How about old furnace is still in use
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Ahh the old floor furnaces. Used to be very popular around here, usually either nat. gas or propane. Many (if not most) have been replaced with forced air systems in this area so that central air could be added. Many of these replacements use the hole in the floor where the floor furnace was as the return for the forced air system. I always liked the floor furnaces. They made such interesting popping and crackling sounds as they fired up and shut down.
norgeway
Well-known member
As with cooking and water heating
In my hometown I knew of 1 gas floor furnace, and dozens of oil fired ones, Kresky, Kleer-Kleen, Oran,GeneralAutomatic,and my favorite , both to work on and for quality, a Miami 80, made by the Gross furnace company of Salem Virginia...Oh and I couldn't forget a H.C.Little and a Draco Fireball.
In my hometown I knew of 1 gas floor furnace, and dozens of oil fired ones, Kresky, Kleer-Kleen, Oran,GeneralAutomatic,and my favorite , both to work on and for quality, a Miami 80, made by the Gross furnace company of Salem Virginia...Oh and I couldn't forget a H.C.Little and a Draco Fireball.
norgeway
Well-known member
I know of two 50s and 60s developments
That had floor furnaces exclusively, the Johnson development had all Orans,which were sold by Lowes, and the Gentry development had all General Automatics, which were sold by Barringer Oil Company, the Orans were all pot or vaporizing burner oil fired and the General Automatics were gun burner furnaces, the Orans had to be lit once a year just like a Oil Circulator heater.
That had floor furnaces exclusively, the Johnson development had all Orans,which were sold by Lowes, and the Gentry development had all General Automatics, which were sold by Barringer Oil Company, the Orans were all pot or vaporizing burner oil fired and the General Automatics were gun burner furnaces, the Orans had to be lit once a year just like a Oil Circulator heater.
2packs4sure
Well-known member
None of them had thermostats............
Every one i dealt with here in Houston had one of those old style metal heat only wall mounted 2 wire stats.
Every one i dealt with here in Houston had one of those old style metal heat only wall mounted 2 wire stats.
Oh so that's what those are for
I found this NIB version in my dad' filing cabinet after he passed away.
I found this NIB version in my dad' filing cabinet after he passed away.
Those old thermostats are definitely the mercury type, which are not available any more. Much more precise and accurate than most of the new battery ones.
2packs4sure
Well-known member
Some were mercury and many were Bi Metal and none were as accurate as a modern digital stat.
Unless you get a bad one.
Then they can do things an old analog stat could never dream of.
Bad things.
Many of the new systems are all data... stat to furnace, furnace to condenser......
If any part of that process fails you're D O N E.
Unless you get a bad one.
Then they can do things an old analog stat could never dream of.
Bad things.
Many of the new systems are all data... stat to furnace, furnace to condenser......
If any part of that process fails you're D O N E.
gusherb
Well-known member
I collect old thermostats, and I also have a stockpile of new digital ones. The general consensus is that digital is far more accurate than mechanical, and that is true. But there are some mechanical thermostats that are as accurate as the best digital ones, and there are digital thermostats that just plain suck at the one thing they're supposed to do.
Being the tinkerer that I am, I've tested just about every popular thermostat in existence. For heating; the two most accurate mechanical thermostats are the Honeywell T87 and T874 commercial thermostat. When properly leveled and the heat anticipator dialed in right, they're as good as the best digital thermostats available. Unfortunately they don't do so well with cooling, for that they tend react too slowly to load changes in the structure and therefore will let it get too warm inside as the temp rises and the sun bakes the building.
The big problem with mechanical t-stats is that the bimetal coil tends to lose accuracy as it ages, so a T87 that could keep temps within a degree or two may start letting it swing further and further as it ages. This starts happening when they get to around 15-20 years of age.
The best digital stats I've found are Honeywell, the pro line. Not the stuff you get at the big box. I've found them to have the most intelligent control algorithm of any stat out there, and are calibrated most accurately. The other most popular brand: Emerson/White-Rodgers tend to be about 2 degrees out of calibration from the factory, and some models came 4 degrees out calibration. The funny thing is they allow you to adjust that, whereas Honeywell doesn't. (Because Honeywell comes from the factory set correctly)
Being the tinkerer that I am, I've tested just about every popular thermostat in existence. For heating; the two most accurate mechanical thermostats are the Honeywell T87 and T874 commercial thermostat. When properly leveled and the heat anticipator dialed in right, they're as good as the best digital thermostats available. Unfortunately they don't do so well with cooling, for that they tend react too slowly to load changes in the structure and therefore will let it get too warm inside as the temp rises and the sun bakes the building.
The big problem with mechanical t-stats is that the bimetal coil tends to lose accuracy as it ages, so a T87 that could keep temps within a degree or two may start letting it swing further and further as it ages. This starts happening when they get to around 15-20 years of age.
The best digital stats I've found are Honeywell, the pro line. Not the stuff you get at the big box. I've found them to have the most intelligent control algorithm of any stat out there, and are calibrated most accurately. The other most popular brand: Emerson/White-Rodgers tend to be about 2 degrees out of calibration from the factory, and some models came 4 degrees out calibration. The funny thing is they allow you to adjust that, whereas Honeywell doesn't. (Because Honeywell comes from the factory set correctly)
norgeway
Well-known member
I will put up with
A thermostat being off a degree or two, I don't want a digital pos around me.
A thermostat being off a degree or two, I don't want a digital pos around me.
gusherb
Well-known member
Hans
When they get off wack they can swing up to 10 degrees. Not all of them get that way but it happens. Sometimes a good cleaning is in order. Other times they just need replacing. Luckily there's plenty of NOS on eBay to be had - for now anyway.
Some more of what I've accumulated over the years. The round ones with the small dial were the original Henry Dreyfuss designed ones introduced in 1953. All three of them are T86 (heat only) models. The bigger dial came out around 1960. The T87 (capable of heat/cool with the correct subbase) came out in 1965.
When they get off wack they can swing up to 10 degrees. Not all of them get that way but it happens. Sometimes a good cleaning is in order. Other times they just need replacing. Luckily there's plenty of NOS on eBay to be had - for now anyway.
Some more of what I've accumulated over the years. The round ones with the small dial were the original Henry Dreyfuss designed ones introduced in 1953. All three of them are T86 (heat only) models. The bigger dial came out around 1960. The T87 (capable of heat/cool with the correct subbase) came out in 1965.
Digital
One of the first things I did in our house was to replace the old thermostat for the original living area's central forced air furnace (mercury) and the den addition's wall heater in the back of the house (bimetal) with matching digital types. No AC here so I only needed basic ones.
I went with budget priced Lux TX500E programmables and they've been fine for the past several years. I programmed both to operate at the same times and temps, and for the first time since the den was built in the late '60s, you can walk from one part of the house to the other and there is absolutely zero temperature difference.
Say what you want about digital, but these t-stats are providing the best and most even heating this house has ever had.
One of the first things I did in our house was to replace the old thermostat for the original living area's central forced air furnace (mercury) and the den addition's wall heater in the back of the house (bimetal) with matching digital types. No AC here so I only needed basic ones.
I went with budget priced Lux TX500E programmables and they've been fine for the past several years. I programmed both to operate at the same times and temps, and for the first time since the den was built in the late '60s, you can walk from one part of the house to the other and there is absolutely zero temperature difference.
Say what you want about digital, but these t-stats are providing the best and most even heating this house has ever had.
whirlcool
Well-known member
Way Back When....
When I was growing up one of my earliest memories was of a thermostat just like this but branded "Iron Fireman" in our house. I think it was installed in the house in the 1940's.
When I was growing up one of my earliest memories was of a thermostat just like this but branded "Iron Fireman" in our house. I think it was installed in the house in the 1940's.
Same thermostat here as a kid. Ours said Homart.
My Aunt's 54 Frigidaire water cooled whole house AC/propane heat unit had a similar themo to the one Whirlcool referenced. I never understood how it functioned for both heat and cool. The system itself had to be switched at the unit itself by means of a hefty crank handle that flipped a damper to allow the fan to blow on the left side (cool) right side (heat). But that was the only function selector. Loved that unit!!!
lordkenmore
Well-known member
I have had digital thermostat experience once. My parents got one in the 1980s to replace a thermostat that had never worked right. (The old one would be turned up and down to manually turn the heat off and on as needed/desired. Not sure if the old was was just way off spec--say, it thought the 80 degree setting was what was really 65, or it had swings too big for comfort.) The digital thermostat worked OK, but two issues:
1. There is more complexity. I hope things have gotten better, but that model's user interface had terrible user friendliness.
2. The thermostat used batteries. Two of them. And batteries eventually fail. One did fail, and the furnace wouldn't work. There was no "Low Battery" light flashing--the display seemed normal. Fortunately, I thought to try changing the battery.
1. There is more complexity. I hope things have gotten better, but that model's user interface had terrible user friendliness.
2. The thermostat used batteries. Two of them. And batteries eventually fail. One did fail, and the furnace wouldn't work. There was no "Low Battery" light flashing--the display seemed normal. Fortunately, I thought to try changing the battery.
lordkenmore
Well-known member
Ours said Homart.
My parent's bedroom had a round Honeywell-style thermostat that was also branded Homart IIRC. So was the furnace it had once controlled. (Furnace was inactive in our era.) The people who added that furnace did a lot of work on the house, and it appeared that Sears was their primary source for just about everything and anything they needed.
My parent's bedroom had a round Honeywell-style thermostat that was also branded Homart IIRC. So was the furnace it had once controlled. (Furnace was inactive in our era.) The people who added that furnace did a lot of work on the house, and it appeared that Sears was their primary source for just about everything and anything they needed.
norgeway
Well-known member
Old Homarts
Were made by General Motors Delco heat, the very old ones had a Delco built thermostat, the old Honeywell pictured is a 3 wire model 10, a very good thermostat.
Were made by General Motors Delco heat, the very old ones had a Delco built thermostat, the old Honeywell pictured is a 3 wire model 10, a very good thermostat.
I often wondered who made them for Sears under the Homart name back then. It was a good furnace in a drafty old house that never could shut off in the middle of the winter.
norgeway
Well-known member
After about
1960 Heil made them, they didn't hold up all that well, at least the oil fired ones didn't, the Delco ones were great.
1960 Heil made them, they didn't hold up all that well, at least the oil fired ones didn't, the Delco ones were great.
2packs4sure
Well-known member
I just threw one of these out recently.
Digistat.
It had a potentiometer to fine tune the temp reading from inaccurate to waayy off!
Digistat.
It had a potentiometer to fine tune the temp reading from inaccurate to waayy off!
fan-of-fans
Well-known member
I liked those round Honeywell thermostats, especially when they were installed with the round ceiling diffusers. All round. LOL
I've had several digital 'stats. Found them all to work nicely enough.
Magic Stat 1000 was the first, almost 30 years ago. Swapped it in at the apt I had for a several years, put the original back when I left. Designed to retrofit the Carrier/Honeywell round base.
2packs4sure
Well-known member
Magic Stat 1000........ Now there's one i've never seen.
gusherb
Well-known member
Magic stat 1000
Never seen one of those before. Was it programmable or just electronic?
Last night the analog bug bit me and I ended up taking the Honeywell Vision Pro out of the downstairs and put this in. Had to jumper W1 to W2 on the furnace so second stage will now run off a timer since the T87 is single stage only. So far it's keeping temp perfectly. The trick is getting the heat anticipator set correctly, and with a two stage gas valve it is indeed a trick...
Never seen one of those before. Was it programmable or just electronic?
Last night the analog bug bit me and I ended up taking the Honeywell Vision Pro out of the downstairs and put this in. Had to jumper W1 to W2 on the furnace so second stage will now run off a timer since the T87 is single stage only. So far it's keeping temp perfectly. The trick is getting the heat anticipator set correctly, and with a two stage gas valve it is indeed a trick...
Magic Stat 1000
It has a preset program that can be modified by pressing the button. It resets back to the default when power is lost/disconnected. Been years since I've used it. There's a bank of DIP switches, it may have more than one program choice. Switching between heat/cool requires 1) changing the toggle switch and 2) changing the mode switch on the base to match.
It has a preset program that can be modified by pressing the button. It resets back to the default when power is lost/disconnected. Been years since I've used it. There's a bank of DIP switches, it may have more than one program choice. Switching between heat/cool requires 1) changing the toggle switch and 2) changing the mode switch on the base to match.
launderess
Well-known member
norgeway
Well-known member
Believe it or not!
They made a gas heater that went in a window just like a window AC!!!
They made a gas heater that went in a window just like a window AC!!!
dartman
Well-known member
Been using programmable electronic thermostats since the mid 90s. Had a basic one that let the temps swing a bit but we just adjusted it to hit the range we were going for when it was set to run.
Didn't have time to yank it when we moved and figured we'd upgrade to a better quality newer unit in the new bigger house. Ended up with a Honeywell RTH8500 that is programmable touch screen and smart. It learns how fast the system gets up to set temp and cranks it up early so its spot on when the set time hits. It also keeps it within a degree and can be set to run about any heat and cooling setup.
I had to reset it to properly run the electric furnace here as it defaults to a gas furnace setting and was running the fan at half speed.
Now it cranks right up at full speed and even runs the fan a while to cool the elements when done.
Temp stays where I set it and should be able to run a heat pump if I upgrade eventually and run the AC half as well.
Pretty happy with it so far and have the basic Honeywell electronic wall stat as backup saved if it ever breaks that was installed when they rehabbed the house.
Didn't have time to yank it when we moved and figured we'd upgrade to a better quality newer unit in the new bigger house. Ended up with a Honeywell RTH8500 that is programmable touch screen and smart. It learns how fast the system gets up to set temp and cranks it up early so its spot on when the set time hits. It also keeps it within a degree and can be set to run about any heat and cooling setup.
I had to reset it to properly run the electric furnace here as it defaults to a gas furnace setting and was running the fan at half speed.
Now it cranks right up at full speed and even runs the fan a while to cool the elements when done.
Temp stays where I set it and should be able to run a heat pump if I upgrade eventually and run the AC half as well.
Pretty happy with it so far and have the basic Honeywell electronic wall stat as backup saved if it ever breaks that was installed when they rehabbed the house.
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