Bosch Diversifies its Portfolio with Connected, Simple Equipment

A new plug-and-play tankless water heater and wireless diagnostics simplify installation, maintenance

**SIMPLE TO SET:** Mark Thompson, national key account manager, Bosch Thermotechnology, shows how easy it is to set Bosch’s Connected Control (BCC100), a full-color, 5-inch, touchscreen thermostat that offers Wi-Fi connectivity.

**BUDERUS SSB:** The Buderus SSB Series consists of a total of eight models in four separate cabinet sizes with inputs ranging from 85-1,024 MBtuh and are applicable for use in small studio units up to commercial buildings.

**GREENTHERM 9000:** Bosch’s Greentherm 9000 Series features a uniform energy factor of 0.97 with thermal efficiency of 100 percent.

**GREENSTAR COMBI 100P:** The Greenstar Combi 100P unit provides heat and up to 2.6 gallons per minute (gpm) domestic hot water (DHW) in one compact, lightweight, wall-mounted unit. The unit’s ultra-quiet operation makes it an applicable solution for smaller properties.

CHICAGO — Bosch is conquering the HVACR arena one equipment line at a time. This was evidenced through its broad portfolio of products on display at the 2018 AHR Expo. The manufacturer is now making its own heat exchangers, controls, boilers, water heaters, radiators, radiant products, and more. Through this diversification, the manufacturer is aiming to simplify the installation and maintenance experience as well as provide a single point of contact for hydronics contractors as they install the company’s wide variety of equipment.

BUDERUS SSB

The Buderus SSB Series consists of a total of eight boiler models in four separate cabinet sizes with inputs ranging from 85-1,024 MBtuh. These units are applicable for use in small studio units up to large commercial buildings. The SSB Series includes mid-range commercial 255-, 399-, and 512-MBtuh models and 85-, 120-, 160-, and 255-MBtuh residential models.

The Buderus SSB Series is designed as a modular platform for commonality and familiarity for the installer, which enables quick and easy installation in various applications. The platform commonality also reduces the number of unique spare parts in inventory. Residential and light commercial models are rated at 96 percent AFUE, and all sizes have a turn down ratio of 5:1.

“We make our own heat exchangers for these units,” said B. Paul Svoboda, Midwest portfolio sales manager, Bosch Thermotechnology. “We’re in charge of development and engineering, so we get to control quality from start to finish. Additionally, these units were designed with contractors in mind and are Modbus and BACnet compatible. For building management systems [BMS], you can also control these from a straight T-T connection or a 0- to 10-V DC signal as well. This allows us to use them in residential and commercial applications. Also, many home automation protocols use BACnet, and we can operate under those parameters as well.”

GREENSTAR WALL-MOUNTED COMBI PRO BOILERS

The Greenstar Combi 100P is a part of the Greenstar Pro Combi lineup and offers the same performance found in Bosch Thermotechnology’s Greenstar Combi boiler but in a simplified model, providing professionals with only the essential parts.

This unit provides both heat and up to 2.6 gallons per minute (gpm) domestic hot water (DHW) in one compact, lightweight, wall-mounted unit. In addition to its small footprint, the unit’s ultra-quiet operation makes it the perfect solution for smaller properties. The Greenstar Combi 100P has a maximum input rate of 100,000 Btuh and a minimum input rate of 24,600 Btuh. In addition, users can install the unit using a variety of venting materials and terminations.

The Greenstar Combi 100P offers streamlined design and standard Greenstar components, including an American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)-approved Al-Si heat exchanger constructed of a flexible, advanced magnesium-aluminum-silicon alloy. The heat exchanger has a coating that prevents scale buildup, which leads to less servicing, higher efficiency, and a longer boiler life.

“We just celebrated our 2 millionth worldwide installation of this boiler,” Svoboda said. “This boiler features a 100 percent aluminum heat exchanger. We cast it ourselves with a special casting. Since we have so many divisions, we learn things from our other divisions. We have cast-iron rotors in our braking systems. We found out if you put silicon in that cast iron, it makes it flexible. So, we add about 8 percent silicon to our heat exchangers, which reduces metal fatigue and cracking, allows them to expand and extract, and increases their resistance to pH. These heat exchangers will be around for a very long time. In fact, we offer a lifetime warranty on them. We don’t have to stand behind this product because we can proudly stand beside it.”

GREENTHERM 9000 CONDENSING TANKLESS WATER HEATER

The Greentherm 9000 Series Condensing Tankless Water Heater features a uniform energy factor of 0.97 and thermal efficiency of 100 percent. It also offers a built-in recirculation pump that allows easy plug-and-play installation of a home recirculation system and an active bypass that provides temperature stability and eliminates the need for a buffer tank, even with varying flow rates and supply water temperatures.

Mark Thompson, national key account manager, Bosch Thermotechnology, said the unit is designed to provide simplicity and connectivity.

“Tankless units need to be maintained regularly,” Thompson said. “Hard water will affect the longevity of the unit, so depending on what part of the country you’re in, you’re going to want to service them annually. The hose-thread flush ports are located at the bottom, and two gold inlet and outlet threads are located on the top. Typically, tanked water heater connections are always on the top, and tankless connections are on the bottom. However, we did a lot of surveying and research and determined that top connections actually save contractors time and money, so ours are on the top. Additionally, we’ve gone to 2-inch venting. In the plumbing world, the smaller diameter to vent, the better it is.”

The Greentherm 9000 Series includes nine models. Each features an integrated Wi-Fi control that enables remote user control via a free mobile app.

“The remote app details exactly when a problem occurs and what that issue entails,” Thompson said. “Whether it’s a flue sensor or pressure problem, plumbers know exactly what’s wrong based on the error code. A consumer can simply call and share the error code, and the plumber already knows what to expect well before he or she arrives. This unit is truly plug and play. You plug it in, vent it, and read everything via the control, including gallons per minute, water pressure, voltage, gas pressure, etc. It doesn’t get much easier.”

Publication date: 2/26/2018

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Herb Woerpel was a senior editor with The ACHR NEWS. He is committed to delivering practical, insightful information in an accessible, engaging way. Herb joined BNP Media in 2011. He most recently served as editor-in-chief of Engineered Systems and was previously employed as managing editor of The ACHR NEWS. Before joining BNP Media, he worked as a reporter with the Advance Newspapers, a subsidiary of MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. He holds a bachelor’s degree in news editorial journalism from Central Michigan University and boasts 16-plus years of professional journalism experience.