Boiler Room

[kurt]

I own one. With a steam boiler. And all the pipes and controls.

Sill and head skimming, McDonnell valves and drains, A RD1404 series microprocessor control to drag as much efficiency as I can out of it, and no apparent asbestos anywhere.

This place is built like a bank. 5 brick thick at bottom, 3 at top (14" coping tile), floor platforms cast coffered concrete & terra cotta, wood floors on sleepers over the concrete.

I had to show it off.

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[Erby]

Show off!

[Chad Fabry]

Robust. Parallel. Sweet.

[Jim Katen]

It looks much cleaner and tidier than similar stuff that I tend to see.

Circa???

[kurt]

1929.

Boiler is about '98-99, and in remarkable condition. The pipefitting is exceptional.

[hausdok]

Don't know how that looks to others but from here that place is dark as the inside of a cat's ass and it's hard to make out what I'm seeing.

For the benefit of you other old farts with browsers that make that all dark and dreary, I've tried to lighten the photo so one can see some detail.

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OT - OF!!!

M.

[Jim Katen]

. . . dark as the inside of a cat's ass . . .

Why a cat's ass? Why not a dog's ass or a monkey's ass?

Are cat's asses particularly dark?

[hausdok]

Originally posted by Jim Katen

Are cat's asses particularly dark?

Oh yeah,

Especially black cats.

OT - OF!!!

M.

[Neal Lewis]

Kurt, no pigtails on the pressuretrols? Where is the glass gauge?

[Rob Amaral]

el no insulato el pipes-o?

[kurt]

Don't need pigtails. Urban folklore. Sight glass is behind a pipe.

Don't necessarily need insulation either in a flat out solid masonry building. Floor platforms, walls, and ceilings kinda go radiant. It may be the best balanced system I've encountered.

[Marc]

Spouse attended a Sheriff's sale this past Wednesday to bid on a century old, dilapidated house that the bank foreclosed on. Didn't get it but we'll keep looking. As the one tasked with prepping our eventual house for the next century of service, I've insisted on 10' or higher ceilings. I like 'em but one of several practical reasons is that the HVAC ductwork is going to be inside the insulation boundary, just under the ceiling along the exterior walls of the house with drop ducts/register at each window and without any duct insulation. Won't need it. Laundry room becomes 'mechanical' room with all major appliances out in open with plenty room to work around them. Air-handler suspended from ceiling, etc.

Any surroundings other than this forum, people give me blank stares when I tell my plans for the house.

Don't need a boiler but if I did, Kurt's is just how I'd do it.

Marc

[mlparham]

I own one. With a steam boiler. And all the pipes and controls.

Sill and head skimming, McDonnell valves and drains, A RD1404 series microprocessor control to drag as much efficiency as I can out of it, and no apparent asbestos anywhere.

This place is built like a bank. 5 brick thick at bottom, 3 at top (14" coping tile), floor platforms cast coffered concrete & terra cotta, wood floors on sleepers over the concrete.

I had to show it off.

Click to Enlarge

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What is a boiler?

[John Kogel]

In what way is steam preferable to hot water heating? It is hotter, yes, but the plumbing needs to be more robust and the pressures are higher, no?

We see a few hot water boilers, oil burners or little electric heaters. Never steam, not sure why.

[Bill Kibbel]

In what way is steam preferable to hot water heating? It is hotter, yes, but the plumbing needs to be more robust and the pressures are higher, no?

We see a few hot water boilers, oil burners or little electric heaters. Never steam, not sure why.

Pressures are much, much lower with steam than h/w. Piping has to be correct, not more "robust". http://www.oldhouseweb.com/how-to-advic ... 1678.shtml

Steam was king when coal was the primary fuel. I'm pretty sure your area is one of many that weren't profitable for the anthracite coal barons to ship their product to.

[John Kogel]

In what way is steam preferable to hot water heating? It is hotter, yes, but the plumbing needs to be more robust and the pressures are higher, no?

We see a few hot water boilers, oil burners or little electric heaters. Never steam, not sure why.

Pressures are much, much lower with steam than h/w. Piping has to be correct, not more "robust". http://www.oldhouseweb.com/how-to-advic ... 1678.shtml

Steam was king when coal was the primary fuel. I'm pretty sure your area is one of many that weren't profitable for the anthracite coal barons to ship their product to.

Thanks, Bill. We think of steam producing pressure, tremendous pressure in fact, maybe why people are leary of steam heat.

Vancouver Island had a thriving coal mining industry in the late 1800's, but most of the coal went south to San Francisco or to supply the Navy and merchant ships.

[kurt]

When my system is cranking, it's maybe a couple psi, tops. Most of the time, it should be around 1 to 1.5-ish.

[Jim Katen]

. . . We think of steam producing pressure, tremendous pressure in fact, maybe why people are leary of steam heat.

When steam is used to produce motion, it involves high pressures. When it's used to produce heat, there's need for very little pressure. I see few steam boilers, but every one I've seen worked in the 3/4 to 2 psi range.

[Jim Morrison]

Steam works best at atmospheric pressure: zero psi.

[Bill Kibbel]

Steam works best at atmospheric pressure: zero psi.

Vapor/vacuum steam heating systems operate well below atmospheric pressure, are more fuel efficient and are known to provide better comfort.