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Just How Cold Is it?

So cold that a boiler can be removed without a drop of water on the floor...



No pump required.
New England SteamWorks
Service, Installation, & Restoration of Steam Heating Systems
newenglandsteamworks.com
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Comments

  • lchmb
    lchmb Member Posts: 2,997
    was in a living room Sunday, the thermometer said 6 degrees... The boiler was antifreezed but frozen....
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,162
    That is lovely. You have your work cut out for you! I've opened a house (with steam heat) in bad conditions -- below freezing -- but never as cold as it is today. And I didn't have to rebuild things to get it going.

    The trick for me was to get things up to freezing before the condensate froze in the traps. It was touch and go.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,542
    Wow, What a job! I love that rad.
    New England SteamWorksJackmartinb_bzCanucker
  • New England SteamWorks
    New England SteamWorks Member Posts: 1,505
    edited January 2018
    Fred said:

    Wow, What a job! I love that rad.

    There are 16 sections in all. It's quite something. Located in the "Breakfast Room", which is co-joined to the "Music Room".

    The Library, Parlor, Dinning Room, & Sitting Room all have floor grates with radiators hung from the ceiling in the basement, with attached ducting to secondary floor grates that pull in the room air and re-heat it. Marvelous.

    But so very, very, very cold...

    Next quandary: How to fill the new boiler with no water source? And mix the mortar for the breeching?

    On ward!

    New England SteamWorks
    Service, Installation, & Restoration of Steam Heating Systems
    newenglandsteamworks.com
  • Jackmartin
    Jackmartin Member Posts: 196
    I can certainly understand the cold ,I live in winterpeg (Winnipeg) for the first time in many years ,they cancelled New Years celebrations outside because it was too cold! What rot. We live in the area of Canada that has to reach -40 before they say we have an extreme cold warning. However, back to your job, it looks like any steamfitters dream job. The ideal temperature to do this kind of work is about 65 degrees, you are cool enough to be comfortable without a lot of clothes. I wonder who measured the specific gravity of the water and antifreeze mix, I dare say I hope he does not service his vehicles the same way. The house by the way is my idea of a great place to work: history,charm, and a chance to take history apart and see how the dead men thought. I am envious. Be safe and dress in layers I know a little bit about the cold. Happy New Year. Jack



    New England SteamWorks
  • unclejohn
    unclejohn Member Posts: 1,833
    Reading this makes me glad I'm retired.
    j a_2
  • Danny Scully
    Danny Scully Member Posts: 1,416
    @New England SteamWorks, as always, where are the progress pictures?! So stingy :wink:
  • bmedeiros678
    bmedeiros678 Member Posts: 11

    So cold that a boiler can be removed without a drop of water on the floor...



    No pump required.

    How can I best reach you? I am in North Attleboro and don't think my boiler is working properly.
  • nicholas bonham-carter
    nicholas bonham-carter Member Posts: 8,576
    BME, it’s best to start a new thread on this, and try the” find a contractor” button here for someone from your area.
    Try to make a list of symptoms, and post them here, while you are waiting.—NBC
    Erin Holohan HaskellNew England SteamWorks
  • New England SteamWorks
    New England SteamWorks Member Posts: 1,505
    edited January 2018

    @New England SteamWorks, as always, where are the progress pictures?! So stingy :wink:

    Hey! I'm not finished yet! I am a seasoned-citizen, after all. I don't move like you younger guys!

    We tried to beat the blizzard this morning. Putting in a Weil 480 oil fired. We got all the sections assembled then peeked out the basement door and decided we'd better get out while we still could. We had 20 miles to get back.

    Barely made it...

    But, feet up by the fire now. All well that ends well.
    New England SteamWorks
    Service, Installation, & Restoration of Steam Heating Systems
    newenglandsteamworks.com
  • Ironman
    Ironman Member Posts: 7,367
    How cold is it? So cold that the politicians have their hands in their own pockets!
    Bob Boan
    You can choose to do what you want, but you cannot choose the consequences.
    MilanDj a_2New England SteamWorksCanucker
  • mikeg2015
    mikeg2015 Member Posts: 1,194
    My heat pumps kept my house over 52f with 3f average daily temps when my boiler shut down when I was out of town last weekend. A nice piece of mind if you have central air.
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,452
    Good god. That old boiler is Weil 94 I believe. Never did one and don't want to now but have seen plenty of them but those are the heaviest sections of ANY cast iron boiler. I think they approach 1500 lbs.

    UGH I used to love that stuff.
  • New England SteamWorks
    New England SteamWorks Member Posts: 1,505
    It was an 882


    New England SteamWorks
    Service, Installation, & Restoration of Steam Heating Systems
    newenglandsteamworks.com
  • New England SteamWorks
    New England SteamWorks Member Posts: 1,505
    Here you go @Danny Scully :

    So cold! Basement is 29 degrees. It's exhausting to work in these temps. Still have to figure out how to fill the boiler with no source of water...

    Hope to have heat tomorrow if I can figure it out. One for the Grand Kids..
    New England SteamWorks
    Service, Installation, & Restoration of Steam Heating Systems
    newenglandsteamworks.com
    Fredb_bz
  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,542
    Wow, Wow, Wow!
  • Ironman
    Ironman Member Posts: 7,367
    Can you fill some 55gal drums with water/antifreeze and take them to the job site and pump it in?
    Bob Boan
    You can choose to do what you want, but you cannot choose the consequences.
  • New England SteamWorks
    New England SteamWorks Member Posts: 1,505
    It may come to that @Ironman. But for now, I choose to retire for the evening with dreams of Global Warming in my head.

    Positive thoughts...
    New England SteamWorks
    Service, Installation, & Restoration of Steam Heating Systems
    newenglandsteamworks.com
    Ironman
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,452
    edited January 2018
    55 gallon plastic barrel filled else ware and pump it in. Work fast, drive faster before it freezes.

    never saw a Weil 82 before. The sections are identical to the 94 which is still made. The 82 being a much smaller boiler.

    I am in western, MA. 10 miles from the old HB Smith foundry.

    when I started almost EVERY boiler around here was a Smith. They had this are locked up tight for years. Just about every school had a Smith boiler. We were brainwashed and didn't even know Weil McLain (or anybody else) existed

    But that all changed about 30 years ago

    Very nice job BTW. very professional
    New England SteamWorks
  • Alan (California Radiant) Forbes
    Alan (California Radiant) Forbes Member Posts: 3,979
    edited January 2018
    That's an X-Ray radiator, no? Page 80 in Dan's E.D.R.

    Nice work, dood! Hope you're able to get some liquid water in there. Keep us tuned in.
    8.33 lbs./gal. x 60 min./hr. x 20°ΔT = 10,000 BTU's/hour

    Two btu per sq ft for degree difference for a slab
  • New England SteamWorks
    New England SteamWorks Member Posts: 1,505

    That's an X-Ray radiator, no? Page 80 in Dan's E.D.R.

    Yep. Same place I found it. Good 'ol Dan!

    New England SteamWorks
    Service, Installation, & Restoration of Steam Heating Systems
    newenglandsteamworks.com
  • New England SteamWorks
    New England SteamWorks Member Posts: 1,505
    We hit upon the idea of adding a boiler drain between the water meter and the house shut-offs. Even so, we had to apply a torch liberally to get the water to flow.



    Then we ran a hose to the boiler, filled her up, and lit her off about 9:00 last night. Boy was that nice. I don't think I've ever been so cold, and that fire was a joyous feeling let me tell you.

    Having solved one problem, we ran into the next. There are around 30 radiators in the house and those vents haven't been touched in a loooong time, and we won't get to the main vents until Monday. Combine that with a huge house at 29 degrees that needs to be brought up to 70 in fridgid temps, and you can imagine how much water the boiler needs. So I was back this morning at 7:30 and she was only running when enough condensate returned. Sooo, I guess until the plumber fixes all the breaks and we switch the boiler over to regular house water and the VXT, yours truly is going to have to swing by twice a day to add water...


    Back tomorrow to hopefully finish up. A quick shot before we left last night:


    New England SteamWorks
    Service, Installation, & Restoration of Steam Heating Systems
    newenglandsteamworks.com
    IronmanCanuckerb_bz
  • Danny Scully
    Danny Scully Member Posts: 1,416
    I mean couldn’t you have stayed for 5 more minutes to take some better pics for me @New England SteamWorks? :lol:
    IronmanNew England SteamWorksCanucker
  • New England SteamWorks
    New England SteamWorks Member Posts: 1,505
    BTW, this is a great example of the benefits of steam heat. With the entire house frozen, just imagine if it were a hot water system. What a nightmare that would be...

    With steam we are up and running!
    New England SteamWorks
    Service, Installation, & Restoration of Steam Heating Systems
    newenglandsteamworks.com
    misterheat
  • Leon82
    Leon82 Member Posts: 684
    How long has it been frozen?
    misterheat
  • New England SteamWorks
    New England SteamWorks Member Posts: 1,505
    4 weeks.
    New England SteamWorks
    Service, Installation, & Restoration of Steam Heating Systems
    newenglandsteamworks.com
  • Leon82
    Leon82 Member Posts: 684
    Wow, hopefully the freeze damage is minimal
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,513
    I love this. Thanks so much for sharing. What town is the house in?
    Retired and loving it.
  • New England SteamWorks
    New England SteamWorks Member Posts: 1,505
    > @DanHolohan said:
    > I love this. Thanks so much for sharing. What town is the house in?

    Fall River
    New England SteamWorks
    Service, Installation, & Restoration of Steam Heating Systems
    newenglandsteamworks.com
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,513
    Superb. Thanks.
    Retired and loving it.
    New England SteamWorks
  • nicholas bonham-carter
    nicholas bonham-carter Member Posts: 8,576
    If “Every Darn Radiator” could be made into an app for the phone, it might have saved Steamworks from some potential frostbite here.
    Imagine putting an object of known size on the rad, take a picture, and the app identifies the radiator type, calculates the size, and EDR automatically.—NBC
  • ratio
    ratio Member Posts: 3,615
  • Danny Scully
    Danny Scully Member Posts: 1,416
    @New England SteamWorks, can this be the sequel? It’s perfect because a) it’s not going to be as good and b) in the end, the same thing will happen :lol:

    Cracked boiler emergency replacement today.
  • New England SteamWorks
    New England SteamWorks Member Posts: 1,505
    And good luck to you @Danny Scully ! At least it is no longer sub-zero. Go get 'er!
    New England SteamWorks
    Service, Installation, & Restoration of Steam Heating Systems
    newenglandsteamworks.com
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,513
    Ryan, I’m proud of you. Thanks for a grand save!
    Retired and loving it.
    IronmanCanucker
  • nicholas bonham-carter
    nicholas bonham-carter Member Posts: 8,576
    edited January 2018
    What a great story, and what a great house!
    They are lucky they found you!
    Weren’t there a lot of clothing companies in Fall River?
    I think I went there when I was in prep school in Newport. Madras sports jackets were all the rage, but not warm enough for your work now!—NBC
  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,542
    Beautiful story, house and job @New England SteamWorks !