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Dead Men Tales: Old-School Solutions

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HeatingHelp
HeatingHelp Administrator Posts: 637
edited June 2022 in THE MAIN WALL



Old-School Solutions

In this episode, Dan Holohan takes you to a circa-1871 loft building in NYC and shows you how Paul and Joe are running a large steam-heating system without steam traps using tricks from the Dead Men.

Listen and subscribe here.

Thank you to SupplyHouse.com for supporting this podcast.

Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,286
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    The only thing I'd add is that even if you do have traps -- if you keep the pressure low and use orifices or calibrated valves, the traps never have anything to do. They may get lonely, but they last pretty well forever.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    PCCHVAC
  • NorthEastern_AV
    NorthEastern_AV Member Posts: 2
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    I do AV work in many of these glorious, ancient NYC buildings. Yeah, steel spaghetti is spot on. We run out linguini wires all around these steel and concrete labyrinths. Fun/not fun. I do always take the time to marvel at the heating systems in these buildings. Thanks Dan!
  • MilanD
    MilanD Member Posts: 1,160
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    I love love love Dan's stories. And I am especially grateful to actually recognize all aspects of these systems he describes as well, from reading his books and following the Wall on Steam Systems. "S" in steam is capitalized, because, as Dan points out in one of his many stories, it revolutionized heating and thus, IMHO, has earned capitalization.
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,526
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    Thanks for listening! I appreciate you all so much. 
    Retired and loving it.
    Erin Holohan Haskell
  • jumper
    jumper Member Posts: 2,248
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    “I get rid of as many condensate pumps as I can,” he said. “Most of them never belonged in the building in the first place, and the less mechanical equipment there is, the better things are.” Ditto. Steam heat without moving parts works forever. Seems some dead old guys knew that one hundred and fifty years ago.
    EdTheHeaterMan
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 9,646
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    jumper said:

    “I get rid of as many condensate pumps as I can,” he said. “Most of them never belonged in the building in the first place, and the less mechanical equipment there is, the better things are.” Ditto. Steam heat without moving parts works forever. Seems some dead old guys knew that one hundred and fifty years ago.

    That they didn't yet exist was also a factor.
    reggi
  • FStephenMasek
    FStephenMasek Member Posts: 88
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    Indeed, helping people is not only a good thing to do, it is a nice way to earn! My company registered Keeping You Out Of Trouble Is No Trouble For Us (R).
    Author of Illustrated Practical Asbestos: For Consultants, Contractors, Property Managers & Regulators

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