Detroit Lubricator Company

New England SteamWorks

Anyone have any info on these systems and pictured controls? The controls are on the returns. My only guess is some kind of electronic trap, but I've never heard of such a thing. These are installed on a 1-pipe system, except for the indirect convectors, which have returns and these controls.

Long Beach Ed

Looks like aquastats on the supply and solenoids on the small pipes. What are the small brass pipes?

If the indirects had a fan in them, the switches kept the fan from blowing cold air? Or some way to zone or control the indirects from overheating?

Never saw anything like it.

ScottSecor

Any chance they act as steam zone valves? Is this a very large home that wealthy people would reside in? I'm leaning that way with what appears to be a hydro(steam) -coils.

Waher

I think this might be the patent filing.



"My invention relates to electric. switches, and more particularly to a switch which is auto­matically operable by temperature responsive means or the like.

An object of my invention is to provide an electric switch which is particularly adapted to be secured in heat conducting relation to a fluid conveying conduit or the like so that the auto­matic means for actuating the switch will respond to the temperature of the fluid in the conduit."­

retiredguy

When I started in the HVAC business in 1968, the only experience was with their modulating gas valves. I only saw a few of these since they were on atmospheric boilers of the very wealthy. Back then, replacements valves could be purchased from The Sid Harvey Company. Anytime these valves needed replaced we switched to on/off valves since the modulating valves needed a lot of TLC.

mattmia2

How would a steam trap work here? Maybe it has something to do with opening the return once the radiator is filled with steam so the vent doesn't close from the return.

I wonder if it has something to do with sensing when the piping is filled with steam to control the boiler although it would have been coal at the time these were installed.

New England SteamWorks

I was thinking it senses steam temp and closes, keeping steam out of the returns...

mattmia2

If it is 1 pipe, steam in the returns isn't a problem except for these which are set up 2 pipe, right?

So I am thinking that valve is normally closed, it isolates the radiator return from the main return, the radiator gets steam from the boiler, it vents through the vent next to the aquastat, once the radiator is filled with steam it trips the aquastat and that opens the valve connecting the return to the rest of the system. My guess is that is keeps the steam in the main return from closing the vent for the radiator early, but I will defer to your vast experience.

New England SteamWorks

Steam in the returns going the wrong way can be a problem....

JUGHNE

Is there any evidence of wall tstats in the rooms?

Could they control air venting as TRV's do for 1 pipe steam vents?

ChicagoCooperator

Control for an exterior air intake damper (or interior for that matter)?

reggi

Pretty sure you have it from here 😊

Steamhead

Long Beach Ed said:

Looks like aquastats on the supply and solenoids on the small pipes. What are the small brass pipes?

If the indirects had a fan in them, the switches kept the fan from blowing cold air? Or some way to zone or control the indirects from overheating?

Never saw anything like it.

I think you're right. @New England SteamWorks , do (or did) these indirects have fans?

New England SteamWorks

Thank you as always Gentleman! I was not on that job, so with this new information we can return and solve the mystery!