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Chris,
A trained heating professional should analyze your heating fuel use, calculate your heat load with this information and Manual J calculations, evaluate the remainder of your hydronic system (distribution manifold, distribution system, heat emitters) to ensure the unit's efficiency is optimized and create a plan for the installers. Many installers use rules of thumb and other installations to base their decision-making; a true hit or miss approach. When you're spending thousands of dollars, do you want to leave your system's installation and operation up to chance?
The Lochinvar boiler has had great reviews, though the buyer should beware: 1) trained heating professionals should install it; 2) high efficiency boiler require trained heating professionals to commission the boilers to ensure proper outdoor temp settings, gas pressure, gas-to-air ratios, etc.; 3) Regular maintenance should be performed to ensure that their European components (gas valves, boiler controls, heat exchangers, etc.) are maintained. Make sure that the installer is fully-trained in condensing, high efficiency boilers, because if he is not, there is a good chance that issues will surface later on ... when you think about the amount of money you're investing, it's not a great idea to try to "save" money in short term when you can lose much more later on. I've heard too many stories about high efficiency boiler installs going wrong in the future because of uneducated installers. The added cost of trained professionals include the training, combustion analyzers, pressure manometers and other equipment/time to commission the boiler. Experienced professionals have learned that they need to do it in order to have a happy customer.
Superstor is a well-respected indirect water heater, though some experienced professionals are careful about installing them near the ocean. For some reason the inherent salt in the environment has been pegged at giving the stainless steel tanks issues, so ask your installer if they would recommend a glass-lined tank. This should not be an issue in Lexington or Brockton.
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