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Old Steamer & Water Heater

EzzyT
EzzyT Member Posts: 1,294
I went to to take a look at this single pipe system and they still have the original boiler connected to the system.
The original coil fired water heater and storage tank which aren’t in use just in there original placements.
Plus they had some nice Bundy Style Rads.
E-Travis Mechanical LLC
Etravismechanical@gmail.com
201-887-8856
mattmia2JohnNYJUGHNELarry WeingartenSTEVEusaPAEdTheHeaterMandelta T

Comments

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 9,572
    Are those brooms what they've been using to sweep up the asbestos as it falls off on the floor?
    BobCBrassFingerEdTheHeaterMan
  • EzzyT
    EzzyT Member Posts: 1,294
    @mattmia2 I have no idea.
    E-Travis Mechanical LLC
    Etravismechanical@gmail.com
    201-887-8856
  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Member Posts: 4,775
    Holy Asbestos abatement 
    mattmia2
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,042
    Which Star Wars robot....C3PO or R2D2 ???? I always get their names confused.
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 16,796
    JUGHNE said:

    Which Star Wars robot....C3PO or R2D2 ???? I always get their names confused.

    R2D2, minus its arms.

    @EzzyT , what's running that system now?
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • EzzyT
    EzzyT Member Posts: 1,294
    @pecmsg yeah plus 95% of the piping is also covered in asbestos. 
    E-Travis Mechanical LLC
    Etravismechanical@gmail.com
    201-887-8856
  • EzzyT
    EzzyT Member Posts: 1,294
    @Steamhead
    The current boiler is about 30% oversized along with with virtually no main venting.
    The original mechanical room where the original boiler sits is in a different location from where the current boiler is. The rooms are about 50’ away from each other.
    The original part of the house was built in1836 with 2 additions at later dates that where no later then the 1920s. Plus the structure was originally about 2 blocks away where it currently is. From what I was told it was moved before the additions where done.
    E-Travis Mechanical LLC
    Etravismechanical@gmail.com
    201-887-8856
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,452
    The header and piping is unconventional but it looks ? right. Guess if the risers are 2' above the water glass it will work
  • Larry Weingarten
    Larry Weingarten Member Posts: 3,272
    Hi, Looks like the water heater still has its relief valve. Nice find! :p

    Yours, Larry
  • EzzyT
    EzzyT Member Posts: 1,294
    @EBEBRATT-Ed the steam main off of the header are 3” & 4”. The 4” splits off into 2 separate 3” mains about 10’ away from the boiler. The 3” main off of the heater  runs about 50’ with no radiator take off and into the original mechanical. Where it ties back into one of the other 3” steam mains. 
    E-Travis Mechanical LLC
    Etravismechanical@gmail.com
    201-887-8856
  • EzzyT
    EzzyT Member Posts: 1,294
    @Larry Weingarten yeah it’s a great find. If I end up getting this job I definitely want to get it cleaned and have it as a fixture in the house. 
    E-Travis Mechanical LLC
    Etravismechanical@gmail.com
    201-887-8856
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 16,796
    @EzzyT , the Bundy rads date back to the latter half of the 19th century. If you know when the house was moved and when the additions were built, you should be able to determine the phase of the house's life when they were installed.

    What other types of rads are in there?
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • EzzyT
    EzzyT Member Posts: 1,294
    @Steamhead yeah I tried to find out as much as I could when I was there, hopefully I’ll get the chance to do the boiler replacement along with the other work that’s needed and I’ll do my best to get more details on the history. Along with more pictures. There assortment of rads that date from as early as the Bundy type and to present day Ocs rads.
    Most of them are from the turn of 20th century.

    E-Travis Mechanical LLC
    Etravismechanical@gmail.com
    201-887-8856
  • BobC
    BobC Member Posts: 5,476
    I like the chairs by the old water tank, looks like they held a wake for it. Maybe the used the asbestos sweepings to bless that old and faithful tank.

    Bob
    Smith G8-3 with EZ Gas @ 90,000 BTU, Single pipe steam
    Vaporstat with a 12oz cut-out and 4oz cut-in
    3PSI gauge
  • KC_Jones
    KC_Jones Member Posts: 5,722
    So I'm curious on this one. If they moved the "new" boiler that far away, what did they do with the slope of the mains? If we assume a parallel flow on the original system, don't the mains then become counterflow with the position of the replacement boiler? Or did they re slope everything? That is a very curious situation.

    Very cool stuff indeed.
    2014 Weil Mclain EG-40
    EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Boiler Control
    Boiler pictures updated 2/21/15
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,583
    It's my understanding that coal burning stoves and boilers always have a primary air "below the grate" and a secondary air "above the grate" opening.

    Where's the primary air intake on the steamer?
    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
  • bburd
    bburd Member Posts: 909
    @ChrisJ The primary air intake for coal would have been through the ash pit door, which was removed when that boiler was converted to liquid or gas fuel. You can see where the opening is mostly filled with furnace cement.

    Bburd
    mattmia2ChrisJ
  • vtfarmer
    vtfarmer Member Posts: 101
    That setup (the old asbestos covered one) is SO COOL!! That's really neat to see there intact like that. If I owned that house I would be pressure testing that boiler to see if it were serviceable and if not, I would be looking at the feasibility of addressing the leak(s) with something like locknstich (works great on engine block water jackets) or specialty welding rods plus preheating the iron (after having the asbestos removed)...what good is having money if you don't spend it on fun things?

    Then the real question would be how to fire it. Set it up with an automatic stoker? Go full @MikeAmann and retrofit an older low speed burner with a flame retention air tube and flame retention head? That would probably end up requiring someone like @EdTheHeaterMan or @STEVEusaPA to fiddle with it for a week or more to get it set up right. It's only money...

    Thanks for sharing the photos!

    EdTheHeaterManMikeAmann
  • MikeAmann
    MikeAmann Member Posts: 996
    vtfarmer said:

    Go full @MikeAmann and retrofit an older low speed burner with a flame retention air tube and flame retention head? That would probably end up requiring someone like @EdTheHeaterMan or @STEVEusaPA to fiddle with it for a week or more to get it set up right. It's only money...

    Ha-ha. I am still playing with that. More to come soon. Stay tuned.....

    neilc