Frequently Asked Questions

Yes! We know from testing and from experience that Energy Kinetics boilers all run very reliably on generators, keeping homes warm through winter storms, hurricanes, new construction, and more. We have thousands of boilers throughout the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, and in Alaska that have been run on generators for extended periods through many years.

In general, the start up power required is about 750 watts at 120VAC, and continuous run power is about 200 watts. This is adequate for all System 2000, 90+ Resolute, Accel CS, and Ascent Combi models and includes natural gas, oilheat, and propane sizes of EK1, EK2, EK3, EK1C, EK2C, EK3C, EK1R and EK1T.

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System 2000 is available in many sizes and configurations. Each home is unique and has different installation requirements and available options. To receive a free price quote on installing System 2000 in your home, a heating professional will visit at no obligation and evaluate your home's installation requirements, discuss options, and provide fuel savings payback estimates. You may be pleasantly surprised to discover how quickly System 2000 pays for itself in fuel savings and how competitively priced it really is.

It's best to have 2 to 3 years of fuel usage records available, make a list of objectives you wish to accomplish, and allow ample time for the dealer representative to do his work. This generally can take an hour to an hour and a half. See Selecting a Heating System.

When John Marran integrated heat, hot water, low mass technology and energy recovery controls in the innovative System 2000, he was generations ahead of the existing heating equipment. In 2008, the Department of Energy published a Final Rule1 that incorporates minimum Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) with mandated design features.

Almost 40 years ago, in 1979, the System 2000 Energy Manager incorporated more advanced energy saving features than this Final Rule requires, and it complied decades in advance of the September 1, 2012 effective date. The System 2000 Energy Recovery Cycle (or thermal purge cycle) exceeds all DOE mandated features.

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Sealed combustion means that air used to burn the fuel is drawn directly from the outside of the building to the burner, and that there are no draft hoods, draft regulators or other energy stealing devices that reduce comfort and increase heating loads; sealed combustion improves comfort and reduces fuel bills and air conditioning bills.

Energy Kinetics high performance water heaters have very low standby loss, so they stay warm for a long time without needing to reheat. In fact, if you turned your water heater thermostat off, and then back on again when you returned from vacation two weeks later, you would save about $0.93 with oilheat at $3.00 per gallon. The savings would be the same with propane at $1.99, or natural gas at $2.16/therm due to the energy content in the fuels.

System 2000 integrates heat and hot water with components specifically engineered to give the best performance and efficiency. Because it's designed as a system, System 2000 can anticipate the end of heat or hot water needs. It recovers energy in the boiler by heating your home or building for up to 20 minutes after the burner flame goes out, without overheating. This postpones the next thermostat request and improves comfort, saving energy that is typically wasted in other products. Analysis of a Brookhaven National Lab studies confirms that these low mass thermal purge characteristics of combination heat and hot water boilers can deliver savings of over 40% compared to other boilers with comparable AFUE ratings.1 AFUE does account for combination heat and hot water usage and does not accurately account for these losses, so top performing system savings are typically much greater than reflected in AFUE alone.

The heat output of the system is transferred into your home, and with a small amount of water, more energy goes into your home than just heating the boiler itself. System 2000 is super efficient and can be installed in any home in America by using proven and conventional piping and wiring configurations.

A furnace, or forced air system, distributes heated air using a fan, usually through duct work with supply registers and return grills. The furnace heats the air directly through a heat exchanger, and can suffer from very significant heat losses; especially when the ducts are not well sealed or are routed through outside walls or unconditioned spaces. Duct systems typically have losses of 25% to 40%.

A boiler heats water through a pressure vessel (or heat exchanger), and the water distributes this heat through piping with a circulator or pump. This high efficiency "hydronic" distribution typically has losses of less than 5%, delivering much more of your fuel dollars than conventional duct distribution systems. Although boilers typically heat copper fin baseboard or standing cast iron radiation, it is also very common to distribute to unit heaters, radiant in-floor tubing, snow melt systems, pools, spas, hot tubs, and hydro-air (or forced air systems with duct work). This is especially beneficial because all heat and hot water can be produced with a single high efficiency boiler, which can easily distribute heat to multiple zones, although ducts suffer from the same distribution losses as furnaces.

Chimney liners are mandatory for all chimney vented appliances, and System 2000 is no different. A properly constructed and lined chimney minimizes condensate and the effect of acidic byproducts of combustion and heats up and develops draft rapidly.

Although it is easy to determine if a chimney is in need of repair through inspection, it is not easy to inspect the physical construction of the chimney outside of the liner. For this reason, and because higher efficiency products like System 2000 have lower flue temperatures, it may be necessary to upgrade the existing chimney liner if the chimney is not performing properly.

Installation companies often only sell equipment available through the local wholesaler or supply house; this is usually their primary source of training and information and is the source of the products they sell. Fortunately, System 2000 uses industry standard components, so with few exceptions, parts are available through both Energy Kinetics and local wholesale distribution.

In addition to wholesale supply sources, System 2000 dealers have reached out to learn more directly from Energy Kinetics through factory training. Factory representatives also visit with the System 2000 network of dealers and review their business, needs and capabilities and offer training and support. Additionally, providing the most efficient heating systems and real energy savings is part of the business model for System 2000 dealers. For these reasons, System 2000 dealers are often "Best in Class" heating professionals. Repair parts are also available factory direct to heating professionals.

Heating companies offer products based on their personnel and business models and it is difficult to speculate why they have selected their product offerings. We’re a family owned company. We offer products with industry standard parts and all parts are readily available and backed by the best warranties and reliability in the industry, so heating professionals can quickly understand the system and have a high confidence level in support. If they can work on oil and gas burners, they should be successful with System 2000.

Many times, these companies offer products available through wholesale suppliers and they are simply not aware of the unique design, the energy saving advantages, and the proven performance of System 2000. In some cases, energy suppliers are not supportive of technologies that will significantly lower fuel consumption for existing customers. The best of these dealers seek out more knowledge about products and energy efficiency, and many have gone on to become our best customers!

For these reasons, System 2000 dealers are very often the most knowledgeable and customer service friendly dealers, and cutting customer's fuel use is core part of their business model. They understand that satisfied customers help to grow their business. Energy Kinetics welcomes the opportunity to share product information with all interested heating professionals. In addition, technical training is currently offered in many areas of the New England, the Mid-Atlantic States and Alaska.

All System 2000 dealers provide tune-ups, service and maintenance. Because System 2000 uses industry standard components, heating professionals familiar with boilers should also be able to provide tune-ups, maintenance and service. System 2000 dealers who actively participate in factory training and have extensive familiarity with System 2000 products are recommended for service.

Fuel suppliers rarely turn down fuel business and most will deliver fuel to System 2000 owners even if they don't sell System 2000. If your fuel supplier won't sell or service System 2000, contact your System 2000 installer or Energy Kinetics for dealers in your area.

Yes, System 2000 is compatible with most other hot water storage or indirect tanks. Some things to consider are the age, insulation thickness, and efficiency rating of the existing tank. The System 2000 external plate heat exchanger and storage tank is the most efficient way to produce and store hot water.

Stainless steel and glass lined tanks carry different warranties and warranty periods, and may experience different life cycles depending on water quality, service and site conditions. Please consult your heating professional to review your application and these factors.

System 2000 uses industry standard components from thermostats, circulators, zone valves, relief valves, burners and burner components, to pressure reducing valves and backflow preventers. These are the same components used on most residential and commercial boilers and are typically available through local supply houses and are often stocked on most heating professional's service vehicles.

If a heating professional cannot locate a part, they can simply call our customer service team for assistance at 908 735-2066. Parts not available through wholesale distribution include the Energy Manager control which can be temporarily bypassed to provide heat and hot water, the plate heat exchanger (used to make hot water for showers) which has union connections for easy cleaning or replacement, and the combustion chamber which can be removed for temporary operation. All parts can ship from our Lebanon, NJ factory, although they are also stocked with local System 2000 dealers and in our warehouses in Bangor, Maine and Fairbanks, Alaska.