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will Iron Fireman Select Temp style systems ever return?

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Eastman
Eastman Member Posts: 927
in Strictly Steam
what are your thoughts?

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  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 16,867
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    If they do, members of The Wall will install them. I doubt anyone else is familiar with them anymore. In my area, almost all new homes have heat pumps.
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • Eastman
    Eastman Member Posts: 927
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    In the Select Temp manual, it looks like there was a steam pressure regulator on the boiler. I would imagine it was there to maintain a consistent pressure in the distribution system at all times for the the convector terminals. Is a regulator like that a common off the shelf item?
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 16,867
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    Not sure- does it show a make and model?

    Maybe @gerry gill will chime in- he's probably most familiar with these systems.
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • Eastman
    Eastman Member Posts: 927
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    It says Pressure Reducing Valve No. 203160
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,568
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    That valve may have been made by Dunham Bush/Iron Fireman. They neded higher pressure and hotter steam to make the select temp fans run as the fans were not electric.

    Steam pressure regulators are common items, Sarco, Spence, Cahsco, Watson McDaniel all make them.

    Really good system for a church
  • gerry gill
    gerry gill Member Posts: 3,078
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    Works well with iron radiators also :) We have done a couple houses with an off shoot of that design we call mini tube steam. The actual select temp heaters are no longer made. Its about the most efficient way to operate steam heat that i know of. Our systems don't run constant pressure.
    gwgillplumbingandheating.com
    Serving Cleveland's eastern suburbs from Cleveland Heights down to Cuyahoga Falls.

  • Eastman
    Eastman Member Posts: 927
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    I don't know if the pressure reducing valve is really necessary, but I want the three key features of the system: true micro zoning, mini tube distribution, and a boiler that was not sized to the total EDR but rather actual heat loss.
  • gerry gill
    gerry gill Member Posts: 3,078
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    micro zone with trv's..the rest you get :)
    gwgillplumbingandheating.com
    Serving Cleveland's eastern suburbs from Cleveland Heights down to Cuyahoga Falls.

  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,568
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    Just noticed that "Turbonics" made the fan coil units for Iron Fireman guess I never knew this or had forgotten.

    In any event I went on the "Turbonics" web site and they make several models that can be used on steam.

    Maybe everyone else knew but I didn't!!
  • Eastman
    Eastman Member Posts: 927
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    Nobody wants the fan coil units. They were the singular disadvantage of the system. Why not just install a forced air system? What's the point?
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,568
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    that's what the select temp system is.
  • Eastman
    Eastman Member Posts: 927
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    It has nothing to do with it. The fan coils were unusual, but that wasn't a defining characteristic of the system.
  • ChicagoCooperator
    ChicagoCooperator Member Posts: 355
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    I think someone should redesign the fan coil units in an iPhone-esque style and it would become highly popular.
  • gerry gill
    gerry gill Member Posts: 3,078
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    EBEBRATT-Ed is correct. The select temp heater was the only part of the system patented. In other words, it was the system idea. Today we look at the mini tube as the cool part of the system. But that wasn't the real part of the deal.
    gwgillplumbingandheating.com
    Serving Cleveland's eastern suburbs from Cleveland Heights down to Cuyahoga Falls.

  • KKOSCHKI
    KKOSCHKI Member Posts: 2
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    I am still maintaining a SelectTemp systems in my parents house that dad put in in the fifty's. On our third boiler but still have some original heaters dated May of 1955. About the pressure reducing valve, Theas heaters like a consistent pressure, around 10#. Our converted to gas fuel oil Burnham Boiler starts to fire at 9# and shuts down at 12#. That means the pressure will drop off to 8# and gain up to 13# after boiler shut down. The effect on the heaters if they are just idling to maintain room tempeture is that they will every so noticeably speed up. I do not have a pressure reducing valve. The smallest heater called the "H6" is a little over 9" wide and can pump out 6000 BTU. This will bring a closed off bedroom from 45* to 70* quick. With these heaters you can under rate the boiler size and still keep the house toasty. If I could find some rebuildable heaters I would put this system in my house.
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,568
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    @KKOSCHKI check out Turbonics they make small fan coils but I believe they are electrically powered
  • nicholas bonham-carter
    nicholas bonham-carter Member Posts: 8,578
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    I wonder if the same result could be obtained, supplying steam through 3/8 in. tubing connected to the air vent tapping of a 1-pipe radiator. The condensate would still flow out the old supply piping.—NBC
  • Danny Scully
    Danny Scully Member Posts: 1,426
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    @nicholas bonham-carter, @gerry gill has already experimented with this and yes, it works!
  • KKOSCHKI
    KKOSCHKI Member Posts: 2
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    EBEBRATT-Ed I see these guys once a year. They took over the Select Temp line and did produce some units for a wile. They still have some supplies, gaskets and such and one gentleman works part time whom used to work for select Temp. He has a wealth of information on the units.

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