Prestige Trimax with an AFUE of 95%.  Triangle Tube's Condensing boilers operate with both natural gas and propane.

Contact a Triangle Tube Contractor today for more information.


Combination Boiler variety provides many paths to energy savings

One of the recent innovations in hydronic heating has been the development of compact and efficient combination boilers.  Condensing boilers offer efficiency improvements over traditional boilers, with many condensing boilers offering AFUE efficiency scores of 93% or more.  These boilers provide significant fuel savings and operate on natural gas or propane.

One of the benefits of hydronic heating systems (heating systems with boilers), is the ability for the boiler to provide domestic water heating as well.  Triangle Tube helped establish this capability in North America with the introduction of the Smart Indirect Water Heater in the 1980's.  The Smart product line's unique tank-in-taPrestige Excellencenk design continues to provide the longest lasting, most efficient domestic water heating today.

Combination boilers provide both space heating and domestic water heating in one unit.  Triangle Tube's two combination boiler lines, the Prestige Excellence and the Challenger Combination boilers offer unique advantages for homeowners. 

The Prestige Excellence Boiler combines a tank-in-tank indirect water heater with the 110 MBH Prestige Condensing Boiler and works at 93% AFUE.  The tank-in-tank water heater is unique because it maintains 14 gallons of hot water to provide immediate hot water response. 

The Challenger Combination Boiler features a unique dual purpose heat exchanger that heats both the heating system water and domestic hot water through separate channels.  This simplified design improves efficiency and reliability by eliminating the separate heat exchanger and three-way valve that most combination boilers use.

Contact a Triangle Tube Installer for more information.


Indirect Water Heater's unique design provides efficiency and longevity advantage

Radiant heating systems are one of the most efficient ways to heat your home.  Modern high efficiency boilers like the Prestige or Challenger Solo models from Triangle Tube maximize the efficiency of these systems.  But whether you are using a traditional or high efficiency boiler, an indirect water heater will provide hot water up to 50% more efficiently than traditional gas or oil models.Smart Indirect Water Heaters

The Smart Indirect Water Heater from Triangle Tube features a unique tank-in-tank design.  The inner tank contains the domestic hot water which is used in your shower, kitchen, clothes washer, etc.  The outer tank contains the boiler system water that is heated by the boiler.  When the domestic water temperature drops below the minimum level, usually because the hot water is being used, the boiler will send hot boiler system water to heat the tank containing the domestic water.  

This unique design of the inner tank has a large surface area to transfer the heat.  This large surface area heats water up to twice as fast as traditional natural gas or propane models and up to 4 times faster than electric models.  This allows homeowners to use a smaller water heater with superior performance of larger traditional hot water heaters.  

The tank in tank design virtually eliminates "hot spots" because the tank is surrounded by boiler water.  Other indirect water heaters use a heating coil that passes boiler water through a coil placed in the domestic water tank.  These coils are hot spots in the tank, and encourage the formation of scale.  Over time this scale build-up increases recovery times and causes premature failures.  The Smart Indirect Water Heaters are so reliable that they are backed by a limited lifetime warranty.

Contact your local Triangle Tube factory trained installer today for more information.



High efficiency boilers help control fuel costs

The polar vortex made the winter of 2014 one of the coldest ever.  Most homeowners were left with higher Triangle Tube Prestige Condensing Boilerheating bills both due to increased energy usage and higher fuel costs.  The high usage of natural gas led to a significant decrease in the natural gas inventories and nearly doubled the fuel price.  Heating oil and propane also increased in price.

While you cannot control the cost of the fuel, you can control the amount of fuel that you use.  One of the best ways to do this is to install a high efficiency boiler.  High efficiency condensing boilers can reduce your fuel consumption by up to 40%.  An internal microprocessor controls the burner, modulating the fuel to the burner to optimize the amount of heat produced.  

Triangle Tube Prestige Condensing boilers feature the exclusive TriMax control.  This advanced control uses a graphical display to clearly display the boiler's operation.  The Prestige boilers have achieved an AFUE rating of 95%, among the most efficient possible.  With a stainless steel heat exchanger and a 10 year record of success, the Prestige Condensing Boilers lead the industry in reliability and performance.

Click here for more information on high efficiency boilers.

 Contact a factory trained Triangle Tube installer today for more information.


Combination Boilers meet every hot water need

Challenger Combination BoilerCombination boilers are growing in popularity as a compact, cost efficient, and energy source for heat and hot water.  Combination boilers provide the efficiencies of a condensing boiler and a tankless water heater in one appliance.  This combination is more cost effective than separate boilers and water heaters and much more space efficient.

Most combination boilers follow a similar design where hot water heating is simply accomplished with a dedicated hot water heat exchanger built into the boiler cabinet.  Triangle Tube’s Challenger Combination Boiler and Prestige Excellence models have innovative designs that differentiate them from their competition making them more efficient with a better hot water response.

The Challenger Combination Boiler features a unique two-in-one heat exchanger that provides both space heat and hot water.  Prestige Excellence Combination BoilerThis innovative design makes the Challenger more compact and easier to install.  Because the hot water is heated in the primary heat exchanger, there are fewer components, making it more reliable but more importantly it is much more efficient.  With cold supply water flowing into the heat exchanger, the Challenger operates fully in the condensing mode, extracting the most heat possible from the natural gas or propane fuel.

The Prestige Excellence Combination Boiler combines Triangle Tube’s high efficiency stainless steel fire-tube heat exchanger  with  Triangle Tube’s tank-in-tank water heater.  The unique tank-in-tank design stores 14 gallons of hot water and can provide 3 gpm of hot water on an ongoing basis.  The stored supply provides the hot water response of a traditional water heater. 

Contact Triangle Tube or a factory trained installer today for more information.


High Efficiency Boilers: How modulation improves efficiency

During the dead of winter many boilers work overtime.  The cold weather requires boilers to operate at full  throttle to keep up with the heat lost from the house.  During the spring and fall the heat loss decreases dramatically, reducing the load on the boiler. 

Traditional boilers are not capable at running at lower outputs so they turn on and off more frequently.  Keystone Condensing Modulating High Efficiency BoilerWhile this uses less fuel than running continuously at high output, it is less efficient in terms of heat per unit of natural gas, propane, or oil.

High efficiency boilers are able to throttle back their output.  This is known as modulation.  Modulating boilers determine the amount of heat required (by using outdoor reset) and adjust their firing rate as low as possible to meet the heating needs.  Boilers are more efficient when they operate at lower temperatures.  Operating at lower temperatures also reduces the cycling of the boiler which further improves the efficiency.  

Triangle Tube designs and manufactures only high efficiency modulating condensing boilers.  Their broad line meets nearly any home size and even includes combination boilers that provide both space heating and hot water.  For more information on Triangle Tube’s Prestige, Challenger, and Keystone boilers contact your Triangle Tube factory trained representative today.


Indirect Water Heaters: The perfect partner to your new boiler







Condensing boilers melt snow at maximum efficiency

The polar vortex has been punishing much of the United States and Canada but many homeowners are fighting back with Triangle Tube Condensing Boilers.  Condensing boilers efficiently heat homes and hot water throughout winter and Keystone Condensing Boilerthe shoulder months.  But when snow falls some homeowners get the added convenience of a clean driveway and walkway with a snowmelt system powered by their condensing boiler.

In snowmelt systems heated boiler water (usually a glycoll mixture) is circulated through tubing under the driveway or walkway, raising the surface temperature to melt the snow as it lands.  These systems are not only convenient but they provide added safety especially on slopes and steps.

Condensing boilers are the perfect choice for snowmelt applications.  The snowmelt loop operates at low temperatures which allows the boiler to operate at maximum efficiency.  In snowmelt applications a condensing boiler can operate at up to 98% efficiency.

Triangle Tube's Prestige, Keystone, and Challenger high efficiency modulating condensing boilers operate on natural gas or propane can all be used in snowmelt applications.  With the broadest selection of condensing boilers, you are certain to find one sized to meet your needs.

For more information, contact Triangle Tube or a factory trained contractor today.


Oil to Natural Gas Conversions pay immediate dividends !

This winter has been especially cold - giving nearly everyone higher heating bills than ever.  One group of people that could be seeing lower bills this year are natural gas converts.  Homeowners have been switching from heating oil to natural gas over the past decade and this winter is generating more conversions than ever.  Not too many years ago, heating oil was the predominant heat source in the Northeastern US.  Many homes had oil-fired boilers to fight off the winter cold.  That has changed in the last decade as homeowners switch to natural gas boilers.

The US has undergone a transformation in natural gas production, making it more plentiful, reliable, and cost effective than ever.  Boilers have also changed, with natural gas and propane high efficiency condensing boilers becoming a money saving "green" choice for homeowners making the switch from heating oil to natural gas.  For more information on how condensing boilers operate more efficiently, click here.

The conversion from heating oil to natural gas is paying large dividends this winter.  Many homeowners are seeing heating bills 50% or more lower by replacing their old, inefficient oil boiler with a modern high efficiency natural gas model.  Massachusetts homeowner Bruce Balder is more than happy with his selection of a Triangle Tube Prestige Condensing Boiler for his natural gas conversion.  Bruce reports heating bills that are 90% lower than his neighbors.  If you are considering replacing your boiler, contact your local factory-trained contractor for more information.

Click on the image below to see a video showing Bruce Balder's personal account of his natural gas conversion.

Prestige Boiler Testimonial



Outdoor reset: Why your high efficiency boiler needs it.

Outdoor reset is a simple concept that maximizes the efficiency of your hydronic heating system.  Outdoor reset is a key part of all high efficiency boilers.  Today's condensing, modulating boilers use outdoor reset to produce heat at the level needed due to outdoor conditions.

High efficiency natural gas and propane boilers can modulate their heat level to meet the heating needs of the Triangle Tube Challenger Combi Boilerhome.  When it is colder outside, a high efficiency boiler sends water to the radiators at higher temperatures than when it is warmer outside.  This higher temperature water provides more heat to the house to offset the additional heat lost to the outdoors.  

As the temperature rises the boiler sends water to the house at lower temperatures and then lower temperature water returns to the boiler.  When the temperature of the returning water is below 130 F the boiler is able to condense.  This condensing greatly increases the efficiency of the boiler.  

Installing outdoor reset is rather simple.  An outdoor sensor must be installed in a proper location and then wired to the boiler.  Many modern boilers such as Triangle Tube's Prestige Condensing Boiler with TriMax Control recognize that the sensor is connected.

Triangle Tube specializes in high efficiency boilers, such as the Prestige models and the Challenger Solo and Challenger Combination Boilers.  For more information, contact your local factory trained contractor.


Indirect Water Heaters can replace traditional water heaters







Condensing Boilers: Why are they more energy efficient? (Part 2)

Traditional boilers are constructed with cast iron heat exchangers.  These boilers must operate at higher temperatures to prevent condensation from forming on the heat exchanger.  This condensation will cause the heat exchanger to rust and fail.  Condensation will form on the heat exchanger when the water returning to the boiler is less than 140F.  The lower the water temperature, the more condensation will form.

Challenger Condensing BoilerCondensing boilers are designed to accept low return water temperatures.  When a boiler operates at lower temperature cycles the boiler is more energy efficient.  In addition, when the boiler condenses the efficiency gains can be 10% or more.  For more information on what causes these gains, click here.

Triangle Tube's condensing, modulating boilers feature unique stainless steel or aluminum and copper heat exchangers.  The Prestige boilers (AFUE 95%) feature a stainless steel fire tube heat exchanger that is self cleaning to minimize maintenance costs.  In addition there is very little pressure drop through the boiler, resulting in lower pump operating costs. 

The Challenger Solo boilers have a unique aluminum and copper heat exchanger.  The water travels in copper tubes through an aluminum heat exchanger block  This assures rapid and efficient heat transfer with the long life of copper water tubes.  The Challenger Combi boilers feature two water tubes, one for boiler water and one for domestic water.  This allows the Challenger to condense in domestic mode, which many combi boilers do not do, achieving extremely high efficiencies.

Both boilers operate on natural gas and propane.  For more information contact your factory trained installer today.


Wall-Hung Condensing Boilers Fit in Tight Spaces !

One of the advantages of high efficiency condensing boilers is that they have a very small footprint.  Actually most residential models don't really have a footprint at all.   Condensing boilers are designed to be wall mounted.  This provides homeowners and installers with several advantages.  

First and foremost is the floorspace that is freed up for better uses.  This typically frees 30 square feet or more.  Also, placing Challenger Combination Boilerthe boiler on the wall brings the boiler up to a height that is easier to work on.  Piping can be cleanly placed and supported. Finally placing the high efficiency boiler on a wall helps protect it in a flood.  This has helped countless homes through the years.

If you don't have a wall that is convenient for installation Triangle Tube has several floor stand options. Triangle Tube's high efficiency boilers are designed to use natural gas or propane.  Another advantage of wall mounting is that the exhaust vent can be conveniently placed through the wall.  Triangle Tube has many options to for proper venting.

Triangle Tube's combination boilers save even more space by combining the boiler and water heater into one appliance.  Combination boilers are among the most fuel efficient ways to provide hot water.

Triangle Tube's modulating, condensing boilers are designed to be efficient with fuel and space.  Contact Triangle Tube or your factory trained contractor for more information.



High Efficiency Boilers - How Modulation works.








Switching from oil to natural gas? A condensing boiler will accelerate the ROI !

Until recently, most homes in the northeastern US were heated with oil-fired boilers and furnaces.  As natural gas became more readily available, many homeowners switched their existing boilers to natural gas.  Natural gas heat, and even propane, have many advantages over oil heat.  

Natural gas is a much cleaner burning fuel, which reduces harmful NOx emissions.  This leads to a greener environment, even before the efficiency gains.  Natural gas is also much less expensive than heating oil, and has been for the last few years.  And finally, natural gas boilers do not require as much maintenance as an oil boiler.  This fact saves you in annual service calls each year.

Prestige Boiler

Now is the perfect time to make the conversion from oil to natural gas heating.  To accelerate the return on this investment, consider replacing your existing boiler with a high efficiency, condensing and modulating boiler.  Triangle Tube offers models to fit every home size and need.

For homes with a single bath, or where one bath would be used at a time, a combination boiler is a perfect fit.  The combination boiler eliminates the need for a separate water heater, as the hot water is heated within the boiler itself.

For homes with two or more baths, high efficiency condensing boilers like the Prestige or Challenger Solo boilers, are available in sizes from 60 to 399 MBH.  These boilers can be combined with Smart Indirect Water Heaters to meet your heat and hot water needs effectively.

Contact Triangle Tube or your local Triangle Tube installer today for more information. 



Condensing Boilers & Indirect Water Heaters

Triangle Tube has a history of over 60 years producing stainless steel indirect water heaters and condensing boilers.  Triangle Tube draws on this expertise to build energy efficiency and durability into every product.  Today's Triangle Tube product line includes:

Prestige Boiler


Condensing Boilers - Energy efficiency begins at the boiler.  This is why Triangle Tube makes only condensing, modulating, high efficiency boilers.  Every boiler we build is Energy Star listed, with an AFUE of over 90%.  Triangle Tube boilers operate on either natural gas or propane and are available in sizes to fit single bedroom homes up to multi-unit apartment buildings.  Click here to learn more about Triangle Tube's complete line of Condensing Boilers.


Challenger Boiler

Combination Boilers - Combination boilers are the ultimate multi-tasker.  They product both heat and hot water in a single unit, simplifying your life, and saving space and installation costs.  Triangle Tube's combination boilers offer two unique products.  The Challenger model features a unique two-in-one heat exchanger for simplicity and ultra-high efficiency in hot water production.  The Prestige Excellence model is also unique.  Unlike all other combination boilers, the Prestige Excellence features an integrated indirect water heater, to provide traditional water heater response with the size and energy savings of a combination boiler.  More information on Triangle Tube's combination boilers is available here.


Smart Indirect Water Heater

Indirect Water Heaters and Pool Heaters - Indirect Water Heaters provide simplicity and efficiency. Triangle Tube's Smart series of Indirect Water Heaters utilize the boiler as the heat source.  This eliminates the need to maintain and vent the heating source on the water heater, simplifying the installation and saving on maintenance costs.  Triangle Tube's Smart series models feature a unique stainless steel tank-in-tank design that is so durable it comes with a lifetime warranty.  Triangle Tube's Maxi-flo models also use the boiler as the heat source, but they are designed to heat pools or spas.  Click here for more information on Smart and Maxi-flo models.


Combination boilers from Triangle Tube

Triangle Tube is the industry leader in high efficiency boilers and indirect water heaters.  Triangle Tube introduced both the stainless steel fire-tube boiler heat exchanger and the stainless steel tank-in-tank indirect water heater to North America, so it is no wonder that they created one of the first combination boilers when they combined these two technologies into one highly efficient appliance, the Prestige Excellence.  Triangle Tube revolutionized the industry again in 2011 when they introduced the unique two-in-one heat exchanger in the Challenger Combination Boiler.  Both the Prestige and Challenger models operate on both natural gas and propane.

When you are looking for energy efficient radiant hydronic heating and water heating in one compact appliance, Triangle Tube has the answer for you.  Actually you can take your pick of two answers with the Prestige Excellence and Challenger Combination Boiler.

Prestige ExcellencePrestige Excellence - The Prestige Excellence features the most advanced, easy-to-use, and reliable technology available today, to deliver high performance space and water heating in one package.  In fact, the Prestige offers you something no other combination boiler can - the experience of a tanked water heater.  The Prestige Excellence is a combination boiler that can deliver ultra-high efficient space heating with an AFUE of 95%.  In addition, the Prestige Excellence features a 14 gallon indirect water heater.  This compact, high performance water heater delivers 3 gallons per minute of hot water, enough for a normal shower, without the cold-water-sandwich effect that most on-demand water heaters suffer with.

The Prestige Excellence has a 110 MBH heat exchanger which will meet the needs of most 3 and 4 bedroom homes.  The Prestige Excellence also features the unique, easy-to-use Trimax control.  For more information on the Trimax control, click here.  

Click here for more information on the Prestige Excellence.


Challenger Combination BoilerChallenger Combination Boiler - The Challenger Combination Boiler is a testament to the adage that true genius lies in simplicity. The Challenger's unique two-in-one heat exchanger features dual copper waterways in an aluminum heat exchanger.  The space heating water travels in one waterway while the domestic water travels in a second.  These dual waterways in one heat exchanger simplifies the design, eliminating many components for greater reliability.  In addition when the domestic water is heated in the primary heat exchanger, the Challenger works at an efficiency that most other combination boilers cannot match.

The Challenger Combination Boiler is available in three inputs of 85, 105, or 125 MBH.  These models allow you to match the Challenger to your specific needs.  The Challenger Combination Boilers are highly efficient with AFUE's up to 93.5%.

Click here for more information on the Challenger Combination Boiler.



Combination Boilers provide Year-round Efficiency

During the summer months, some traditional boilers take a long rest waiting for the cold fall days.  Combination boilers don't get a summer vacation.  Combination boilers provide both heat and hot water so they work year round.  This allows the homeowners to take advantage of their Challenger Combination Boilerefficiency over the summer months, which maximizes their energy savings.  

The Triangle Tube Challenger combination boilers operate most efficiently when they are heating domestic hot water.  The low temperature of the water entering the Challenger heat exchanger maximizes its condensing efficiency,   This is what differentiates the Challenger from other combination boilers.  The Challenger heats the hot water in the primary heat exchanger, which means that the supply water enters the primary heat exchanger, maximizing condensation.  Other combination boilers use a secondary heat exchanger, which does not allow the primary heat exchanger to see the low water temperature.

The Challenger Combination Boiler is energy efficient when heating your home also.  With an AFUE of 93%, the Challenger keeps heating costs at a minimum.  The rugged copper water channels resist wear and corrosion while the aluminum block transfers heat quickly and efficiently.  The Challenger Combination Boilers work with propane or natural gas and are available in sizes from 85 MBH to 125 MBH to fit most homes. 

Contact Triangle Tube or your local factory-trained contractor for more information.


Combination Boilers provide Energy Efficient Hot Water Year-Round

It is now possible to have efficient and comfortable heating and highly efficient hot water production in a single appliance.  Combination boilers such as Triangle Tube's ChallengerChallenger Combination Boiler series simplify your utility room by combining your hot water heater and boiler into one unit.  The savings in space are joined by energy savings, with the Challenger providing hot water with extremely high efficiency.  

The Efficiency Factor, a common method of measuring water heater efficiency, of the Challenger Combination Boilers is 0.85 or higher.  This is 40% more efficient than many traditional gas or oil fired water heaters which have Energy Factors of 0.60 or less.  The Challenger Combination Boiler's feature a unique dual function heat exchanger which provides both space heating and domestic hot water heating from a single heat exchanger.  This allows the Challenger to produce hot water with condensing efficiency, which increases efficiency by up to 10%.

The Challenger Combination Boilers are available in two sizes with heating input of 105MBH and 125MBH and hydronic heating efficiencies of over 93% AFUE.  The Challenger models are designed for propane or natural gas.  For more information please view literature here and contact your local factory trained contractor.