ATLANTA — Contractors and technicians asked for equipment improvements and they found it at Bosch Thermotechnology Corp. The company listened to the feedback from its customers and did some tweaking to make its products save time, energy, and money. These are three important areas for Bosch when it comes to both commercial and residential, especially in product sectors that are more mature than others. Looking at the commercial boiler line for example, Dan Moffroid, director of product management, explained that even though incremental improvements may be made in efficiencies and technology, it likely won’t be revolutionary.

“Now, it’s about making the products fast and easy for the engineer specifier and for the installer to get installed and commissioned,” he said. “This is where you are going to see more than incremental improvement. Along with it, connectivity, remote monitoring, and maintenance are going to be a focus for the future. The name of the game is make it work, make it simple.”

The Buderus SSB Industrial Boiler is the embodiment of these trends, according to Moffroid. Designed for commercial space heating and domestic hot water, this boiler’s integrated cascading allows users to quadruple output if desired. The units are available in 798- and 1024-mbh stand-alone units, or a 1024-mbh cascading unit that can be combined to meet demands up to 4096 mbh. Ideal for schools, hotels, office buildings, and warehouses, its single-platform design and compact footprint allow for easy startup and install flexibility.

The unit features all key connections, including exhaust, intake, supply, return, and gas on both sides of the cabinet. It also has removable panels on all four sides and two 316-L stainless steel watertube heat exchangers with easily accessible supply and return connections for increased capacity. The boiler package includes an onboard control with a 7-inch external touchscreen display and an internal HMI screen that provides system level parameter adjustment. It works with multiple building communication options, including Modbus, BACnet, and LonWorks.

“The dual stainless steel heat exchanger helps ensure that even if there is a problem somewhere, you can still have heat,” said Moffroid. “This system is truly a plug-and-play situation for installers.”

Later this year, the company will be bringing its Bosch 8000 control to market. It has a Wi-Fi connection to the building management system and will allow operators to monitor and make changes to the systems remotely. The control has a large color display and separate color bar that shows system status at a glance.

“Even from a distance, maintenance and service technicians can visually see the color bar is red and realize instantly there is a problem that needs to be fixed,” said Moffroid. “This control is exciting for us because from a commercial aspect of the boiler, the control is a big part of the equation, and this one makes it easy to set up and to monitor.”

RESIDENTIAL UPGRADES

Keeping in line with its commitment to saving time, energy, and money, Bosch highlighted a number of residential products as well. One of which was the Bosch Greentherm 9000 series.

The 9900i SE model has a glass front and integrated Wi-Fi control — also an option on other models — enabling the homeowner to control the water heater remotely via a free mobile app. The Wi-Fi module communicates with the app to provide operating performance information to the user and sends alerts directly to a compatible smartphone. Outdoor models feature a concealed, built-in controller with optional Wi-Fi connectivity. Each model offers simple conversion to liquid propane (LP) using the included manifold injector kit, which eliminates stocking both LP and natural gas (NG) units, thus saving the wholesaler’s inventory cost. Installation permits up to 60 feet of venting with 2-inch pipe, or 280 feet of venting with 3-inch pipe, using a wide range of venting material options. It may be used with a ½- or ¾-inch gas line with appropriate connections, and a built-in recirculation pump allows for simpler installations. The Greentherm 9000 Series requires no dedicated return line, decreasing wait time for hot water at the tap, reducing water waste and saving an estimated 11,000 gallons a year per household.

“We are trying to make it easier for the contractor to install this unit and more energy efficient for the end user to operate,” said Michael Chaput, Eastern regional sales manager - tankless. “We also want the end user to be able to engage the unit and have it be attractive in appearance. In places without basements, this unit could be installed like any other appliance in a kitchen and blend in with the décor.”

Also from the residential side, there was the Inverter Ducted Split (IDS) 2.0; the upgraded SM Rev C geothermal heat pump, featuring a new heat pump control board that can communicate with the Bosch EasyStart App; and the company’s first-ever noncondensing BGS80 gas furnace with a four-way, multi-poise design. The new furnace delivers 80 percent AFUE and is 33.75 inches high. It can integrate with the Bosch IDS outdoor unit and cased coils for a complete residential heating and cooling system.

“We’re improving and redesigning products to meet peoples’ needs and to meet contractors’ wishes,” said Fred Crick, factory trainer for a/c and geothermal. “I’m an old contractor, and a lot of manufacturers will only make changes because of the bottom dollar; but it’s really nice to see changes after a contractor tells us what needs to be adjusted, and it goes up the chain and actually gets done. Contractors come through the booth … and see the changes we made, and they’re like, ‘Oh yeah, look at that.’”

Publication date: 2/18/2019

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