Old 2 Pipe Gravity system

Unknown

these are in "abundance" in my area, most guys just adapt the flanges, replace the boiler ramming the water in and out of-it with an S25 circ. Leads to all kinds of probs!<BR><BR>Dave

Moses

Old 2 Pipe Gravity System

I went over the weekend to visit my uncle in Canada (Montreal). The house was build in 1895. The heating is a 2 pipe hot water gravity system.

In image 1121, you can see the fill valve is made out of 3, parts, why? and can you name them?

In image #1122 is supply header, and image #1123 is a return header, Are these headers early version of a low-loss-header?

In image #1129 you can see the radiator connection to the supply and return risers. Are those L/R nipples?,Or long threaded nipples?

In around 1985, the boiler was replaced with a Teledyne-Larrs boiler with a circilating pump.

Brad White

I'll take a guess

that the fill valve train is a sediment trap or strainer, a diaphragm type reducing valve and a diaphragm type relief valve, in that order, flowing right to left.

I think the headers are a home-made affair, pretty neat. I would not call them a low loss header specifically in that they do not seem to connect a primary/secondary function. (This even though, yes, they are headers and yes, they probably have low losses

The nipples? I have no idea. If they are true nipples, the radiator bosses are recessed pretty neatly. I have not seen ones like that. Almost looks like a compression fitting of some sort.

What a find is that! I know you were there but did you even visit your uncle with all that distraction?

Such a good nephew.

Christian Egli_2

Heat travels through any kind of crossing

An opinion on the headers

These beauties seem to be exactly what was used to construct radiators out of standard pipe, the sort of things that look like playground implements for kids to climb on: just four horizontal pipes lining a wall fitted at both ends with cast iron headers (just the thing you have, just a different use)

These methods were all first devised for heating textile mills where heat and humidity conditions are important to observe. The straight finless pipes did not collect dust and were easy to sweep clean. Brilliant.

Unknown

Seen lots

of those, Brad is correct as to the "feeder" combination, the PRV part in the middle had copper plates that took the place of now neoprene diaphragms that`s why they are so large in diameter. The headers came with the old gravity boiler and this was how the system achieved a balance on the mains. The radiators do have nipples, L&R threaded, not uncommon in these parts! I have pics "galore" of similar headers.
Anything else you want to know?

Dave

Unknown

Christain,

you`re referring to "return bends", check my "EDR for pipe rad" posting and you`ll see what I mean.

Dave

Steamhead (in transit)

That's definitely a piece of history

The fill valve is also the safety valve. I bet that system has (or had) no expansion tank. The first unit is probably a strainer and the last one is the safety valve. The middle one is the actual PRV, and between the PRV and the safety valve the boiler pressure was supposed to be regulated without the use of an expansion tank. That setup looks like a Mueller unit I tore out of a house a couple years back (see "Some Thoughts on a Snowy Morning" in Hot Tech Topics). If it has no tank, you really need to install one.

I've seen headers like those on some very old systems. I think they were used to save on piping labor. Not sure who made them.

Those rads are definitely connected with right-and-left nipples. That method hung on in the Great White North for a while after valves and ells with unions became standard here in the States. You can now see where the idea for the "Unique" radiator valve came from. You also have to be VERY careful not to over-pump this system, or water will short-circuit from the supply tapping to the return tapping.

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Moses

Old Gravity.....

You should have seen his face when I took the pictures of the radiator, and of the boiler! What's so interesting about the radiator? or the boiler that you have to snap a picture of them? He asked me. I said "uncle you don't understand it, if you will be a heating "maven" (expert) as i am you will also be marveled at these heating system. do you relize that this is here more than 100 years and stil works fine. They actually talk me! I said! He had a good laugh.

Moses