The oldest German radiators

DanHolohan

I saw these five years ago and asked about them. A member of the staff told me they were the first radiators installed in Germany. The building is now an elegant hotel, but it was once the home of the German Empress Victoria. It was built between 1889 and 1893.

DanHolohan

It was also Dwight Eisenhower's headquarters for a time after the war ended.

mattmia2

Is that piping lead?

They look a lot like the radiators that heat the Henry Ford Museum with the tank and tube design.

DanHolohan

Yes, the Ford Museum. That’s what I thought too.

mattmia2

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/170619/heating-at-the-henry-ford

ChrisJ

mattmia2 said:

Is that piping lead?

They look a lot like the radiators that heat the Henry Ford Museum with the tank and tube design.

Steel.
Men were stronger back in those days.

DanHolohan

It makes me wonder if they used DeLeval's turbine-driven pumps, as they did in this building: https://heatinghelp.com/blog/nycs-first-very-large-hot-water-heating-system/

mattmia2

I don't know about the pumps. It being a museum there is probably extensive documentation somewhere. I'm sure the heating plant is a work of art and museum in itself.

It was built in 1929 so utility power should have been available at that time however it is also near a lot of Ford plants so it may have got(may still) get steam from the powerhouse for a Ford plant. I know when they demonstrated the steam engines they powered them from compressed air from the Ford plants. I remember seeing the engines demonstrated as a kid. I don't know if they still do that. There was an incident about 30 years ago and they stopped demonstrating them because of that. I don't know if they have put in place better safety practices and resumed demonstration.

DanHolohan

@mattmia2, I meant the pumps in the German hotel/palace.

clammy

Thanks for sharing that gem . It’s been over 20 years or more since I have been to Germany but while there I loved the way they hooked up rads and do there piping after the war it was like they used what was on hand and made it work . When I would go and look at the new projects that where done say 30 to 40 years before I was there the attention to detail and quality of there work really had a impact on me and even though every place I had work always though and spoke highly of my work ( level square properly supported) but upon returning from Germany I had gotten a bit more anal w my work and took big hints from the Germans , I started install dbp valves pumps and zone valves on the supply , check valves on indirect tanks and doing heat loses for jobs . At that point I was already installing ci buderus boilers nobody really had heard of them and most refused to pay the extra couple of hundred for them very foolish . We installed a lot of them for quite a long time Until there dist locally kinds faded and then drop there gas line of boiler to just the gc model . I really have to thanks the Germans for putting a flame to my butt and to Mr H for putting the knowledge for all to learn . Thanks for the memory peace and good luck clammy

Paul Pollets

I ate there when attending the ISH show in '93. First class restaurant and very elegant. I couldn't get permission to see the boiler room, but was impressed with the setting.

DanHolohan

I couldn't get into the boiler room. But I spotted that radiator in a room that the waiters were using. I asked and they moved that curtain to give me a better look.

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

DanHolohan said:

I couldn't get into the boiler room. But I spotted that radiator in a room that the waiters were using. I asked and they moved that curtain to give me a better look.

I didn't know you speak German.

DanHolohan

I gesture in German. ;-)

Solid_Fuel_Man

Americans....gesturing.....lol


I'd be willing to bet a Vie$$man or two is hiding out there.

DanHolohan

I would not take that bet. 😂

ChicagoCooperator

I'm surprised that they would have been so late to be the first (or currently the oldest), but then again, Germany is big on tile stoves.