PB Heat and the Peerless name
Peerless boilers come from PB Heat, LLC in Bally, Pennsylvania. The lineup covers most of what an older house can need: cast-iron boilers for steam and hot water, stainless steel condensing boilers and combis, cast-iron oil boilers, and Peerless Partner indirect water heaters. PB Heat sells through heating contractors, and it sends homeowners with parts or pricing questions to a local installer or distributor, which is how we source parts for your boiler.
We service and repair Peerless boilers of every age, and we install new ones where they fit the house. PB Heat still lists several older gas boilers, including the MI, MI85, MIHII, DE and Cast 92, under an out-of-circulation heading, so the model on your rating plate may not be in the current catalog.
Series 63 steam boilers in older Twin Cities houses
Steam heat is still common in the big early houses of Saint Paul and in older Minneapolis neighborhoods. When a steam boiler fails, the replacement has to be another steam boiler, and PB Heat's gas steam boilers are the Series 63 and 63-x. The Series 63 is built with large cast-iron sections and a lot of water content, and its integral draft diverter keeps it low enough for basements with low ceilings.
Model numbers run from 63-03L to 63-06, and an L model fires at a lower input on the same size block. PB Heat rates each size in square feet of steam radiation, which is how a steam boiler should be sized: we measure the radiators in the house, not the old boiler's nameplate. PB Heat also sells near-boiler piping kits for the Series 63. The piping right at the boiler decides whether the steam leaves dry or carries water into the mains, and wet steam is where a lot of banging and uneven heat starts.
On service calls we read the sight glass, flush and test the low-water cutoff, keep the pressure control set low, clear or replace main and radiator vents, and check that the mains still pitch back toward the boiler.
Which Peerless cast-iron boilers suit a hot-water system?
For hot-water systems, PB Heat's cast-iron choices are the MI-e and MI-x, both 84% AFUE and chimney-vented. Both run on a Hydrostat IC control that handles spark ignition, the low-water cutoff and boiler reset, with two circulator outputs so an indirect water heater can take priority or a second zone can run. The MI-x ships with an automatic vent damper, a 30 psi relief valve and a temperature-pressure gauge.
What we see on these boilers is familiar cast-iron work: spark pilot ignition faults, a vent damper that won't open, a chimney that won't draft, circulators that seize after a summer off, and expansion tanks that lose their air and send the relief valve dripping. A dripping relief valve is a symptom of pressure trouble, and capping it is dangerous.
What is a Peerless PureFire condensing boiler?
PB Heat's condensing lineup is the PureFire, a stainless steel boiler rated at 95% efficiency with sealed combustion and direct venting, and the PBC combi for heat plus domestic hot water. PureFire model numbers track the maximum input, so a PF-110 fires up to 110 MBH. The LCD control shows status in plain English, and PB Heat publishes a wiring harness replacement supplement for the PF-50 through PF-140.
In a Minnesota winter, a PureFire shuts down for the same reasons as any condensing boiler: a vent terminal frosted over or buried in a drift, or a condensate line that froze or clogged. On a radiator system, flush the old loop before a new stainless heat exchanger sees that water. Moving to condensing can also leave a water heater alone in an oversized chimney that needs a liner, and replacement normally needs a mechanical permit; our Minneapolis HVAC permits guide covers that side.
Repair or replace, and booking
A cast-iron Peerless with sound sections usually earns a repair. We lean toward replacement when a section leaks, when parts are gone, or when repairs keep stacking up. If you're weighing a switch away from boiler heat, our post on boilers vs furnaces in Saint Paul homes walks through it, our Burnham page covers another Pennsylvania cast-iron maker, and our boiler and radiant heat page explains how we work on hydronic systems.
Call 612-429-3465 from 7am to 9pm, seven days a week. Homes without heat get priority. A service call is a $79 trip charge, waived when you approve the repair, and the price is written and fixed before we start. Completed repairs carry our 1-year parts-and-labor warranty, and installs carry a 2-year labor warranty on top of the manufacturer's parts warranty.
Peerless questions
Who makes Peerless boilers?
PB Heat, LLC in Bally, Pennsylvania. It builds the Peerless brand in cast iron and stainless steel, for hot water and steam, on gas or oil, and sells Peerless Partner indirect water heaters. PB Heat doesn't sell parts or quote prices to homeowners; it sends them to local installers and distributors, which is how we source parts for your boiler.
Is a Peerless Series 63 a good replacement for an old steam boiler?
It's built for steam. PB Heat gave the Series 63 large cast-iron sections, a lot of water content and a low-profile draft diverter for basements with low ceilings. The key is sizing: a steam boiler should match the square feet of radiation in the house, and PB Heat rates the Series 63 that way. The piping at the boiler matters as much as the boiler itself.
Do I have to register a Peerless boiler?
Register it. PB Heat's residential warranty ties the long coverage on cast-iron sections to registering the boiler, covers the original owner at the original address, and requires installation by a heating contractor. Registration is online at the Peerless site. PureFire, combi and indirect water heater warranties have their own terms, so check the certificate for your model.
What does the Hydrostat on my Peerless do?
On the MI-e and MI-x, the Hydrostat IC is the boiler's main control. It handles spark ignition, shuts the burner off if the water level drops, and runs PB Heat's boiler reset feature to save fuel. It also drives two circulators, so an indirect water heater can take priority or a second zone can run. The display and status lights are where we start troubleshooting.
Should I convert my steam system to hot water or forced air?
Usually not. Converting steam to hot water means new piping and often new radiators, and switching to forced air means cutting ducts into plaster walls. Most steam houses do best with a correctly sized steam boiler and a system that has been tuned up: vents working, pipes pitched and pressure kept low. We can price the options side by side.
Sources
- Peerless official site peerlessboilers.com