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1929 residential wall mounted thermostats

ChuckKeysor
ChuckKeysor Member Posts: 17
in Gas Heating
Hello heating experts. Can anyone tell me what the typical residential thermostats of 1929 would have been, and what they looked like? I have a 1929 home, and I'd like to have an actual 1929 era thermostat on my living room wall, even if it doesn't work,,,,,,,,, as a period detail for my house. Any information would be appreciated. Thank you, Chuck
ScottSecor

Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 25,262
    Somebody did have a picture of one on here a while back. But if you search "antique thermostat" on eBay you'll get a whole bunch of them of varying styled -- most of which still work just fine.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    ChuckKeysor
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 11,145
    If you look through some of the old control system documents on this site i think you will find some t-stats in that literature.
    ChuckKeysor
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 11,145
    But keep in mind most systems were coal in 1929 and you had to manually regulate the draft on most of those systems to control the output. Some has remote controls to the dampers with chains over pulleys and others were regulated based on system pressure and chains and levers to the dampers.
    ChuckKeysor
  • EdTheHeaterMan
    EdTheHeaterMan Member Posts: 9,717
    You might find this interesting. https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/antique-day-clock-thermostat-vintage-491524483

    When I started to work in heaters in 1970, there were a lot of Honeywell Series 10 thermostats. They have an Art Deco construction and were manufactured before the famous Round thermostat of the 1950's thru the early 1990's when mercury was beginning to be phased out. This 1950's round design is still made in the present day with electronic temperature sensing.

    If you find a mercury thermostat of any brand, it is unlikely that it is 1929 era, but it could be.

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/143270893010
    This ebay link won't last for ever, but this was the most popular series 10 thermostat when I started working.

    Edward Young Retired

    After you make that expensive repair and you still have the same problem, What will you check next?

    ChuckKeysor
  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,542
    The Art Deco period was 1920's- 1930's so the one that @EdTheHeaterMan posted from Ebay is the correct design. I think I even saw one on Ebay that was Old New Stock (if you can believe that???) May be legit, may be a reproduction.
    ChuckKeysor
  • STEVEusaPA
    STEVEusaPA Member Posts: 6,505
    @Jamie Hall was it mine?


    There was an error rendering this rich post.

    mattmia2ChuckKeysor
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 25,262
    No... that's a beauty, though, @STEVEusaPA
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • ChuckKeysor
    ChuckKeysor Member Posts: 17
    I was surprised at how cool some of these thermostats look. Thanks to everyone who supplied information/pictures.

    I talked to a friend of mine late this morning, who's father was a heating contractor into the 1960s. He told me his father had a collection of old thermostats, but my friend threw them away when he cleaned out his dad's house years ago.......... rats... Chuck

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