Bradd Judd Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 Can someone tell me what the heck this is??? I have saved this in my photo folder from a 100 inspections ago, and I keep seeing this damn photo again and again. Heck I don't even remember what type of building or the year it was built, but I'm pretty sure it was in Chicago....Elmwood Park maybe? Thanks guys, Brad Download Attachment: whatisthis.JPG 45.65 KB Download Attachment: this.JPG 46.36 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 Clean-out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mthomas1 Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 That shrouded opening at the bottom (second pic) makes we wonder if it's some sort of draft inducer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 What Les said. They're everywhere in Chicago. My folklore source said they're an anachronism that goes back to coal fired equipment (which was everything in Chicago). Supposedly, coal would have some nasty deposits, and condensate would run black nasty goo back down the flue. Usually, they have a little pipe (like the one in your pic) that runs down to, and through, the bsmt. floor; the goo would supposedly run down under the bsmt. floor. I've got some support for that; my house had one, and when I tore out the bsmt. floor under it, there was blackish hard crud in the dirt under the bsmt. floor slab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 I found some nasty stuff under my basement floor - mother-in-law. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kibbel Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 Supposedly, coal would have some nasty deposits, and condensate would run black nasty goo back down the flue. I guess that would make sense, if your burning bituminous (soft) coal or worse. I've never seen it here, and I've looked at thousands of chimneys that were used for venting coalcat one time. We have real coal (anthracite) here that doesn't seem to have "nasty goo" byproducts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 Found a pile of coal the other day in an old house..... only 7 decades after they stopped burning it. I've thought about that a bit; an entire city heating itself w/soft coal. It must have been excruciating; black stinky air everywhere. Download Attachment: coal.jpg 121.8 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicago Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 does that bring back the memories. From the time I was seven years old up until 1972 (here in Chicago most furnaces were coal-fired as Kurt said), I would spend time loading coal into the Stoker's and pulling out old clinkers for the buildings that my father was taking care of. Back then here in Chicago building maintenance was a very important position, if you forgot to load the Stoker's there would be no heat for the building. Heck we used to burn all of our garbage in an incinerator, the good old days (cough) (cough) (cough). And by the way Brad nice to see you visiting the forum. I'm the guy squeezed into the corner table with you at last meeting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.