Boiler Questions / 1885 Wood Furnace

Dan Banner

Hi all,

I have a some questions I hope some members here can help answer. The house my wife and I are soon to purchase was built in 1885. It has a boiler with cast iron radiators. Radiators have pipes going to and returning from the furnace.

1.) Is this system hot water or steam? (I think it's hot water)

2.) How old to you think this boiler is? (Hart & Crouse by Bryant)

3.) Any guess as to it's efficiency?

4.) If it were you, would you replace the boiler (Immediately / later)?

The original furnace is still in the basement. It's a brick encased cast iron wood furnace. The big black round air ducts you see were in addition to the radiant water heat. Those ducts lead to floor and wall vents throughout the house.

5.) Do you think we might be able to still use this wood furnace as a back-up heat source?

[img]http://webpages.charter.net/krohnhouse/Best/photos/IMG_5357.JPG[/img]

Thanks, Dan (Banner)

If you would like to see pictures of the whole house copy and paste this URL into your address bar-----> http://webpages.charter.net/krohnhouse/Best/index.html

Daniel_3

Hey Dan. I'm sure someone will pipe in

I am simply amazed at the detail of all the woodwork. I hope you never paint any of that (doubting you ever will). I noticed in one of the pics a ceiling vent with a damper regulator. That must have been a vent for the wood furnace had ever the air quality become foul. Say some draft caused smoke to enter the supply ductwork then you would probably need that for venting. This is just my guess of course.

Those window rads are from the American Radiator CO. Either they are an Aetna or Zenith flue window radiator. I would hold on to those.

Dan Banner

Daniel (djbradle),

Thanks for the quick response. We do love the woodwork, it was a lumber baron's home. The woodworking was done by a Bavarian carver who graduated from the Munich Royal Academy of Fine Art in 1879. 15 different hardwoods were used in the finish carpentry.

The vent you are referring to is in the corner of the bathroom and was used for the bathroom water heater. This house had the first indoor residential bathroom in LaCrosse, WI. The bathroom remains largly unchanged to this date. I hope to find an old copper water heater to put in the corner of the bathroom, just for show of course.

Dan

Daniel_3

Bump

martin

Old Boiler

I would guess your boiler is somrwhere in the early 60s
Do you have a circ. on the system or is it gravity. Take it out put in a mod -con with a setback ,with those cast rads and you'll have a sweet system, will have to convert to a forced system also. The wood burner is over the hill, that looks like a weekend project for a sledge and a wheelbarrow.

Robert O'Brien

1) Appears to be gravity hot water
2) 35-45 years
3) Not very good
4) Yes,a mod/con would be great with that system
5) No!

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Dan Banner

Thanks for your expert opinions and good advice. I think we should get a Weil-Mclain boiler.

What is a "setback"? How much efficiency will we gain by adding a combined, or indirect water heater too? I

We will leave the old brick furnace in place as a conversation piece. I'm sure it will scare the heck out of the nieces and nephews. The Brick Monster With Octopus Arms.

Thanks again for all the help! Dan

martin

Setback

Actually I referanced it wrong instead of setback I should have said outdoor reset, It lowers the boilers water temp in relation to outside temps .The warmer it is out the cooler it will leave your boiler run, improving effic.But you will not enjoy the full potential unless you use a condensing boiler. W/M does make a condensing boiler the ultra, I've only installed one but it seems to be preforming well. go with an Indirect for your hot water, several offer lifetime warr. on tank to original buyer.

Dan Banner

PLUMBARIS,

Thanks for all the good info. If not a Weil-Mclain what manufacture would you recommend? We want a long lasting high efficacy boiler that can incorporate the features you are referring to such as the outdoor reset and the indirect tap water heater.

The reason I said Weil-Mclain is that is what we put in our current home but it's a different set up all together.

Thanks, Dan

mike faust

weil mclain ultra

This is a great choice. It will do the job for you quietly and efficiently. We have several of them in operation at this time in a multitude of applications. They seem to be well suited as replacement boiler with cast iron radiators as a heat source. You must be sure to find a knowledgable contractor to a design and install the product.......