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1949 Outdoor Reset

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Alan(CaliforniaRadiant)Forbes
Alan(CaliforniaRadiant)Forbes Member Posts: 1,243
in THE MAIN WALL
The buyer of a new house in Piedmont wanted me to check out the existing radiant system; Basmor boiler (264,000 BTU); B & G 1/6 h.p. circulator; radiant tubing in the ceiling and what looks to be an old (1949) outdoor reset system. Sensors in the supply and return; outdoor sensor. Temperature modulation looks as though it was done by on-offing the burner.

I got all the usual radiant ceiling questions: "Doesn't heat rise?" " What if there's a leak?" Peaople are very fearful of things they are not used to; understandably, I guess.

The house is selling for $2 million if anyone is interested.

Best wishes,

Alan


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Comments

  • Mike T., Swampeast MO
    Mike T., Swampeast MO Member Posts: 6,928
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    Cool

    Or should I say, "just warm enough?"
  • Alan(CaliforniaRadiant)Forbes
    Alan(CaliforniaRadiant)Forbes Member Posts: 1,243
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    Supply sensor

    The asbestos is still in retty good shape.

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  • Alan(CaliforniaRadiant)Forbes
    Alan(CaliforniaRadiant)Forbes Member Posts: 1,243
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    Old Thermometer

    with the old prefix phone numbers from when I was a kid.

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  • BillW@honeywell
    BillW@honeywell Member Posts: 1,099
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    Old stuff

    WOW! Call 1-800-SMITHSONIAN! Is that still working? It was an early commercial electronic control, probably the only way other than using pneumatics to do reset at the time. The literature isn't on file anymore, maybe some old timer's archives might have it somewhere. Pneumatically, the system would have had an outside air temp sensor, a water temp sensor, a reciever-controller and a pneumatic actuator on a 3 way mixing valve. On the Moduflow system did you find a 3-way valve, with an electric motor on it? I curious as to if that is still working! Great pix...thanks!
  • Alan(CaliforniaRadiant)Forbes
    Alan(CaliforniaRadiant)Forbes Member Posts: 1,243
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    I didn't see any

    mixing valves and didn't have enough time to scope it out properly. Here is a picture of the electrical board; looks like a clock timer, a single zone relay (it was a line voltage thermostat) and some transformers.

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  • BillW@honeywell
    BillW@honeywell Member Posts: 1,099
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    no three way

    I guess it must have timed the burner then. Thanks for the pictures!
  • ScottMP
    ScottMP Member Posts: 5,884
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    Just like

    Having a heating museum in my office.

    Great photos Alan, thanks.

    Scott

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  • Joel_3
    Joel_3 Member Posts: 166
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    I've seen one!!!!!!

    About 10+ years back I went to a house in Woonsocket R.I. The gas company had switcthed her over (little old lady) from oil a few months before. Her bills where higher and she said the house wasn't comfortable I found a new gas boiler installed and a pile of old stuff in the corner that looked similar to what you have except there was a mixing valve with it.
    The house had Cieling radiant done in 3/8s copper. Each floor had a removable panel in the cieling with a manifold and ballance valves.
    She wasn't comfortable any more because they had it running at 180f... Aparently all that old stuff still worked before they hacked it out!
    sadly ididn't ask her for the old stuff i was only 20-22 at the time. Wish I scoffed it!

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  • Mike Kraft
    Mike Kraft Member Posts: 406
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    Alan..........

    beeeeeeeeeee'ssssssss wax dude!That is great stuff!Thanks for sharing!

    cheese
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 16,835
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    Ditto

    one of these days I'll take and post a picture of the "Raymond Duo-Stat" that I took off an old steam system (wasn't hooked up at the time). This was another reset controller that timed the burner, which is really the only way you can reset steam.

    Nice job, Alan.

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  • Brian (Tankless) Wood
    Brian (Tankless) Wood Member Posts: 222
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    In 1949 (year of my birth)

    The outdoor reset in a "Wallsend winter" consisted of: holding your pee or whatever for as long as you could, then running to the outdoor "loo", do your "hovering" and get back inside the house as quick as possible.

    "Reset" meant getting your freezing **** back to the coal heated house on a run, with your pants still round your knees.

    The term "central heating" hadn't been coined yet!

    Gad, you Mericans have been spoiled for soooooo long.

    BTW, at that time, we didn't have electricity yet, our lighting was still by gas mantles, the streets too.

    And I'm only 53!

    We've come a long way Baby.

    Brian in the City.

  • jerryb
    jerryb Member Posts: 113
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    About 35yrs,ago working in queensN.Y.i had the chance to work on quite a few of these units.The homes they were in were high end homes,MD,ESQ,Judges-etc.Shame was that the boss didn't understand them so,any trouble he had the wrecking crew rip them out.Had a teacher in VOC-tech hi-school who taught us about such controls.Just ahead of his time.
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