Samuel Dudley House 1889

New England SteamWorks

Enjoy.

New England SteamWorks

New England SteamWorks

Avert your eyes lest ye gaze upon...

New England SteamWorks

Where once was a fully intact gravity hot water system.

Felled by the mighty Sawzall.

Too late...

Destined for baseboard evermore.

Jamie Hall

Please don't tell me they're ripping the old radiators out? Please? That would be borderline criminal.

pedmec

It is when art meets history. Beautiful radiators but nowhere to put them. When i see the old heating systems i really get conflicted. i enjoy the look of the old radiators and different styles and think how much better they must of looked brand new.

Then i start thinking, What effing maniacs carried those in and installed them all. Man did those old timers have to put the work in. I just can't wrap my head around it. i put the work in now and i still con't believe plumbers actually installed them.

I used to hear people complain about plumbers making all kinds of money and i didn't know what they were talking, because i wasn't see it. then i started working in Boston with all the old buildings with district steam and started realizing why people would say that. nobody worked HARDER.

New England SteamWorks

I am. And we weep as one. 

Jamie Hall said:

Please don't tell me they're ripping the old radiators out? Please? That would be borderline criminal.

New England SteamWorks

Radiators aren’t hard. We do them all the time. What they are is beautiful. 

Unlike baseboard. 

pedmec said:

It is when art meets history. Beautiful radiators but nowhere to put them. When i see the old heating systems i really get conflicted. i enjoy the look of the old radiators and different styles and think how much better they must of looked brand new. Then i start thinking, What effing maniacs carried those in and installed them all. Man did those old timers have to put the work in. I just can't wrap my head around it. i put the work in now and i still con't believe plumbers actually installed them. I used to hear people complain about plumbers making all kinds of money and i didn't know what they were talking, because i wasn't see it. then i started working in Boston with all the old buildings with district steam and started realizing why people would say that. nobody worked HARDER.

JimP

What interesting radiators! The ribbing gives them a nautical feel!

mattmia2

pedmec said:

It is when art meets history. Beautiful radiators but nowhere to put them. When i see the old heating systems i really get conflicted. i enjoy the look of the old radiators and different styles and think how much better they must of looked brand new.

Then i start thinking, What effing maniacs carried those in and installed them all. Man did those old timers have to put the work in. I just can't wrap my head around it. i put the work in now and i still con't believe plumbers actually installed them.

I used to hear people complain about plumbers making all kinds of money and i didn't know what they were talking, because i wasn't see it. then i started working in Boston with all the old buildings with district steam and started realizing why people would say that. nobody worked HARDER.

A whole lot easier than putting stoves everywhere

Steamhead

New England SteamWorks said:

I am. And we weep as one. 

Jamie Hall said:

Please don't tell me they're ripping the old radiators out? Please? That would be borderline criminal.

Once again- you can't fix stupid!

109A_5

Hmmm, the two radiators piped together at an angle with two pipes between the radiators. How did they do that ??? Left and right hand threaded nipples ?

Wish I had those radiators, mine are kind of plain.

Danny Scully

You’re an accomplice @New England SteamWorks 🤣. Couldn’t even sell them on panel rads? I find that hard to believe with all the awesome steam work you sell! 

New England SteamWorks

You know what they say....

EdTheHeaterMan

Just imagine how good those baseboards will look in 50 years!

Jimbabwe

Gorgeous woodwork in the place for sure. And that truly does make me sad to know those old iron beauties are no longer there. They are both unique and beautiful. I’ve never run across that ribbed style before. Who was the manufacturer?  

While I do understand and respect the desire for more floor/wall space by removing them it certainly takes away from the original charm and grandeur of the place. Baseboards will never have that same esthetic. 

Jamie Hall

For what it's worth, it also reduces the monetary value of the place -- at least 20% or more -- and removes it from consideration as an historic building or place (NPS guidelines for consideration) regarding preservation grants, easements, etc.

New England SteamWorks

Update! They have now decided to keep radiators on the 1st floor. We'll be removing and refinishing those shortly. Should have some "after" pics in a month or two. Not sure about using that condensing boiler, but fortunately, that is not our part of the project.

OldSchoolHVAC

Nice retrofit you have there. I am curious about the new boiler that you are installing though. If I am looking at your picture correctly, you have the primary boiler pump on the supply / outlet of the boiler? Is this what the boiler manufacturer recommends?

New England SteamWorks

We have nothing to do with the boiler. It is a hot water system. The only hot water systems we work on are gravity ones. Which this home had, until the current plumber arrived. Our only role here is to refinish the radiators. As far as the boiler, we share all of the concerns, but shoulder none of the burdens.

SteamCoffee

Any makers marks on those radiators? Simply beautiful!

hot_rod

OldSchoolHVAC said:

Nice retrofit you have there. I am curious about the new boiler that you are installing though. If I am looking at your picture correctly, you have the primary boiler pump on the supply / outlet of the boiler? Is this what the boiler manufacturer recommends?

The Caleffi DirtMag is upside down also