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Help identifying old steam boiler

Btilty
Btilty Member Posts: 7
in THE MAIN WALL

Hi, as the title suggests I’m looking for help identifying what I think is a steam boiler from around 1900. We have an area on our property lovingly known as “the pit.” It’s a two story deepish, circular, brick basement-y thing with about a 30’ diameter. Today I roped up and descended to the bottom where I found this boiler. I’ve included some pics and an old ad from what I believe to be a very close relation to what’s in the pit. I think it’s from around 1900 because the property was entered in the city tax roll in 1904 as an auto dealership and mechanic. Anecdotally, steam was also produced for a church next door and a brewery on the next street over. Can anyone point me to more info on this behemoth? I’ve also included a photo of a section from the radiators in that building that were restored and put in our bedroom. Any help with an identification of the radiator would be great as well. We have about 60ft of it still mounted in the workshop.

IMG_9815.jpeg
IMG_9808.jpeg
IMG_9809.jpeg
IMG_9803.jpeg
IMG_9826.jpeg
IMG_9828.jpeg

Comments

  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 17,387

    You're close- that is a hot-water boiler. The type of pressure gauge and the thermometer tell us this, along with where it says "water" in the second pic instead of "steam". It would have been installed as part of a gravity system, where hot water rose and colder water fell to establish circulation to radiators. No pump was used.

    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
    Btilty
  • Btilty
    Btilty Member Posts: 7

    That makes sense considering its location in relation to the radiators and an array of pipes that must have been to cool water on its way back to the furnace. Thanks!

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 10,962

    Looks like the asbestos has fallen off of the pipes and ended up in the bottom of the pit.

    It was probably a boilerhouse for several of the buildings on the property. It doesn't look like a particularly large boiler so it probably wasn't heating a whole lot.

    Btilty
  • Btilty
    Btilty Member Posts: 7
    edited June 17

    I’d imagine just what was the workshop/showroom, about 4700 sqft and possibly the church. There are two large, lined holes that head that direction in the wall. One over the other, maybe for an in/out flow of heated or cooling water.

  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 17,387
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1804261#Comment_1804261

    How about some pics of the radiators and whatever is heating them now?

    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • Btilty
    Btilty Member Posts: 7
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1804263#Comment_1804263

    There’s nothing heating them now. It’s essentially a garage. In the original pics is a shot of a section of the radiators that are out there that the previous owner restored. Property shifted hands to an electrician in the 30s then abandoned in the early 70s. We’re renovating that building now.

  • PC7060
    PC7060 Member Posts: 1,447
    edited June 17

    Wow, empty for 50 years. I imagine the renovation are pretty extensive.

    How did the radiators end up in your bedroom? Has your family owned the building for a while?

  • Btilty
    Btilty Member Posts: 7
    edited June 17

    Here’s a historical pic of the building. You can’t see the radiators, they run about headlight height down each of those walls. That diagonal line is a pipe which now I think was part of the gravity convection system. Either to take hot water to the far end then flow back through the radiators as it cooled or vice versa. There is so much stuff in that area now I’d never be able to get a picture like this today. In fact there’s an old 24’x24’ chicken coop that was built into that corner at some point.

    Edit to add: the pit is off camera to the right

    IMG_9830.jpeg

    PC7060
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 16,510

    Abandoned a long time ago as it was Coal fired and never saw an oil or gas burner.

    Btilty
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 17,387
    edited June 17

    As long as that system can hold 30 PSI, it can be restored. Test it with water pressure rather than air, for safety reasons.

    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
    Btilty
  • Btilty
    Btilty Member Posts: 7

    We bought the property from a couple that spent years renovating the workshop into a home. Here’s a pic of it in 1907. Now we’re taking on what we’re calling the outbuilding (off camera right) where the showroom was along with the pit. It’s been a fun project.

    IMG_9831.jpeg

    PC7060
  • PC7060
    PC7060 Member Posts: 1,447
    edited June 17

    Pretty cool project. what city? Apologize if you already said.

  • Btilty
    Btilty Member Posts: 7
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1804272#Comment_1804272

    Newburgh, NY

    PC7060Mad Dog_2
  • Mad Dog_2
    Mad Dog_2 Member Posts: 7,519

    I love it! Make sure you save that round Guage and the Front door ...relics. The Ad says it was made in Utica New York and one was installed in the Liberty Hotel in East New York (Brooklyn). I grew up in the butting neighborhood, How'beach Queens. East New York has some very old areas. The next time I pass through, I'll locate the site. Mad Dog

    Consulting by Mad Dog & Matt Jr.

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