Empire State Building

t.p.tunstall

brad....we've been spreading the word for years...most people look at you in disbelief...thanks for the call and confirmation. dan's been saying this for years, regards, t.p.

Brad White_9

Steam Pressure at the ESB

In response to a posting a week or so ago, there was speculation about how much steam pressure was used to heat the Empire State Building.

I suggested that someone should (then I in fact did) ask the Building Operating Engineer. Response is below.

Subject: Steam pressure used to heat the building
Directed To: b. Construction
Submitted: Jun 14, 2006 04:16:21 AM

===============================================
The Empire State Building - Official Website - Inquiry Response:
===============================================

We have a 2 pipe system with traps and vacuum pumps.
Less than 5 psig, typically 2-3 lbs.

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Sincerely,
The Empire State Building - Official Website

ScottMP

Cool info Brad

Pretty amazing that the building uses only 2-3 lbs.

Scott

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Mike T., Swampeast MO

Thanks Brad!!!

Patrick Linhardt, \"Linhardt's Field Guide to Ste

what a coincidence

Hi Brad,

Thanks for the facts. I was at a church in Indiana this morning, in the boiler room of course, and was asked why the boiler was set to run at 8#. The church facilities committee volunteer thought it needed higher pressure because the one steam coil was so far above the boiler room. I went through the usual reasons why it doesn't require higher steam pressures, but added that even the Empire State Building runs at pressures around 2#.

The old Broomell literature shows a 27 story building in NYC that was operating at 8 ounces of pressure. As Dan says, "Crank it down".

Best regards, Pat

Brad White_9

You are welcome, Pat and Mike-

I was curious myself and have read the works of Dan Holohan where this was expressed at least in passing, so now we know.


My real hope in this is to have the ESB building engineer become a Wallie Truly he or she would be most welcome as the steward of an historic American icon.

Perhaps you can pass this on to your committee volunteer at "Our Lady of Gentlemen Start Your Engines" and say, "See?"


Yours in Vapor,

Brad

DanHolohan

Thanks for the delightful post!

Josh_10

Wish we could say the same for the city of Seattle. We still have a central steam plant feeding half the buildings. 300 PSI with leaks everywhere. I have had to repair a few. Nice boilers though.

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DanHolohan

I was once

inside the ball at the top of the Smith Tower. Vacuum steam system in that building.

Josh_10

Smith? Not familiar.

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DanHolohan

Downtown

in Pioneer Square. It was the tallest building west of the Missisippi until the Seattle Worlds Fair. Hard to miss. ;-)

Josh_10

Duh, yes I know the one. Haven't been inside before. I think a former co-worker has serviced the boilers.

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gerry gill

thats some great info Brad..

thanks for finding out for all of us..

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gerry gill

hey Brad..

another question..whats the vacuum the pumps are set for? just curious.

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Mike T., Swampeast MO

District Supply Allowed Design Perfectly Suited to Structure

...and the dead men gave access to maintain their creation

Access to their finest attempt of the perpetuity required by the scale of a production whose closing act was known from the onset to cost many times that of the opening.

Christian Egli_2

Yep, and who cares about the observation deck?

Unless of course, that's where they put their vacuum pumps.

Thanks Brad, you make this Wall a better place. Why don't they put that sort of stuff in the tourist guide books?

Mike T., Swampeast MO

The degree of vacuum relates to the load on the building.

Mike T., Swampeast MO

300 PSI for a district and someone is upset about leaks???

Only process applications require that kind of pressure.

Brad White_9

So THAT explains

all the mist in Seattle! Plug those leaks and you can start singing, "The Bluest Skies you Ever See are In Seattle..."

Brad White_9

Degree of Vacuum?

Mmmmm, I may have to ask them that one- see if they do not get sick of me....

As Christian said, who cares about the observation deck? Too bad they use Con-Ed and not boilers, but still, it would be nice to get a field trip there, wouldn't it?

And was it not that hot relief vent King Kong grabbed just before he fell to his death?

Mark_46

Brad

...too funny. I often wondered why King Kong fell, now i know ).

About that field trip. That would be interesting. And for me easy to get to. I live just outside of NYC. I've been to the observation deck and I think I'd get a bigger kick from looking at the mechanicals of the building. But I doubt there is a pre-arranged tour for that part of the building.

Similarly, have you been to the Intrepid? Last time I visited I asked if the engine room can be viewed. The answer was no becasue most decks were closed to touring. (I think there is a lack of funds to prepare all decks for public viewing) But if most of the mechanicals werent removed when it was decommissioned there has to be some interesting stuff lurking below those decks.

Some info I found on it as built, wow:

8

Christian Egli_2

Steam tours

Remember a while back the people of the USS Massachusetts Battleship posted a question here. For heat, they use commercial heating boilers that they simply pipe into the ship's own main. Brilliantly simple. The question was about control issues and outdoor reset, I suggested dangling a thermostat out a porthole -thinking no one would notice the extra anchor anyways. I'm sure they found a tasteful way to solve their problem.

Perhaps there is a behind the scenes tour to get.

Unknown

if you go south

If u go south to Houston tx, there a battleship,"Texas". You can take self tour in almost anywhere in the ship, into the lower belly and looking up at the boilers.. Watch ur heads and stay fits to enter small openings... A really neat tour... I like the story about the men's toilet...