For Old Heating System Sleuths

New England SteamWorks

Looked at a 2-piper today. Big 4 Square house from 1914. I don't know why, but I never feel comfortable working with a system until I understand how it started out originally and what changes happened along the way. Mysteries drive me nuts. Before I found you guys, I was almost insane.

And for that reason, finished basements drive me nuts. Which is what I have in this case.

It's a beautiful house that seems largely intact. Two-pipe system as previous stated. But none of the radiators match, though the traps all do (Webster). Not even on the first floor in the main rooms do they match. No signs of any heating system prior to the existing.

And then we have this:



It's a steam heat exchanger with a blower and 3 ducts to three floor vents, one in the parlor, one in the front foyer and one in the 2nd floor master bedroom. It was important enough to install that a door behind the unit was walled over so as to allow it's installation. The 3 rooms with the floor grates have massive radiation, so why?

The unit is disconnected, probably has been for a very long time, and is not of any import beyond being a possible piece of the puzzle that this house represents. My customer purchased the home over the summer so there is no history.

JUGHNE

Could have been for fresh air into the house. Any evidence of ductwork or outside inlet grills?

Steamhead

I agree.

This is probably a Webster Modulation system (If it doesn't have a Return Trap) or a Type R system (if it does). Pretty standard Vapor in either case.

How about some radiator and boiler room pics?

JUGHNE

Is that a direct drive motor on that blower? Maybe the fresh air was an afterthought? Also did the house have electricity in 1914?

New England SteamWorks

1. If there was ducting to bring fresh air in, there is no sign or clue of it now.
2. There is a trap on the return.
3. The house likely had electricity when built, but the blower is not original because a door was walled off in order to install it.

I suppose it could have been added simply to bring in fresh (warmed) air into the home? That would make sense if someone was really concerned about stale air, especially given the location of the vents in the home.

The requested photos:

ChrisJ

Maybe it was a heating guy's house and he used whatever he had on hand as long as the radiators were about the right size?

JUGHNE

Looks like remains of a trapeze hanger for a ceiling/condenser radiator above the boiler.

Danny Scully

@JUGHNE, I was thinking the same.

DanHolohan

Consumption, or what we now call tuberculosis, was raging in the U.S. then, and fresh air was a part of the remedy. Note the location of the vents in this house. Someone who lived there was ill.

http://www.faculty.virginia.edu/blueridgesanatorium/death.htm

New England SteamWorks

I am going with that Dan, makes perfect sense, thank you. A doorway wouldn't stand in the way of an illness.

I couldn't read the model number of this Utica. Anyone care to venture an approximate age?

Steamhead

It's an OU-something. Count the number of sections to complete the model number: 4 sections= OU400, 6 sections= OU600. Some of the larger units had model numbers starting with HS rather than OU, but I don't think yours is that big.

These boilers were built like tanks.

SWEI

DanHolohan said:

Consumption, or what we now call tuberculosis, was raging in the U.S. then, and fresh air was a part of the remedy.

Consumption was big business here in our little corner of NM
http://www.elpalacio.org/placeseries/winter08lungers.pdf
http://www.cs.amedd.army.mil/borden/FileDownloadpublic.aspx?docid=332041d7-dbd2-4edf-823f-29a66c0b65ef

New England SteamWorks

Steamhead said:

It's an OU-something. Count the number of sections to complete the model number: 4 sections= OU400, 6 sections= OU600. Some of the larger units had model numbers starting with HS rather than OU, but I don't think yours is that big.

These boilers were built like tanks.

The only thing I could make out was 1035 sq ft of steam. I am guessing from the 1960's?

Hap_Hazzard

DanHolohan said:

Consumption, or what we now call tuberculosis, was raging in the U.S. then, and fresh air was a part of the remedy. Note the location of the vents in this house. Someone who lived there was ill.

Amazing how putting something in its historical context clarity to an enigma.

Dan, I think you could probably earn a graduate degree in history of technology without too much difficulty.

DanHolohan

LOL! Thanks, Hap. I'm just curious.

ChrisJ

We need @Dan Holohan to write books about the Monitor Top and it's history.

DanHolohan

Like this?

http://www.antiqueappliances.com/monitor-tops/

ChrisJ

DanHolohan said:

Like this?



http://www.antiqueappliances.com/monitor-tops/

Negative.
A book like your lost art, or greening steam. The history of how and why they were engineered the way they are. How they were sold, financed etc and most importantly, how to make repairs.

DanHolohan

Okay. Thanks.

STEVEusaPA

Yeah isn't that what retirement is for...more work?

ChrisJ

Of course not but no one writes like Dan.

DanHolohan

Writing has never seemed like work to me. It's just talking on paper, a joy.

gerry gill

some very cool history in this thread!

Steamhead

RI_SteamWorks said:

Steamhead said:

It's an OU-something. Count the number of sections to complete the model number: 4 sections= OU400, 6 sections= OU600. Some of the larger units had model numbers starting with HS rather than OU, but I don't think yours is that big.

These boilers were built like tanks.

The only thing I could make out was 1035 sq ft of steam. I am guessing from the 1960's?

That would be either an OU-800 or an HS-800 depending on what burner was originally on it. Firing rate is 3.05 GPH if running at maximum rated load. Probably dates to the 1970s or early 1980s.

Hap_Hazzard

DanHolohan said:

Writing has never seemed like work to me. It's just talking on paper, a joy.

Keep talking. ;-)