some old stuff I saw today

chuck shaw

This thermometer was installed at about the 5' height in the pipes going to the 2nd floor. Written on the face were several things. At 120*F it said "mild weather" at about 180*F it said "Cold weather" at 200*F it said "Severe weather" at 212*F it said "boiling". It was originally on a coal fired gravity system, and I'm sure that it was used as a reminder to the first users of when it was time to add more fuel, and about how much to add

Chuck Shaw

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chuck shaw

this is what heats the home

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chuck shaw

and also this

I think I found this one in the EDR, page 64 # 5-A, it was 6 of them grouped together. American Radiator Co. circa 1916. I wasnt able to figure out what the first one was

Chuck

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Steamhead

Chuck, the first one is a Whittier radiator

named for Charles Whittier of Boston, who patented it in 1868. The H.B. Smith company started making these shortly thereafter and was the sole manufacturer of this unit after 1876 (info from "The Beginnings of a Century of Steam and Hot-Water Heating", a very well-written book about this grand old company). I don't have a capacity chart for the Whittier- and I doubt Dan does, otherwise he would have included it in "E.D.R.".

The Whittier was an improvement over the "mattress" radiator, but it could not compete with the later pipe radiators as made by Nason, Bundy, Reed and others. The pipe radiators were in turn superseded by the column type we all know and love.

If you're interested in the book, log onto www.bn.com or www.abebooks.com and search for it. You won't be sorry you bought it- it's an excellent read.

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canuckDale

Add art to it and save it?

I has been tradition for about seven years now, that when one of my guys retire, I find one of those gems and fit it with a "AA" clock mechanism and present it at the retirement party. Some younger ones even scrounge their own and give it to me for safe keeping!

I have made them for my dad, my wife's dad and I have a 1930's compound vacuum gauge clock in my living room. When my daughter was young she would say....3" of vacuum to three (2:50pm LOL).

My way of preserving that stuff. So much has been thrown out.

chuck shaw

going to leave it

We are going to leave it in the system, as part of the "old house" for a couple of reasons. However, I do like the clock idea.

Chuck

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chuck shaw

thanks steamhead

I'll pass the information on to the homeowner, if he hasn't read it here already

Chuck

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Mike Kraft

Chuck

Thanks for the pics of time.That is a beauty!

cheese

Mad Dog

That's awesome Yank!!!!!!

what a treat to see something like that...Mad Dog

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