Taco vs. Bell & Gossett Circulators, Flo-Control Valves

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: Here's a story for anybody's comment or use: : I have a large, residential, hot-water boiler system that is nearly 60 years old, and is working fine. The Kewanee boiler is rated at 168,000 Btu/hr (net). : Out of an abundance of caution, I decided to replace the original B&G, HV-series circulator - one of those big, red, heavy pumps with oilers, etc. There was no problem with the B&G pump, but I didn't want to get caught with my pants down on some New Years Day with bitterly cold weather. : I replaced it with a Taco 0012-F4, which has similar head-flow characteristics as the origninal B&G. The new Taco is working fine, but I think it is a bit noisier than the B&G. Maybe because the old B&G pump had a heavier housing? : I like the design of the Taco with its easy-to-change impeller/rotor cartridge. And the Taco is a bit more efficient. Plus, it's cheaper than an equivalent B&G pump. I kind of prefer the appearance and "beef" of the B&Gs. : I have two 1-1/4-inch hot-water loops that each originally had B&G flo-control valves to prevent gravity flow when the pump is off. One valve had a packing leak around the stem of the manual-bypass operator. The other valve was leaking past the seat. (These flo-control valves are really lift-check valves. When there is pressure from a running circulator, the valves open; otherwise, the valves are shut, preventing gravity flow in our 2-story house, plus basement.) : So, I replaced the flo-control valves, but with B&Gs, not Tacos (which were a bit cheaper). Although, it's not a very valid comparison, I perceived a higher design/manufacturing quality in the B&G flo-control valves than the Taco circulator. I'm aware that some of Taco's components are manufactured in China. : Doug