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Huge Pipe Radiators, Old Theatre.

Toymotorhead
Toymotorhead Member Posts: 54
in Strictly Steam
I noticed these huge pipe radiators on a job site I was on this week. It is a theater from right around 1900. The back walls of the stage house are covered in some huge pipe style steam radiators. The largest one is all 2 inch pipe and is probably 16 pipes wide and over 70 feet in length.



No troubleshooting advice needed. Just sharing some cell phone shots, because I know how much you crazy kids like your steam stuff...



I do really wonder how much efficiency is lost under the 30 layers of black paint tho.....



Cheers

Richard.

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Comments

  • Dave in QCA
    Dave in QCA Member Posts: 1,788
    Amazing!!

    Thanks for posting this!
    Dave in Quad Cities, America
    Weil-McLain 680 with Riello 2-stage burner, December 2012. Firing rate=375MBH Low, 690MBH Hi.
    System = Early Dunham 2-pipe Vacuo-Vapor (inlet and outlet both at bottom of radiators) Traps are Dunham #2 rebuilt w. Barnes-Jones Cage Units, Dunham-Bush 1E, Mepco 1E, and Armstrong TS-2. All valves haveTunstall orifices sized at 8 oz.
    Current connected load EDR= 1,259 sq ft, Original system EDR = 2,100 sq ft Vaporstat, 13 oz cutout, 4 oz cutin - Temp. control Tekmar 279.
    http://grandviewdavenport.com
  • Hap_Hazzard
    Hap_Hazzard Member Posts: 2,846
    No loss of efficiency.

    Only the capacity would be reduced. Only leaks can reduce the efficiency of steam radiators.
    Just another DIYer | King of Prussia, PA
    1983(?) Peerless G-561-W-S | 3" drop header, CG400-1090, VXT-24
  • Dave in QCA
    Dave in QCA Member Posts: 1,788
    Uh Oh....

    I see a very long thread coming.....
    Dave in Quad Cities, America
    Weil-McLain 680 with Riello 2-stage burner, December 2012. Firing rate=375MBH Low, 690MBH Hi.
    System = Early Dunham 2-pipe Vacuo-Vapor (inlet and outlet both at bottom of radiators) Traps are Dunham #2 rebuilt w. Barnes-Jones Cage Units, Dunham-Bush 1E, Mepco 1E, and Armstrong TS-2. All valves haveTunstall orifices sized at 8 oz.
    Current connected load EDR= 1,259 sq ft, Original system EDR = 2,100 sq ft Vaporstat, 13 oz cutout, 4 oz cutin - Temp. control Tekmar 279.
    http://grandviewdavenport.com
  • Toymotorhead
    Toymotorhead Member Posts: 54
    Eyes Open.

    I was in a rush, and wish I could have taken some more pictures. Also its amazing that a few months of hanging around this site will make you go from: There are some pipes over there. To: Hey, look at all this big old cool lookin' steam stuff, I gotta share it with the guys.....



    Cheers

    Richard.

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

  • Hap_Hazzard
    Hap_Hazzard Member Posts: 2,846
    I know what you mean.

    I'm getting deja vu looking at these pictures. They remind me of something I saw when I was in college. There was this huge old fieldhouse on campus called Barton Hall that they used for everything from indoor track meets to ROTC training to concerts. They had pipes like these all over the place. Of course I didn't know anything about steam heating back then--I had other priorities. ;-)
    Just another DIYer | King of Prussia, PA
    1983(?) Peerless G-561-W-S | 3" drop header, CG400-1090, VXT-24
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 24,525
    I've been in

    several theatres with huge steam radiators like that back stage -- not as a steam guy, but as a player.  I can assure you that a) they do work but that b) there are very few things in the world as cold and draughty as a stage house... they are not designed for heating efficiency!
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • PMJ
    PMJ Member Posts: 1,266
    Old Factory

    There is an old factory in Cleveland that takes up nearly a city block that was heated this way at least up to 10 years ago. Miles of pipe in banks like this in several large multi-story buildings - the whole thing was hot water. Central boilers in their own building and big pumps.
    1926 1000EDR Mouat 2 pipe vapor system,1957 Bryant Boiler 463,000 BTU input, Natural vacuum operation with single solenoid vent, Custom PLC control
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