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Posted by HeatPro on August 17, 2005 at 20:18:49:
In Reply to: Steel vs. Cast Iron Boilers posted by Jeff Gray on August 17, 2005 at 16:59:28:
AS long as the water system is sealed, so no fresh water with oxygen comes in to corrode the boiler, and the boiler is not underfired so it condenses water on the exchanger, a steel boiler will last as long. As a steel boiler must be designed completely for each size and made only for that size, they tend to be more expensive than a cast-iron boiler assembled from sections. The multiple-castings of the cast-iron boiler make it simpler to assemble a wet-base coiler, so there is some benefit in not being able to overheat the lower sections of a wet-base boiler as opposed to a dry-base boiler, which is more often a steel boiler. Otherwise it is a matter of preference that can be based upon a practice of some oil companies to overfire a boiler which burns the dry-base boilers more often so cast-iron boilers wouldn't have that problem which made them appear better under misapplication.