Munchkin Boilers....what do you know about them?

Hi everyone,
I good friend of mine purchased a 2,800 sqft home that is heated with baseboard radiators and a Munchkin wall hung gas boiler. This winter was his first in the new home, and he has been complaining all winter that the house does not warm up quickly and it can't ever seem to get above 67. Also this winter was very mild in NJ, so I can't imagine what he would have been saying if it was a cold winter!
He thinks the boiler is about 10 years old, and it is running 5 zones. I realize that there are a million different things that could be causing his problems, but I (he) is just looking for general info on the Munchkin. He had a VERY difficult time find someone who would even work on his boiler this year.
Are they good quality boilers?
Are there many problems with them?
Are they truly energy efficient?
At this point he is actually contemplating removing the Munchkin, and going with a conventional boiler. My advice was to hold off on that until he can get a qualified Munchkin tech to ensure that his heating system is working as designed. He had a tech from the gas company out to his house who advised him that "those boilers are garbage, and they are nothing but headaches". Is there any truth to that statement?
I am curious about these boilers since I have never heard of them before.

Thank you,
Zack

 

The biggest problem with Munchkin boilers from that era was installation problems. A 10 year old boiler the first thing I think of is when was it cleaned last?
The slow heat can be normal or not. Not getting to temperature set on the thermostat is not normal.
Let's discuss slow heating first. Number one hydronic heat is not a fast heat nor do we want it that way. Much more efficient if slower heating. How far is he setting the temp back at night? These boilers incorporate outdoor reset. This make the boiler more efficient and really increases the comfort level.
Slow heat and not coming to set point could also be a bad outdoor sensor. The control will give you the outdoor air temp in the control.
Not getting to setpoint on the thermostat could also be a dirty boiler. These boilers control input of gas by the amount of air movement through the boiler. When the boiler gets dirty the the air flow slows down and the input is reduced.
Two things the boilers are not junk the are not serviced properly and 10 years ago could have been improperly installed.
As far as the contractors comments, I was a service manager for 9 years and fired two techs over that time period for just that kind of comments to the owner after several sit downs with them.
Include pictures of the installation and when it was serviced last.

 

I have to agree with RB. Slow and steady for heat.

In addition to a possible boiler cleaning issue.... there could also be an issue with undersized or not enough emitters in the house.

http://www.doityourself.com/forum/el...-pictures.html

 

PJmax very well could be.
My experience is 99% of boilers are 100% oversized. In 38 years I may have found 2 boilers undersized. Many jobs people thought were undersized but most of them were improper piping or flow.

 

Thank you everyone. I will pass along word that his boiler is not garbage, and that he should not dump it. I will get some pictures and find out when it was last cleaned. He is not technically or mechanically inclined.