A condensing boiler can condense the water vapour in the flue gases and withstand the corrosive and acidic qualities of the flue gas condensate. Although most boilers can condense the flue gasses, only boilers that have heat exchangers constructed from materials able to withstand the corrosion should be used in condensing application. Condensing boilers with primary and secondary heat exchanger do not work well as they are not able to fully condense and defeat the purpose of using a condensing boiler. Also, boilers with this arrangement are prone to condensation in the primary heat exchanger at lower firing rate which can cause damage to the heat exchanger.
The condensing boiler burns carbon-based fuel with oxygen in order to produce steam and carbon dioxide. The gases that escape this process (through a chimney) as exhaust are called flue gases. The major advantage is that they offer up to a 90% improvement in terms of efficiency when compared to standard gas boilers. Overall, condensing boilers are considered much more efficient in contrast to non-condensing gas boilers, a major consideration for any business running on a budget.
Compared with the price of a traditional coal-fired boiler, the operation cost of a gas-fired boiler is relatively high. So, users need to consider the price and quality before purchasing a boiler. For a gas-fired boiler, the energy-saving performance is more important than the boiler price. One year is enough for a gas-fired boiler with good energy-saving performance to save the extra costs of the boiler proper. And, the gas consumption is an important indicator to measure the energy-saving performance of a boiler.
Condensing boilers can achieve up to 98% thermal efficiency, compared to 70%-80% with conventional designs (based on the higher heating value of fuels). Typical models offer efficiencies over 90% when the return water temperature is at 110 ºF or less; the lower the return water temperature, the higher the efficiency gain.
