Inspectorjoe Posted April 6, 2011 Report Share Posted April 6, 2011 The original portion of today's house was built approximately 1850 and the addition was built maybe 100 years ago. A 175,000 BTU boiler was recently installed. The distribution is currently circulated hot water, but judging by the diameter of the pipes, it was originally a gravity hot water or two pipe steam system. The radiators don't look like any that I've seen used with steam, but there is a Hartford Loop of sorts behind the boiler. There are heating pipes running around the perimeter of the attic (no radiators in the attic. There is a riser with an air vent at the top. I can't figure out what the purpose of this attic loop is. It's got to be an ice dam maker in the winter. Click to Enlarge 52.38 KB Click to Enlarge 45.89 KB Click to Enlarge 47.6 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted April 6, 2011 Report Share Posted April 6, 2011 Or, an ice dam eliminator......it might give you enough radiant heat to keep the eaves melted. Very odd, though......never seen anything like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Morrison Posted April 7, 2011 Report Share Posted April 7, 2011 Hey Joe, Where you goin' with that gun in your hand? (sorry, I couldn't help myself) I still see remnants of a few old gravity systems with open expansion tanks in the attic each year. I don't recall seeing one run a lap around the attic, but I wonder if that might be what you saw. Jimmy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kibbel Posted April 7, 2011 Report Share Posted April 7, 2011 It's an "overhead system" of hot water heating. While it's not the most common type of gravity heating, it's not that unusual. Let me know if you'd like more detail. Click to Enlarge 18.56 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bain Posted April 7, 2011 Report Share Posted April 7, 2011 I never see this stuff and know very little about it. But . . . it's always fascinating to learn what's normal, what's rare, and what's up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inspectorjoe Posted April 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2011 Thanks Bill. As usual you nailed it. I don't recall ever seeing an overhead system before. And thanks for the offer of more detail, but I won't need it. I feel kind of stupid, but I had the info available to me all along in my library (courtesy of Dan Holohan). Your diagram jogged my memory. I knew I'd seen it before. He called it a "first class" system. It seemed to have made the transition to circulated pretty well, judging by the uniformity of radiator temperature. I still wonder about ice damming, given the fact that the soffits are close to 18 inches wide. No signs of it though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence McCann Posted April 7, 2011 Report Share Posted April 7, 2011 I've never seen that either. How old is the home Joe? With 18" soffits you may be right about the ice damns - any sign of damage in the attic? I feel stupid saying there is asbestos on the pipes (as I'm sure you know that). Picture #3 shows an example of a bucket trap [:-paperba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inspectorjoe Posted April 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2011 Terry: Approximately 1850 and 1910. Surprisingly, there were no signs of ice damming. No worries about the asbestos - it was in excellent condition. [:-crazy] Click to Enlarge 47.61 KB I think your mistaken about the trap. It sure looks more like a pitcher trap to me. It must be a lot newer than the rest of the system, because it's made of plastic. Speaking of traps, lying next to the 'pitcher trap' was a victim of a bear trap. How sad that he spend his lonely days looking forlornly out the floor-level attic window. It sure was an interesting house. Click to Enlarge 57.5 KB Click to Enlarge 62.77 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Raymond Posted April 7, 2011 Report Share Posted April 7, 2011 It's an "overhead system" of hot water heating. While it's not the most common type of gravity heating, it's not that unusual. Let me know if you'd like more detail. Click to Enlarge 18.56 KB That's very cool, got a bigger image? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Fabry Posted April 7, 2011 Report Share Posted April 7, 2011 Now that Tom asked, I'd like a bigger image too. Chad@structuresmart.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted April 7, 2011 Report Share Posted April 7, 2011 I am quite comfortable with my image. It is plenty large enough, thank you. Send my share to Tom and Chad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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