The Smith GC 160 Modulating Condensing Gas Boiler is a wall hung Combi unit that modulates firing inputs from 30,000 to 160,000 Btu/hr with an efficiency of 93% AFUE. The high efficiency of the Smith GC 160 makes it an Energy Star rated boiler eligible for “Free Money” programs created as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which is designed to stimulate the economy with sales and installations of products, which are energy saving, and better for the environment than products currently in use. The purchasers of Smith GC 160 Modulating Condensing Gas Boilers are eligible to receive Rebates of up to $200 from the Appliance Stimulus Package, Grants up to $6500 from the Weatherization Assistance Program if you qualify, and a Federal Income Tax Credit of 30% of the cost to purchase and install the new boiler up to $1500. These “Free Money” go a long way in offsetting the cost of purchasing and installing the new boiler which can start the energy savings payback much sooner, putting money in your pocket faster while being green.
The Smith GC 160 Modulating Condensing Gas Boiler has a burner that modulates from 30,000 to 160,000 Btu/hr to match the heating demand of your home similar to using the gas pedal of your car without hard starts and hard braking to match the flow of traffic resulting in high fuel mileage. Closely matching the firing rate to the heating demand eliminates excessive amounts of fuel being burned to do the required heating and contributes greatly to an energy consumption savings. The second part of the energy savings of the Smith GC 160 Modulating Condensing Gas Boiler is the condensing boiler. In a condensing boiler there is a second heat exchanger, which scrubs heat in the flue gases that would normally be wasted up the chimney in a conventional boiler and uses it to preheat the incoming cold water. This process actually lowers the temperature of the exhausting flue gases so low that the water vapor in the flue gases actually condense to water vapor and lowers the exhausting flue gases several hundred Degrees F so that polypropylene can be used for the flue. The combination of modulation and condensing also makes the Smith GC 160 have very low CO and NOx emissions, which are major components of smog and are greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. The Smith GC 160 meets even the stringent Low NOX requirements of SCAQMD in California making this a green boiler that can pay you back for using it.
The Smith GC 160 Modulating Condensing Gas Boiler is a wall hung unit weighing in at 100 Lbs. and measures 20”W X 10”D X 30”H. The unit is a combi boiler which means it has a domestic hot water coil built into it, which can supply hot water at 4 gallons of water per minute with a 75 Degree F rise. The Smith GC 160 uses a premix cylindrical shaped burner where the fuel is taken from a negative pressure gas valve and mixed in the blower with air where it is then sent to a cylinder shaped burner that is entirely enclosed by the 316L stainless steel heat exchanger. The Smith GC 160 Modulating Condensing Gas Boiler comes with a circulation pump and expansion tank built inside the unit and is enclosed in a sound absorbing enclosure, which keeps the unit extremely quite inside your home. All connections for water, gas, electrical, and condensate drainage are on the bottom of the unit while connections for the air supply and flue exhaust are on the top of the unit. Concentric and split vent kits are available for either through the roof or, sidewall venting. The control panel is accessed through a door on the enclosure where there is also a pressure gauge and all operating parameters and diagnostics can be set and read there. The Smith GC 160 Modulating Condensing Gas Boiler comes with a 1-Year Parts Warranty on the whole unit followed by a Lifetime Parts Warranty on the heat exchanger which is pro rated to ½ price in the sixth year.