A/C vs. swamp cooler? (2023 Update)

[rbowman]

'I've seen your towns, they're all the same. The only difference is in the name."

'Many A Mile' Patrick Sky

[rbowman]

And you've never been to Houston in the summertime either...

[rbowman]

One picture... It's steam, not hot water. The steam flows to the radiator and the condensate returns to the boiler. When the boiler shuts down the system fills with air. The air has to be bled to allow the steam to reach the radiator, hence the air vent. In theory when the air is all vented the valve shuts off; in practice the damn things can whistle like a tea kettle.

[rbowman]

In theory, just air. When they're old and sticky they help humidify the room.

[rbowman]

Obviously you've never been to a Catholic school. I presume there must be young nuns but I think they keep them back at the convent scrubbing floors until they reach 65 and are allowed to teach.

[rbowman]

You don't have steam heat in Scotland or you've never run into it personally?

[rbowman]

Redneck humidifier.

[rbowman]

It had tin ceilings. The landlord sprung for the materials if I would paint the place. Painting a tin ceiling off a high stepladder is a paint in the ass but it was nowhere near as bad as the French doors. I'm not the person you send to pick out colors so I would up with coral and aqua or some damn thing on the walls. I'd just finished when a friend stopped by and said "Pink and blue! Is this for a nursery?'

[rbowman]

Detect things with your nose. It's been raining so the humidity is up a bit. When I was out in the woods yesterday it was pleasant to smell the pines and firs. There's something like lilacs lining the drive at work and they're in bloom. They smelled nice today.

Even in the desert when it rains you can really smell the creosote bush.

[rbowman]

Power outage? Running?

[Clare Snyder]

Not made by Lucas? Just an old joke - but "British engineering" tends sometimes to be something of an oxymoron - - -

[Clare Snyder]

Particularly when not properly designed.

[Clare Snyder]

Dullest knife in the drawer wouldn't know the difference - but steam heat for residences is pretty much history over here too. You almost need to be a stationary engineer to operate a boiler system - with frequent inspections etc.

Two types too, single line and circulating.

[Clare Snyder]

and hot water system radiators have 2 pipes and NO vent. There is a single vent at the boiler along with the auto-fill valve and the accumulator (like a pressure tank on a well pump) The 2 pipe steam systems also did not have automatic bleader vents from my recollection.

Proper design and installation of a steam heating system is something of a "black art" with numerous different strategies used for both one pipe and s pipe systems.

See

for more than you EVER wanted to knpw about steam heat!!!!!

[Ed Pawlowski]

I used to have a license for operating high pressure steam boilers up

500 HP. In the right place, steam is the superior choice for heat because you can move it long distances. We used is for process in our machines. For home use, it is really not that practical and can be a bit fussy.

Forced air is good if properly conditioned. That means filtered, humidified, properly distributed. Many fall short in proper duct work and balance.

Hot water is good in that piping is easier to run to a lot of places where ducting would be difficult and is easily zoned.

Bulding design and fuel options are really what determines what is best in a given situation.

[Clare Snyder]

Varies a bit. Fat is 10%, muscle is 75%, so lean muscular people are a higher percentage of water by weight than flabby fat people

[Clare Snyder]

Or visited Victoria Falls in October - - - - - - - RH exceding 100%

[Clare Snyder]

Believe me, there's worse!!!!!!

[rbowman]

Apparently the boiler is still alive and well. There was a network of utility tunnels throughout the campus and as a plus some of the sidewalks stayed snow free. Of course, students weren't supposed to be in the tunnels. One memorable evening I had a Kampus Kop yelling 'Stop or I'll shoot!'. I chose not to believe him and kept on going. My leather jacket came away second best with scars from collisions with various sharp brackets.

Many of the buildings were from the 1904-1916 era with the physical plant to match.

[Ed Pawlowski]

That is a nice setup. Takes a lot to put it together and keep it running.