Dead Men Tales: Hidden Radiators

HeatingHelp

Hidden Radiators

In this episode, Dan Holohan shares how the Dead Men installed indirect radiation in wealthy customers’ homes. It combined heating with ventilation and discretely hid radiators.

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Adk1guy

If there's one thing I've noticed about rich people is they don't like to pay poor people. They may buy a $500 bottle of vino at dinner but they always chiseled me down to the last penny for their oil and service. I wonder how they like $6.00/gal heating oil?

Danny_Jr

Thank you, Dan for that concise but thorough overview of the hidden radiators. I have never run across a system that utilized them. But I always enjoy hearing the stories of the dead men. And the engineering that went into those systems. From a contractor who is part of a 4-generation family tradition of steam fitters, thanks again.

DanHolohan

Thanks, Danny. I appreciate you. 

billydick

Thank you, Dan, for another great tutorial. Whenever I try to explain the physics and thermodynamics of steam to people--even home owners--their eyes glaze over. I guess I need a video for this crowd. The Dead Men, you, and, I like to think moi, have an appreciation for the laws of TDN, but perhaps I am just blowing my own horn. At any rate, Thank You again.

DanHolohan

Thanks for that!

joco

I have indirects but the ductwork leading to the exterior has long since been removed. There are just holes in the bottom of the boxes, sucking in basement air. Do you have any resources on rebuilding the ductwork? Was condensation an issue?

DanHolohan

No resources on rebuilding, and I've not read of any condensation problems in the past.

chris_ma

This is the exact system on the house I grew up in. Overtime the boxes around the radiators have been removed. Would like to rebuild. I kind of remember the box spacing was about 2-3" bigger than the radiator, but it had about 1/4 the area in a vertical box until about 12" from the floor. I guess to turbo charge the upward convection of air movement. Does that sound right? Great silent system that delivered a lot of heat in the old house.

DanHolohan

https://heatinghelp.com/systems-help-center/indirect-hot-water-heating-q-and-a/

jumper

Adk1guy said:

If there's one thing I've noticed about rich people is they don't like to pay poor people. They may buy a $500 bottle of vino at dinner but they always chiseled me down to the last penny for their oil and service. I wonder how they like $6.00/gal heating oil?

That is a broad generalization. There's diversity among the rich. Just like anybody.
Of course some got rich through thrift.

retiredguy

Almost every large older school building in the Pittsburgh Public School System used "in-directs" also called Vento units as part of their heating system. They were used to preheat all the incoming fresh air and to reheat all the recirculated air that was part of the schools ventilation system. Due to their size, they were powered by large motors and utilized flat leather belts indicative of that era. The largest fan that I can recall had a paddle wheel fan blade that was about 20' in diameter. These were manually started in the AM and shut down in the PM. These ventilating units were removed when the building was renovated and new style uni-vents were installed that were mounted on the outside wall. These uni-vents then controlled the temperature of all the incoming fresh air and recirculating air used to maintain the temperature in the room that was controlled by the room's thermostat.