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An aging 5,000-square-foot estate in Langley, British Columbia is revitalized with a modern heating and domestic hot water solution.
The MacGregors lived a life of adventure, weaving through the thrills of aviation, car racing, and professional equine competition. Their journey led them to settle on a 2.5-acre property in Langley, British Columbia in 2000, nestled within the serene embrace of Campbell Valley Park. Karen MacGregor, now the widow of John MacGregor, reminisces about their vibrant life, filled with motorsports and equestrian pursuits.
"This is an old house, built in 1947," Karen reflects, "But it has been our cherished home for decades." As she walks through the memories of her life with John, Karen recounts the challenges she faced, particularly after John's passing and the subsequent breakdown of their aging boiler system. "Sadly, right after his passing, my furnace broke down. My fireplaces broke down, and the hot water heater wasn't working," she explained.
Karen found herself grappling with the discomfort of a failing heating system in the dead of winter and the holiday season. "During Christmas, we had the coldest winter, and my boiler quit," she recalled. "I called up some friends and they brought over some little heaters for me, but I only used one room because I couldn't take the heat and it couldn't take the cold."
In her search for a solution, Karen turned to Colin Sadler, a trusted contractor recommended by a friend. Colin stepped in to assess the situation and propose a comprehensive solution. "He came to rescue me," Karen expressed with gratitude. "And when I walked in that door, I said, 'Where is everything?' He said, 'It's in my truck. This is going to do everything.' I was very shocked."
Colin Sadler, owner of John Sadler Plumbing and Heating, recalls the urgency of the situation. "Karen's boiler started to fail in the early spring," he explained. "She had a very old cast iron boiler, probably 40 plus years old, and an older hot water tank as well. It was kind of on its last legs."
"The first thing that jumped out was the age of the existing equipment," Colin continued. "Her boiler was an oil-fired unit, and it was quite old and inefficient. The domestic hot water tank was also old. It was an electric tank, and it was quite large. It was taking up quite a bit of room."
The solution to Karen's heating woes came in the form of a Navien NFC-H combi boiler installed by Colin and his team. "We came up with a price and what components were needed to install a new Navien NFC-H fire tube combi 250/175 on this project to solve for problems with needing heating and hot water in one package," Colin said.
For Karen, the transformation was the mid-winter miracle she was looking for. "I walked in the door and said, 'This is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen,'" she exclaimed. "Now how does it work?" she asked Colin, to which he replied, "Go turn your tap on." Within seconds, hot water flowed immediately, a stark contrast to the previous waiting times. "In the past, I would wait two, three, four minutes for hot water to come to that end of the building," Karen recalled. "Now, why is that important? Because I wasn't on city water. We were on tankered water. That's expensive."
“It's an absolute miracle,” she added. “December, January, February, March, I froze. I didn't know what to do, and my dogs were wearing blankets in the house and I had a parka on, and I didn't really care because I was just all by myself. And so, I just huddled by one little heater that was given to me by a friend, but then Colin came to my rescue and I've never been happier, and it's just so nice to have.”
"The NFC-H model has a combination of a fire tube heat exchanger for space heating and a stainless-steel plate heat exchanger for domestic hot water," Colin explained. "It's all packaged into one unit. It's very compact, very efficient, and has very good flow rates for domestic hot water."
The benefits of the new Navien system extended beyond convenience, bringing warmth, comfort and other benefits to the MacGregor home. "The house was evenly warm all throughout, and I just couldn't believe it," Karen reflected. "And the other thing about the hot water, it tastes better. In the old days, it had a smell."
Navien combi-boilers are designed with installation flexibility in mind, with easy access to all connections and components. "One thing I really like about the NFC-H is underneath the boiler, you have a lot more space to work where your heating connections and your potable connections are," Colin explained. "So it's not very cramped under there. It's easy to get everything in place."
Colin also highlighted the advanced technology incorporated into Navien systems. "The NFC-H model is an Energy Star-rated product, so it's very efficient," he stated. "It's got all the bells and whistles as far as modulation goes, so it only fires at the rate necessary to meet the demand."
With Navien technology, Karen MacGregor's home has been revitalized, offering warmth, comfort, and efficiency. "I've never been happier," she declared. "It's just so nice to have." And as she enjoys the newfound luxury of instant hot water and consistent heating, Karen's home stands as a testament to the transformative nature of modern heating solutions.
"This house has been through a lot," she mused. "But now, thanks to Navien and Colin Sadler, it feels like home again." And with a smile on her face, Karen steps into the embrace of her revitalized sanctuary, grateful for the warmth and serenity that surrounds her during the next chapter of her life.
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