Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

Heating at The Henry Ford

KC_Jones
KC_Jones Member Posts: 5,722
edited July 2019 in THE MAIN WALL
Got back from vacation on Friday and one of the places we visited was the Henry Ford museum in Detroit. First what an incredible place, if you ever have the chance to go I highly recommend it. We spent 2 days there and I could have easily spent 2 more.

Now the reason for my post. They had some really awesome radiators there. some wall hung and some that wrapped around the vertical support columns in the building. It's a hot water system. Enjoy the pictures!





2014 Weil Mclain EG-40
EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Boiler Control
Boiler pictures updated 2/21/15
HVACNUTSolid_Fuel_ManCanuckerRoohollahTinmanmattmia2

Comments

  • RayWohlfarth
    RayWohlfarth Member Posts: 1,459
    Wow that is really cool
    Ray Wohlfarth
    Boiler Lessons
  • Solid_Fuel_Man
    Solid_Fuel_Man Member Posts: 2,646
    They look like regular T's, I assume gravity would have moved water through the radiator out of the horizontal pipe below it. Looks cool! You weren't lying when you said radiation wrapped around the columns....
    Serving Northern Maine HVAC & Controls. I burn wood, it smells good!
  • KC_Jones
    KC_Jones Member Posts: 5,722
    Henry Ford didn't cheap out on anything. The building itself is absolutely incredible all by itself, the exhibits only add to it.

    For any wood working fans, the entire floor is made up of ~1.4 million pieces of Teak, yes Teak wood. The tour guide said the floor is quite possibly the most valuable part of the building, I wouldn't argue that point much.
    2014 Weil Mclain EG-40
    EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Boiler Control
    Boiler pictures updated 2/21/15
    Solid_Fuel_Man
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,513
    I nearly lost my mind on my first visit to that place.
    Retired and loving it.
    KC_Jonesmattmia2
  • KC_Jones
    KC_Jones Member Posts: 5,722
    > @DanHolohan said:
    > I nearly lost my mind on my first visit to that place.

    I told my wife we are going back, don’t know when, but it will be happening. She is in complete agreement with me, so that means we have to go.
    2014 Weil Mclain EG-40
    EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Boiler Control
    Boiler pictures updated 2/21/15
  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 22,022
    Amazing, added to my list of "must see"
    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
    Canucker
  • Pumpguy
    Pumpguy Member Posts: 645
    I've visited The Henry Ford several times over the years.

    Keep in mind that their exhibits change over time. If you've seen something there in the past and want to see it again, you may be disappointed.

    On the other hand, the new exhibit may may be even more wonderful than the exhibit it replaced.

    Always worth a visit if you're in the Detroit metro area and you have the time.
    Dennis Pataki. Former Service Manager and Heating Pump Product Manager for Nash Engineering Company. Phone: 1-888 853 9963
    Website: www.nashjenningspumps.com

    The first step in solving any problem is TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM.
  • retiredguy
    retiredguy Member Posts: 898
    I wonder if the lower tee is a Monoflo.--- I once was at a high school in Erie, Pa.and the steam header was 12" threaded pipe as were all fittings and valves. What a work of art!
  • Erin Holohan Haskell
    Erin Holohan Haskell Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 2,276
    That's a great museum.
    President
    HeatingHelp.com
  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 5,695
    KC_Jones said:

    Henry Ford didn't cheap out on anything.

    Well except for his employees' wages LOL
    NJ Steam Homeowner. See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el
    Intplm.Solid_Fuel_ManChrisJ
  • lager
    lager Member Posts: 56
    Have found 2 books on Henry Ford in antique malls, interesting reading,,,,,,,,,,has anyone heard about "Fordlandia"

    if not I recommend a google search
    mattmia2
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,513
    I read a book about Fordlandia years ago.
    Retired and loving it.
  • lager
    lager Member Posts: 56
    I first read about Fordlandia in Bill Bryson's book "One Summer: America 1927" another great read!
    and Dan, I am forever grateful, that you lead me to him,, with "A Walk in the Woods",,,,,,,,,when you used to post your reading list on the site,,,,,,,,,,so Thank you
    Erin Holohan Haskell
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,513
    My pleasure! Thanks.
    Retired and loving it.
  • heritageproperties
    heritageproperties Member Posts: 15
    Wasn't Henry Ford actually famous for paying his workers above market wages?

    http://www.econport.org/content/handbook/Unemployment/Efficiency/Henry.html
    Solid_Fuel_Man
  • John Ruhnke
    John Ruhnke Member Posts: 882
    Awesome Great pics!
    I am the walking Deadman
    Hydronics Designer
    Hydronics is the most comfortable and energy efficient HVAC system.
  • JakeCK
    JakeCK Member Posts: 1,356
    > @heritageproperties said:
    > Wasn't Henry Ford actually famous for paying his workers above market wages?
    >
    > http://www.econport.org/content/handbook/Unemployment/Efficiency/Henry.html

    Yes, because he wanted his employees to buy his cars. It wasn't his wages that people criticized. It was how hard he worked them and the conditions.
  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 5,695
    So the wages weren't high enough to compensate for the working conditions...they were too low
    NJ Steam Homeowner. See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el
  • JakeCK
    JakeCK Member Posts: 1,356
    No they weren't.
  • KC_Jones
    KC_Jones Member Posts: 5,722
    JakeCK said:

    > @heritageproperties said:

    > Wasn't Henry Ford actually famous for paying his workers above market wages?

    >

    > http://www.econport.org/content/handbook/Unemployment/Efficiency/Henry.html



    Yes, because he wanted his employees to buy his cars. It wasn't his wages that people criticized. It was how hard he worked them and the conditions.

    That's an oversimplification. It cost him money to pay his employees more. He wasn't even coming close to recouping those wages by selling his employees cars. Here are the numbers. He raised it from $2.34 to $5.00 per day. That is $691.00 per year wage increase. At that time a Model T cost $440.00 and eventually went as low as under 300, all the while he was increasing wages. He "lost" money no matter how you look at it. The reality was he wanted his employees to have a better quality of life overall, not just buy his cars. Don't forget when he increased wages he reduced work hours as well, from 9 to 8.

    He did have some self serving motivation. Turnover. He had issues retaining employees because assembly line work is mind numbing and many couldn't handle it. He figured with higher wages he could get the best employees available and lower turnover rate, and it worked.

    The work hour reduction was to allow more leisure time for the employees so they had time to enjoy the consumer goods he and other industrialists were producing. So the people get more time to themselves and the company sells more goods.

    Henry Ford wasn't the best person by any stretch, but when looking back on what he did, there was a whole lot of good that he did for his employees given the climate at that time. I don't have an issue if people don't like him, but at least report the history accurately.
    2014 Weil Mclain EG-40
    EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Boiler Control
    Boiler pictures updated 2/21/15
    JakeCKChrisJSolid_Fuel_Man
  • JakeCK
    JakeCK Member Posts: 1,356
    edited August 2019
    KC you're exactly right on all accounts. I just didn't feel like going into detail. I have no qualms with the guy or family. And in fact there is currently 4 fords sitting in my driveway. Three of them black. :p

    And to be clear I wasn't criticizing his methods either. Not only is assembly line work mind numbing it is also fast paced. My grandfather retired back in the 80's at the foundry and both my father and uncle worked there for a short time. Honesty I wish it was still the gravy train it used to be. I'd pack my s$&# up where I'm at now and walk out of there for a chance to make what they did back in the 60s through the 80's.
    KC_Jones
  • KC_Jones
    KC_Jones Member Posts: 5,722
    @JakeCK understood, the short answers presented like you had issues. Honestly he had some traits that were quite undesirable, including towards his own son at times.
    2014 Weil Mclain EG-40
    EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Boiler Control
    Boiler pictures updated 2/21/15
    Solid_Fuel_Man
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,588
    KC_Jones said:

    @JakeCK understood, the short answers presented like you had issues. Honestly he had some traits that were quite undesirable, including towards his own son at times.

    I've heard he put Edsel in an early grave.
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 9,574
    I remember going there as a kid and looking at the columns and realizing they were radiators. Does anyone know who made them? I'd imagine they were custom to curve like that.