Home heating

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Pictars of Thomas:

Best I can find, it's branded "Sears" from the 1960/70's. It's obvious from the rust that it had a long-time leak from the sight glass and was neglected for years...maybe longer. I need to pull the sight glass and clean...I've been bleeding off dirty water daily since firing it for the season, and it's to the point where nothing but clean water comes out now. The sight glass got grimey like this in the first few days of starting it, and then it got cold outside, so I haven't been able to find the time to do a full drain to pull the glass. I can still see the water level at the top, so it's fine for now. I may just leave it like this until I drain it in the spring.

Image

Here's the ORIGINAL vent vs the small vent that someone incorrectly replaced. There's a clear size difference. Unfortunately, they don't make the original vent anymore.
Image

And here's the new vent installed vs. the old

Image

This big bastard has fixed 99% of the problems I had with this system. It's amazing how something so simple could go overlooked for so long yet cause so many problems.
Desertbreh wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
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wap
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Wow that thing is :wap: .
Truly :impressive: that you learned it and are keeping it running.
:wap: Where are these mangos?
Detroit wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:19 pm I don't understand anything anymore.
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wap wrote: Sun Dec 17, 2017 11:14 pm Wow that thing is :wap: .
Truly :impressive: that you learned it and are keeping it running.
It is quite :wap: But it's been a fun adventure in learning to get it working right.

I'm sure I could save some money in efficiency with a new boiler...but at $8k or whatever...it's quite an undertaking.
Desertbreh wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
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Detroit wrote: Mon Dec 18, 2017 10:15 am
wap wrote: Sun Dec 17, 2017 11:14 pm Wow that thing is :wap: .
Truly :impressive: that you learned it and are keeping it running.
It is quite :wap: But it's been a fun adventure in learning to get it working right.

I'm sure I could save some money in efficiency with a new boiler...but at $8k or whatever...it's quite an undertaking.
:word:
Yea you don't want to replace that thing until you really HAVE to. Ours is not as old as yours, but it's still over 20 YO and I'm hoping I don't have to replace it for another decade at least. It's a Weil McClain and from everything I hear they're supposed to be excellent with long life spans.
#letshope.
:wap: Where are these mangos?
Detroit wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:19 pm I don't understand anything anymore.
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It's heating season! (yay?)

Getting familiar with the thomas in the new :haus:

Unlike the fancy :waxer: 2-pipe vapor system of the last house, the new one is a classic tried-and-true single pipe steam system. Radiators from what I can see are original from 1910. Many are GIGANTIC.

Boiler was replaced in 2014. Seems like it was a pretty solid job, but we'll see.

Fired it up for the first time last week, and the upstairs radiators get HOT while the first floor take their sweet time. With the thermostat on the first floor, this means the upstairs is sweltering while the first floor is comfortable.

Checked all the vents on the radiators, many are broken, but still let air out. I'll need to replace them, but they're not the cause of the issue.

From my steam heat knowledge, one of the most overlooked things is proper venting of the steam mains in the basement. Too small of vents or failed vents means air won't get out of the way of the steam, causing radiators to take their time heating up. Sure enough, the vents on the mains look tiny and ancient. They're very likely undersized or stuck shut. New vents ordered, hopefully will take care of the issue.
Desertbreh wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
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Detroit wrote: Mon Oct 22, 2018 1:02 pm It's heating season! (yay?)

Getting familiar with the thomas in the new :haus:

Unlike the fancy :waxer: 2-pipe vapor system of the last house, the new one is a classic tried-and-true single pipe steam system. Radiators from what I can see are original from 1910. Many are GIGANTIC.

Boiler was replaced in 2014. Seems like it was a pretty solid job, but we'll see.

Fired it up for the first time last week, and the upstairs radiators get HOT while the first floor take their sweet time. With the thermostat on the first floor, this means the upstairs is sweltering while the first floor is comfortable.

Checked all the vents on the radiators, many are broken, but still let air out. I'll need to replace them, but they're not the cause of the issue.

From my steam heat knowledge, one of the most overlooked things is proper venting of the steam mains in the basement. Too small of vents or failed vents means air won't get out of the way of the steam, causing radiators to take their time heating up. Sure enough, the vents on the mains look tiny and ancient. They're very likely undersized or stuck shut. New vents ordered, hopefully will take care of the issue.
:popcorn:
In4details on Thomas2.0.

:alpo: on the bolded!

I fired up my boiler last weekend when it was 55 F inside. It's literally just flip the switch on the thermostat from "off" to "heat" then bleed all the radiators from the top down. Done in 15 minutes. :haus: was warm in 30. :notbad:

For :aintcare: ease, hot water >>>>> Thomas steam.

Thomas is more interesting :doe:
:wap: Where are these mangos?
Detroit wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:19 pm I don't understand anything anymore.
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I hate my heating unit.

It comes on and off seemingly randomly. Most of the time it's too chilly but occasionally it will get so hot you sweat without any changes to the thermostat. It's not old, just improperly set up imo.

Paying some douche to come sell me me a bunch of shit I don't need isn't turning me on rn
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wap wrote: Mon Oct 22, 2018 2:50 pm
Detroit wrote: Mon Oct 22, 2018 1:02 pm It's heating season! (yay?)

Getting familiar with the thomas in the new :haus:

Unlike the fancy :waxer: 2-pipe vapor system of the last house, the new one is a classic tried-and-true single pipe steam system. Radiators from what I can see are original from 1910. Many are GIGANTIC.

Boiler was replaced in 2014. Seems like it was a pretty solid job, but we'll see.

Fired it up for the first time last week, and the upstairs radiators get HOT while the first floor take their sweet time. With the thermostat on the first floor, this means the upstairs is sweltering while the first floor is comfortable.

Checked all the vents on the radiators, many are broken, but still let air out. I'll need to replace them, but they're not the cause of the issue.

From my steam heat knowledge, one of the most overlooked things is proper venting of the steam mains in the basement. Too small of vents or failed vents means air won't get out of the way of the steam, causing radiators to take their time heating up. Sure enough, the vents on the mains look tiny and ancient. They're very likely undersized or stuck shut. New vents ordered, hopefully will take care of the issue.
:popcorn:
In4details on Thomas2.0.

:alpo: on the bolded!

I fired up my boiler last weekend when it was 55 F inside. It's literally just flip the switch on the thermostat from "off" to "heat" then bleed all the radiators from the top down. Done in 15 minutes. :haus: was warm in 30. :notbad:

For :aintcare: ease, hot water >>>>> Thomas steam.

Thomas is more interesting :doe:
Hot water seems to be a lot easier. Thomas 2.0 is one pipe steam, so there zero hope of converting. Which is OK, because once I get it mastered, it'll be fine. Steam IN THEORY should be more efficient and less complex (no recirc pump, etc), but it's super finicky to get setup right and keep going right.

At this time, it takes way too long for the radiators to heat up, and when they do, it's only half the radiator at best. Meanwhile, the 2nd floor will be full blast mordor. I'm rather certain the venting on the steam mains is inadequate, so replacing the vents should fix the issue.
Desertbreh wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
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KYGTIGuy wrote: Mon Oct 22, 2018 5:30 pm I hate my heating unit.

It comes on and off seemingly randomly. Most of the time it's too chilly but occasionally it will get so hot you sweat without any changes to the thermostat. It's not old, just improperly set up imo.

Paying some douche to come sell me me a bunch of shit I don't need isn't turning me on rn
Forced air I take it?

Teach yourself how to fix it. You seem to be a hands-on dude. I taught myself how to repair steam heat because I couldn't find anyone that knew how and every time someone came out to "fix" something it was a $500 bill.

HVAC is pretty advanced stuff, but not rocket science.
Desertbreh wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
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Detroit wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 10:24 am
wap wrote: Mon Oct 22, 2018 2:50 pm

:popcorn:
In4details on Thomas2.0.

:alpo: on the bolded!

I fired up my boiler last weekend when it was 55 F inside. It's literally just flip the switch on the thermostat from "off" to "heat" then bleed all the radiators from the top down. Done in 15 minutes. :haus: was warm in 30. :notbad:

For :aintcare: ease, hot water >>>>> Thomas steam.

Thomas is more interesting :doe:
Hot water seems to be a lot easier. Thomas 2.0 is one pipe steam, so there zero hope of converting. Which is OK, because once I get it mastered, it'll be fine. Steam IN THEORY should be more efficient and less complex (no recirc pump, etc), but it's super finicky to get setup right and keep going right.

At this time, it takes way too long for the radiators to heat up, and when they do, it's only half the radiator at best. Meanwhile, the 2nd floor will be full blast mordor. I'm rather certain the venting on the steam mains is inadequate, so replacing the vents should fix the issue.
you have lots of air in the system. steam rises. once its purged of air the 2nd floor and 1st floor radiator temp should be the same because that's how saturated steam works.

I guess it has valves on it to let air in/out for when its on or off. Without a vacuum breaker valve it will pull a hellva vacuum when the boiler is shit off.
brain go brrrrrr
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Big Brain Bradley wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 10:44 am
Detroit wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 10:24 am
Hot water seems to be a lot easier. Thomas 2.0 is one pipe steam, so there zero hope of converting. Which is OK, because once I get it mastered, it'll be fine. Steam IN THEORY should be more efficient and less complex (no recirc pump, etc), but it's super finicky to get setup right and keep going right.

At this time, it takes way too long for the radiators to heat up, and when they do, it's only half the radiator at best. Meanwhile, the 2nd floor will be full blast mordor. I'm rather certain the venting on the steam mains is inadequate, so replacing the vents should fix the issue.
you have lots of air in the system. steam rises. once its purged of air the 2nd floor and 1st floor radiator temp should be the same because that's how saturated steam works.

I guess it has valves on it to let air in/out for when its on or off. Without a vacuum breaker valve it will pull a hellva vacuum when the boiler is shit off.
You got it. In my steam heat books, it talks about the importance of letting air out of the system as quickly as possible so steam can fill in. There's a lot of air in the steam mains that needs to get out before steam can fill the mains, and make it to the radiators. With inadequate main venting, the radiator vents are forced to do the job of letting the air out, which means radiators will take their time filling. The upstairs radiators share a vertical run and are the first off one branch of the main. My guess is that the steam is going there and filling first before it can push the air out of the other radiators and start filling those up. By the time that happens, the upstairs is HOT.

Hopefully, improving the venting on the mains will let air out of the mains faster so steam isn't pushed upstairs first.

We'll see...
Desertbreh wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
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Detroit wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 10:25 am
KYGTIGuy wrote: Mon Oct 22, 2018 5:30 pm I hate my heating unit.

It comes on and off seemingly randomly. Most of the time it's too chilly but occasionally it will get so hot you sweat without any changes to the thermostat. It's not old, just improperly set up imo.

Paying some douche to come sell me me a bunch of shit I don't need isn't turning me on rn
Forced air I take it?

Teach yourself how to fix it. You seem to be a hands-on dude. I taught myself how to repair steam heat because I couldn't find anyone that knew how and every time someone came out to "fix" something it was a $500 bill.

HVAC is pretty advanced stuff, but not rocket science.
You're right, i should. I should make time.
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KYGTIGuy wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 11:03 am
Detroit wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 10:25 am
Forced air I take it?

Teach yourself how to fix it. You seem to be a hands-on dude. I taught myself how to repair steam heat because I couldn't find anyone that knew how and every time someone came out to "fix" something it was a $500 bill.

HVAC is pretty advanced stuff, but not rocket science.
You're right, i should. I should make time.
It's a time suck for sure. But it's something that I enjoyed learning, personally. Optimizing steam heat has become a bit of a hobby of mine. When the radiators wouldn't heat up fully on the new system, I went full :excited: to dive in.

Obviously, if you don't want to add HVAC expertise to your core knowledge base, it's not worth the effort.

I'm also considering taking some classes in HVAC so I have a backup plan for when the auto industry :nuke: and I'm jobless. I think I'd enjoy doing my own HVAC business. I'm already taking the home inspector class this winter so I can start doing home inspections on the side.
Desertbreh wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
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Detroit wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 11:09 am
KYGTIGuy wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 11:03 am

You're right, i should. I should make time.
It's a time suck for sure. But it's something that I enjoyed learning, personally. Optimizing steam heat has become a bit of a hobby of mine. When the radiators wouldn't heat up fully on the new system, I went full :excited: to dive in.

Obviously, if you don't want to add HVAC expertise to your core knowledge base, it's not worth the effort.

I'm also considering taking some classes in HVAC so I have a backup plan for when the auto industry :nuke: and I'm jobless. I think I'd enjoy doing my own HVAC business. I'm already taking the home inspector class this winter so I can start doing home inspections on the side.
That's stuff is right up my alley as far as continuing education. I'm enrolled in CC and plan on taking a class on engine repair next fall. I enrolled too late this year.


My problem is having small children who take up a lot of time. But the furnace stuff would be good. It's in home and potentially could save a lot of money.

Any links you found particularly useful?

Home inspection job sounds fun as hell. Especially when you understand what they do and what they really are liable for (nothing)
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Detroit wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 10:24 am
wap wrote: Mon Oct 22, 2018 2:50 pm

:popcorn:
In4details on Thomas2.0.

:alpo: on the bolded!

I fired up my boiler last weekend when it was 55 F inside. It's literally just flip the switch on the thermostat from "off" to "heat" then bleed all the radiators from the top down. Done in 15 minutes. :haus: was warm in 30. :notbad:

For :aintcare: ease, hot water >>>>> Thomas steam.

Thomas is more interesting :doe:
Hot water seems to be a lot easier. Thomas 2.0 is one pipe steam, so there zero hope of converting. Which is OK, because once I get it mastered, it'll be fine. Steam IN THEORY should be more efficient and less complex (no recirc pump, etc), but it's super finicky to get setup right and keep going right.

At this time, it takes way too long for the radiators to heat up, and when they do, it's only half the radiator at best. Meanwhile, the 2nd floor will be full blast mordor. I'm rather certain the venting on the steam mains is inadequate, so replacing the vents should fix the issue.
:word:
Good luck getting that sorted. I'm sure you will.

I don't understand how a steam rad would only heat up half. Doesn't it have a valve to vent out air so steam fills the whole thing, or am I :wrong: ?
With mine, there are always one or 2 rads that only heat up in the bottom half but when I open up the bleeder valve and let the air out I can feel the upper half heat up as the escaping air is being replaced by hot water. Then it's :fine: for the rest of the season.
:wap: Where are these mangos?
Detroit wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:19 pm I don't understand anything anymore.
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Detroit wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 10:59 am
Big Brain Bradley wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 10:44 am

you have lots of air in the system. steam rises. once its purged of air the 2nd floor and 1st floor radiator temp should be the same because that's how saturated steam works.

I guess it has valves on it to let air in/out for when its on or off. Without a vacuum breaker valve it will pull a hellva vacuum when the boiler is shit off.
You got it. In my steam heat books, it talks about the importance of letting air out of the system as quickly as possible so steam can fill in. There's a lot of air in the steam mains that needs to get out before steam can fill the mains, and make it to the radiators. With inadequate main venting, the radiator vents are forced to do the job of letting the air out, which means radiators will take their time filling. The upstairs radiators share a vertical run and are the first off one branch of the main. My guess is that the steam is going there and filling first before it can push the air out of the other radiators and start filling those up. By the time that happens, the upstairs is HOT.

Hopefully, improving the venting on the mains will let air out of the mains faster so steam isn't pushed upstairs first.

We'll see...
There you go. Makes sense now. You'll own this bitch before the dead of winter I'm sure.
:wap: Where are these mangos?
Detroit wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:19 pm I don't understand anything anymore.
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KYGTIGuy wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 11:31 am
Detroit wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 11:09 am
It's a time suck for sure. But it's something that I enjoyed learning, personally. Optimizing steam heat has become a bit of a hobby of mine. When the radiators wouldn't heat up fully on the new system, I went full :excited: to dive in.

Obviously, if you don't want to add HVAC expertise to your core knowledge base, it's not worth the effort.

I'm also considering taking some classes in HVAC so I have a backup plan for when the auto industry :nuke: and I'm jobless. I think I'd enjoy doing my own HVAC business. I'm already taking the home inspector class this winter so I can start doing home inspections on the side.
That's stuff is right up my alley as far as continuing education. I'm enrolled in CC and plan on taking a class on engine repair next fall. I enrolled too late this year.


My problem is having small children who take up a lot of time. But the furnace stuff would be good. It's in home and potentially could save a lot of money.

Any links you found particularly useful?

Home inspection job sounds fun as hell. Especially when you understand what they do and what they really are liable for (nothing)
This last transaction made me realize how much of a racket home inspection is. There is zero liability, you get to check out different houses (which I find fun), and there's little hazard involved.

On the first and only walk through of our new house, I called out a bunch of stuff that's wrong. We had the inspection done, and it brought up nothing I hadn't already called out. Realtor lady was impressed and told me if I got in the business that she'd refer me.

:notbad:

I'd legit love being a home inspector.

I could see a world where I do HVAC repair and home inspections. :tits: has epic skill with staging houses, so there's another thing we could tack on. Professionally pinshitting, but I'd probably be a lot happier than what I do now. I'm fully planning this as my backup.

In terms of how I learned, I know very little about forced air (other than ductless). I've spent most of my time focused on steam heat because so many "professionals" don't know anything about it. I found a book that's fantastic for learning steam heat. Something like that for forced air would be great.

This is the book:
https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Art-Steam-H ... steam+heat
Desertbreh wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
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wap wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 12:08 pm
Detroit wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 10:24 am
Hot water seems to be a lot easier. Thomas 2.0 is one pipe steam, so there zero hope of converting. Which is OK, because once I get it mastered, it'll be fine. Steam IN THEORY should be more efficient and less complex (no recirc pump, etc), but it's super finicky to get setup right and keep going right.

At this time, it takes way too long for the radiators to heat up, and when they do, it's only half the radiator at best. Meanwhile, the 2nd floor will be full blast mordor. I'm rather certain the venting on the steam mains is inadequate, so replacing the vents should fix the issue.
:word:
Good luck getting that sorted. I'm sure you will.

I don't understand how a steam rad would only heat up half. Doesn't it have a valve to vent out air so steam fills the whole thing, or am I :wrong: ?
With mine, there are always one or 2 rads that only heat up in the bottom half but when I open up the bleeder valve and let the air out I can feel the upper half heat up as the escaping air is being replaced by hot water. Then it's :fine: for the rest of the season.
All about quickly venting air. If there's a lot of air to move out, and it's going through a tiny vent (like at the end of the radiator), it's going to restrict how much of the radiator can heat up and how quickly.
Desertbreh wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
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wap wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 12:10 pm
Detroit wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 10:59 am
You got it. In my steam heat books, it talks about the importance of letting air out of the system as quickly as possible so steam can fill in. There's a lot of air in the steam mains that needs to get out before steam can fill the mains, and make it to the radiators. With inadequate main venting, the radiator vents are forced to do the job of letting the air out, which means radiators will take their time filling. The upstairs radiators share a vertical run and are the first off one branch of the main. My guess is that the steam is going there and filling first before it can push the air out of the other radiators and start filling those up. By the time that happens, the upstairs is HOT.

Hopefully, improving the venting on the mains will let air out of the mains faster so steam isn't pushed upstairs first.

We'll see...
There you go. Makes sense now. You'll own this bitch before the dead of winter I'm sure.
That's the goal. I want this thing running at max efficiency before the serious cold sets in.
Desertbreh wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
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Detroit wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 12:31 pm
wap wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 12:10 pm

There you go. Makes sense now. You'll own this bitch before the dead of winter I'm sure.
That's the goal. I want this thing running at max efficiency before the serious cold sets in.
You'll :doit:

And 5/7 idea to learn steam heat as a backup career. I'd suggest you also learn hot water as well so you can be a total boiler expert, and since I believe, backed by nothing really, that there have to be many more hot water heated homes than steam these days. At least that seems to be the case around me...
:wap: Where are these mangos?
Detroit wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:19 pm I don't understand anything anymore.
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wap wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 1:06 pm
Detroit wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 12:31 pm
That's the goal. I want this thing running at max efficiency before the serious cold sets in.
You'll :doit:

And 5/7 idea to learn steam heat as a backup career. I'd suggest you also learn hot water as well so you can be a total boiler expert, and since I believe, backed by nothing really, that there have to be many more hot water heated homes than steam these days. At least that seems to be the case around me...
All depends on when houses were built. Hot water was more popular at end of the 19th century, steam really took over in 1910+. Most houses in our are were built in the 20's and 30's (ours is unique being built in 1910) so all the radiant heat houses in our area are steam...in fact I've never seen a hot water heat system...aside from mid century houses with baseboard radiant.

Would be 5/7 to learn about, :doe: I need to look into HVAC classes. I'd love to specialize in radiant heat since most pros know nothing about it.
Desertbreh wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
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KYGTIGuy
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Detroit wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 12:29 pm
KYGTIGuy wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 11:31 am

That's stuff is right up my alley as far as continuing education. I'm enrolled in CC and plan on taking a class on engine repair next fall. I enrolled too late this year.


My problem is having small children who take up a lot of time. But the furnace stuff would be good. It's in home and potentially could save a lot of money.

Any links you found particularly useful?

Home inspection job sounds fun as hell. Especially when you understand what they do and what they really are liable for (nothing)
This last transaction made me realize how much of a racket home inspection is. There is zero liability, you get to check out different houses (which I find fun), and there's little hazard involved.

On the first and only walk through of our new house, I called out a bunch of stuff that's wrong. We had the inspection done, and it brought up nothing I hadn't already called out. Realtor lady was impressed and told me if I got in the business that she'd refer me.

:notbad:

I'd legit love being a home inspector.

I could see a world where I do HVAC repair and home inspections. :tits: has epic skill with staging houses, so there's another thing we could tack on. Professionally pinshitting, but I'd probably be a lot happier than what I do now. I'm fully planning this as my backup.

In terms of how I learned, I know very little about forced air (other than ductless). I've spent most of my time focused on steam heat because so many "professionals" don't know anything about it. I found a book that's fantastic for learning steam heat. Something like that for forced air would be great.

This is the book:
https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Art-Steam-H ... steam+heat
I'll check it out.

Inspection is ridiculous. Dead bum under the bed? Not on the report because they don't move furniture. HVAC lines filled with nuclear waste? Not on the report because I'm not an Hvac expert and/or it was too cold to run a/c.

Fine print and disclaimers on those contracts are crazy
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ChrisoftheNorth
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KYGTIGuy wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 1:57 pm
Detroit wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 12:29 pm
This last transaction made me realize how much of a racket home inspection is. There is zero liability, you get to check out different houses (which I find fun), and there's little hazard involved.

On the first and only walk through of our new house, I called out a bunch of stuff that's wrong. We had the inspection done, and it brought up nothing I hadn't already called out. Realtor lady was impressed and told me if I got in the business that she'd refer me.

:notbad:

I'd legit love being a home inspector.

I could see a world where I do HVAC repair and home inspections. :tits: has epic skill with staging houses, so there's another thing we could tack on. Professionally pinshitting, but I'd probably be a lot happier than what I do now. I'm fully planning this as my backup.

In terms of how I learned, I know very little about forced air (other than ductless). I've spent most of my time focused on steam heat because so many "professionals" don't know anything about it. I found a book that's fantastic for learning steam heat. Something like that for forced air would be great.

This is the book:
https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Art-Steam-H ... steam+heat
I'll check it out.

Inspection is ridiculous. Dead bum under the bed? Not on the report because they don't move furniture. HVAC lines filled with nuclear waste? Not on the report because I'm not an Hvac expert and/or it was too cold to run a/c.

Fine print and disclaimers on those contracts are crazy
Yep. I want in.
Desertbreh wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
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wap
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Detroit wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 1:11 pm
wap wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 1:06 pm

You'll :doit:

And 5/7 idea to learn steam heat as a backup career. I'd suggest you also learn hot water as well so you can be a total boiler expert, and since I believe, backed by nothing really, that there have to be many more hot water heated homes than steam these days. At least that seems to be the case around me...
All depends on when houses were built. Hot water was more popular at end of the 19th century, steam really took over in 1910+. Most houses in our are were built in the 20's and 30's (ours is unique being built in 1910) so all the radiant heat houses in our area are steam...in fact I've never seen a hot water heat system...aside from mid century houses with baseboard radiant.

Would be 5/7 to learn about, :doe: I need to look into HVAC classes. I'd love to specialize in radiant heat since most pros know nothing about it.
Oh interesting. I'd have thought the opposite, that hot water took over for steam because it seems more "modern" or advanced, and you see hw baseboards well into the 1950's and 60's. Guess I'm :wrong: . I've lived in old houses my whole life, in fact, except for a year in a <10 YO apartment building when we were first married, the NEWEST :haus: I've ever lived in was built in 1926. :lol: It had forced air heat. The :haus: I grew up in was built ~1910 with hot water rads, and, as you know, my current :haus: was built in 1906, also with hw heat. My brother bought a condo in a :neat: old courtyard building several years ago and it had steam heat. His unit was a fucking furnace all the time. He literally had to keep windows open 24/7 all winter long to not melt. Sounds like a large version of your situation as he was on the 1st floor and the boiler was running full :nuke: to keep the upper floors warm enough.
:wap: Where are these mangos?
Detroit wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:19 pm I don't understand anything anymore.
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wap
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KYGTIGuy wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 1:57 pm
Detroit wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 12:29 pm
This last transaction made me realize how much of a racket home inspection is. There is zero liability, you get to check out different houses (which I find fun), and there's little hazard involved.

On the first and only walk through of our new house, I called out a bunch of stuff that's wrong. We had the inspection done, and it brought up nothing I hadn't already called out. Realtor lady was impressed and told me if I got in the business that she'd refer me.

:notbad:

I'd legit love being a home inspector.

I could see a world where I do HVAC repair and home inspections. :tits: has epic skill with staging houses, so there's another thing we could tack on. Professionally pinshitting, but I'd probably be a lot happier than what I do now. I'm fully planning this as my backup.

In terms of how I learned, I know very little about forced air (other than ductless). I've spent most of my time focused on steam heat because so many "professionals" don't know anything about it. I found a book that's fantastic for learning steam heat. Something like that for forced air would be great.

This is the book:
https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Art-Steam-H ... steam+heat
I'll check it out.

Inspection is ridiculous. Dead bum under the bed? Not on the report because they don't move furniture. HVAC lines filled with nuclear waste? Not on the report because I'm not an Hvac expert and/or it was too cold to run a/c.

Fine print and disclaimers on those contracts are crazy
This is a known problem with home buying. :disappoint: to hear it goes unreported as often as it does. :lol:
:wap: Where are these mangos?
Detroit wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:19 pm I don't understand anything anymore.
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