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Apartment Building 1924

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franciscus22
franciscus22 Member Posts: 2
in THE MAIN WALL

From 1955 until 1960, I lived as a child in a five story apartment building in the Bronx, NY. My uncle was the building superintendent, so I had access to the boiler room. I remember the huge boiler and the pile of coal that fired it then. I am not knowledgeable in HVAC. My son is an apprentice plumber, and he and I have been discussing plumbing and HCAV things. I am reading Dan's "We Got Steam" and that got me thinking of the boiler and radiators in my old apartment in New York. An Internet search, reveals that that building was built in 1924, and has 34 apartments. I have no particular question, but am wondering what you pros tell me about the heating system in that old building. One-pipe? Was coal fired, but now likely gas? Any other comments, technical or otherwise? Just curious about that old building's system. Thanks for any thoughts and comments.

Mad Dog_2

Comments

  • Grallert
    Grallert Member Posts: 1,026

    The building I work in and on was completed in 1924. A four story brick Georgian. Classrooms and dorm rooms kitchen infirmary library etc. Classic boarding school. For about 40 years it was heated with a coal fired single pipe system. Domestic water through an indirect holding 1000 gallons. Boy I wish I had pictures of it. I can only use my imagination and building plans to see it. I think this was a transitional period as the addition completed in 1928 by the same architect and builder had it's own vapor vacuum system allowing the use of much smaller pipe diameter/potentially lower material costs. All of this was removed in the late fifties when another addition was built where two Pacific Steel fire tube boilers were installed and the system converted to oil/gas and two pipe pneumaticly control zoning. Cool stuff

    Miss Hall's School service mechanic, greenhouse manager, teacher, dog walker and designated driver

  • jumper
    jumper Member Posts: 2,499

    Interesting one pipe were relatively large counterflow in ski and hunting lodges. Solid fuel kept burning at low level most of the time. Early mornings and late afternoons rad vents whistled as fire was fired up. Smart to have a warm robe handy if you had to leave bed in middle of night.

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 15,484

    most of the proprietary systems and modern 1 pipe and 2 pipe existed in the mid 20's so without you remembering a radiator or having pictures it could be anything. The old part of the middle school i went to in the 80's was built in the mid 20's and was 2 pipe steam. It had pneumatic controls in each room, not sure of they were original or a retrofit, most of them had honeywell actuators and t-stats but a few radiators had some really old looking actuators.

  • franciscus22
    franciscus22 Member Posts: 2

    Thanks for the comments. I wish that I had photos of that boiler and one of the radiators, but I don’t. An Internet search didn’t come up with any photos. Thanks again.

  • jumper
    jumper Member Posts: 2,499

    What I think I remember about Canadian schools was human control. School was heated up before teachers & students arrive. Once building has hundreds of occupants didn't require much heat usually.

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