In 1928, a man named Earle C. Reed opened two manufacturing facilities, one in Utica, New York, and the other in Dunkirk, NY. The facility in Dunkirk started off producing cast iron boilers and radiators. This facility later became known as the Dunkirk Radiator Corporation.
Over time, Reed built and acquired more heating and cooling companies. Seventy years later, in 1999, all of these companies were merged together into one company. It was named ECR International after its original founder—Earle C. Reed.
Today, ECR International produces heating and cooling equipment under seven different brand names. These include Dunkirk, Argo, Airco, and RetroAire. ECR International was acquired by a Dutch company, BDR Thermea, in 2015, but ECR’s manufacturing facilities are still located in upstate New York.
Dunkirk emphasizes the importance of innovation and dependability. They use feedback from HVAC professionals in the field to design and improve their products. According to Dunkirk, American ingenuity is the number one source of their original designs.
Dunkirk produces conventional oil and gas-fired boilers, indirect water heaters, and modern condensing gas boilers. Many of their conventional gas-fired boilers have fuel flexibility, running off of either natural gas or propane. Every Dunkirk boiler is test-fired before it leaves the factory to ensure quality and dependability.
Dunkirk’s conventional gas boilers have efficiency ratings around 82-85% AFUE. Dunkirk offers condensing gas boiler units that are up to 95% efficient. Some of them even carry the Energy Star 2018 Most Efficient certification.
For instance, the Dunkirk Helix VLT boiler features 95% AFUE and carries the Energy Star 2018 Most Efficient seal, in a wide range of capacities. The heat exchanger inside is a high grade 316L/444 stainless steel fin coil with flame sight glass. This innovative, self-cleaning heat exchanger is covered by a 15 year limited warranty and a first year $500 Heat Exchanger Labor Warranty.
When it comes to indirect hot water heaters, Dunkirk offers both conventional porcelain coated and stainless steel tanks. They even offer a hot water heater specifically designed to work with solar thermal power systems.