Lochinvar LLC
HELLCAT PRODUCT LAUNCH
Last summer, Lochinvar unveiled the CREST® with Hellcat™ Combustion Technology Boiler, featuring an O2 sensor and SMART TOUCH™ operating control. In what we believe is the first of its kind, CREST with Hellcat identifies changing environmental conditions and adapts automatically, ensuring the unit runs at peak performance without the need to make manual adjustments. Across an eight-model product line from 999,000 to 6.0 million Btu/hour, CREST with Hellcat is rated to achieve up to 96.2% thermal efficiency.
"Our selection committee chose this team because it met and exceeded its goal of introducing a CREST boiler with a gas adaptive combustion system, resulting in arguably the best commercial boiler on the market today," said Kevin Wheeler, chairman, president & CEO. "Working together, the cross-functional team developed a commercial condensing boiler that identifies changing environmental conditions and adapts automatically, ensuring the unit runs at peak performance without the need to make manual adjustments."
While other manufacturers have O2 monitoring and fuel/air adjustment, Hellcat takes combustion control to the next level by using O2, barometric pressure, pre-mix temperature sensors and feedback/feedforward software to “continuously” adjust fuel/air mixture to maintain clean combustion allowing for “real time” compensation for changes in weather conditions and fuel heating values.
"Hellcat has set the bar higher for the industry," said product development program manager Barry Collins, who led the team. "Fewer adjustments and ability to maintain full output at higher elevations means cost saving to our customers from fewer callbacks and no need to oversize boilers for high altitude. The competition will have difficulty competing with Hellcat’s performance."
In addition to optimizing efficiency, a new unit can be up and running in less than an hour using the intuitive on-screen Commissioning Wizard. Once that's done, Hellcat requires no seasonal adjustments, just standard recommended service, such as air filter replacement, cleaning and annual boiler inspection with combustion verification.
"I wasn’t all that surprised to learn our team was selected for the Values Recognition award," Barry said. "This product has, by far, the most innovative technology we’ve incorporated into one product. Getting there was difficult, but the results were worthy of awards."
Left to Right: Kevin Wheeler, Mehdi Doura, Jonathan Guraedy, Curtis Gagne, Bilgin Kadayifci, Nick Street, Steve O'Brien, Will Aust. Not pictured: Barry Collins, Ben Putnam, Joe Vallejo, Robert Wiseman. © 2022 Aaron Johnson for A. O. Smith Corporation.
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