Lochinvar has expanded its line of CREST Condensing Boilers to include three new models with 750,000, one million and 1.25 million Btu/hr inputs. The new CREST Boiler models deliver 96.2% thermal efficiency and up to 20:1 modulation turndown. Featuring Lochinvar’s patented Wave™ fire-tube design and advanced combustion technology, the new models means the CREST line now includes 10 condensing commercial boilers with inputs ranging from 750,000 Btu/hr up to five million Btu/hr.
CREST Boilers are designed with a top-mounted micro-metal fiber burner, engineered for fire-tube technology. The exclusive Wave fire-tube configuration creates turbulence as flue gas products flow down the tube, scrubbing the energy. As water flows up the vessel, super-heated flue products flow down the fire tubes. With one pass, heat is transferred and flue gases reach condensing temperatures. The system ensures quiet modulating combustion from as low as 5% of the maximum firing rate up to 100% as the heating load increases. By matching the actual system demand, modulation reduces operating costs, enhances long-term reliability, and provides facility managers improved seasonal and operating efficiencies.
With an 8″ touchscreen and multi-color interface, the CREST Boiler’s SMART TOUCH operating system provides tight control and monitoring functions. The SMART TOUCH control can be integrated directly into a building automation system through BACnet, ModBus, and other communication protocols using a gateway device.
The system’s built-in cascading sequencer allows up to eight CREST Boilers to be sequenced using a two-wire, daisy-chain connection. Cascade sequencing can be programmed for Lead-Lag or Efficiency Optimized operation. The new CREST models also feature cascade redundancy, which helps to ensure that a multi-boiler system delivers reliable performance without downtime. If the lead boiler is turned off for maintenance, cascade redundancy shifts the lead role to the second sequenced boiler.
Fire-tube technology also allows CREST Boilers to operate over a wide range of flow rates with very low pressure drop, allowing for a full flow system. This streamlines installation by eliminating the additional time and materials costs required for primary/secondary piping and the pumps needed to maintain flow in a water-tube boiler. Variable primary flow also results in greater flexibility when it comes to handling frequent fluctuations in the system flow rate.
Adding to ease of installation, the CREST Boiler offers six venting options and permits direct-vent air intake and exhaust runs up to 100 equivalent feet. Multiple units can be common-vented to reduce time and materials cost.