In 1881, Isadora and Benjamin Weil founded a boiler company called Weil Brothers in Chicago. That company became Weil-McLain thanks to the acquisition of one of the main suppliers, the J.H. McLain Company in 1918. Weil-McLain expanded even further in 1999 when they acquired Williamson Thermoflo, allowing them to enter the oil furnace market.
In 1918, after the acquisition, the newly-named Weil-McLain moved their manufacturing operation to Michigan City, Indiana, where they still manufacture hydronic heating equipment today. As of 2012, the Michigan City location also includes an engineering and development center, testing facilities, and a state of the art laboratory.
Additionally, Weil-McLain opened another manufacturing facility and distribution center in North Carolina in 2005. Keeping close to their roots, Weil-McLain’s administrative offices are located in the Chicago suburb of Burr Ridge, Illinois.
Over the course of the 20th century, Weil-McLain became the “largest U.S. manufacturer of cast iron boilers,” according to their website. Today, the company is still one of the leading manufacturers and designers of hydronic heating equipment for residential, commercial, and institutional use in North America.
Weil-McLain’s current product lines include boilers, indirect-fired water heaters, hydronic baseboards, controls, and heat exchangers for radiant heating applications—such as those used to heat swimming pools and for snow-melt systems.
In October 2018, Weil-McLain launched their newest AquaBalance Series 2 residential boiler. These compact, wall-mounted boilers are designed to fit in a closet, and they can provide both residential heating as well as domestic hot water.
Highly efficient, the AquaBalance Series 2 boiler offers 95% AFUE. For 2018, it earned the EnergyStar Most Efficient designation. According to Weil-McLain’s press release, the largest combination model can heat a 2500-square foot home while simultaneously providing enough hot water to run the dishwasher and two showers.
Additionally, the AquaBalance Series 2 is Low NOx rated, meaning that it has very low emissions. According to Weil-McLain, it’s easy to install, easy to service, and easy to control. And it can run off of natural gas or be converted to propane using an available kit.