Anthacite adventure 1 - Hot Steamy Night

Dave_4

...was a Losch unit. I have spoken with Losch in PA and they state that they did not actually manufacture these units. I suppose it was their design and name, but built by others. A pic is attached.

Dave_4

Anthracite Adventures1, Hot Steamy Night

The setting: A rather warm Friday night in June in PA. A 200 year old mansion made into 5 apartments. Things are really hot in Apt. 2 bedroom, but I'll just stick to the technical issues... A/C window unit was on, but did not appear to be helping. 'It must be 375 degrees in here', my Janice said. I agreed it was hot...and contemplated some of the reasons...and smiled... and wondered...

I got up out of bed, and exclaimed 'There's a REALLY big temperature difference between my head and the bed!!! 'Maybe the radiator is on', my Rose replied. Oh no, it couldn't be I thought. But it was on!. She said it happened once before. HOT all the way across the 2 radiators!! The ancient and durable Dunham Vapor System softly and silently sent a million BTU's up and they were clinging to the walls and the roof and my shorts and in my face oh God it was HOT. She was not exaggerating that much. Aghh!!! I could not believe it! Steam in JUNE???

Flash forward 10 days... I learned how to adjust the coal feed rate on the Losch Ness Boiler, and reduced the fire from 9" to 3". Ahhh, relief. Hot water ok, no steam please.
I even played with the cycle timer a bit.

I thought I did really well with this recent learning discovery and the adjustments made, and as of Saturday night, 'I think she's Cadillacin' I proclaimed.

One last check at 11PM Sunday night before I leave for the week...crap! The fire went out! Rose and the other apartment dwellers will not be happy with no hot water, I thought. So I gathered some sticks from the yard and built a small fire. When I turned the boiler on, the blower fed the flames nicely. It was so very easy building a coal fire when you have a blower to feed the fire.

SO Monday Morning is here, and my shower is tepid. Uh Oh. Back down to see Nessy. I peak in the firebox and see a small glow. Not good. It should be much larger... I reached for the disconnect and at the slightest touch the blower came on. Switch wasn't completely closed, I guess. So with the blower on, that small glow grew into a concentrated mass of white hot coals. I spread the coals across the grate, observed the flame front grow, and closed the door. My job is done here...I believe she'll be Cadillacin'.

Captain Jack

Big Ed

Better man then me

I would have throw a blanket on the radiator and went back to bed .

Steamhead (in transit)

The Dead Men

are cheering!

BTW, do you know who built the stoker?

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