The Cause of Creosote in Chimney Flues
Here is an informative article from 1922 about the cause of creosote in chimney flues that still applies today.
Heating Museum Help Topics
Take a stroll through HVAC history in our Heating Museum. This section of our website preserves history and answers that so-important question: What the heck is that thing? Whenever you run across anything unusual, chances are you’ll find the old literature about it right here.
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Recent Articles in Heating Museum
Chimney Data
This excerpt about chimney dimensions, design, construction, and troubleshooting is from Spencer Heater's Steamfitters Handbook, published in 1917.
General Report on the Explosion of Steam Boilers
This 1836 report came from the Committee of the Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania for the Promotion of the Mechanical Arts. They were writing at a time when...
Fallacious Theories of Boiler Explosions
From The Manufacturer and Builder magazine, March, 1872. Busting the "explosive electricity" myth.
Explosion Reports from the Early-1930s
Boiler explosion reports from Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company's Locomotive magazine. Special thanks to Frank "Steamhead" Wilsey for finding and sca...
Boiler Explosions - The Cause and the Remedy
This article is from The Manufacturer and Builder magazine and gets to the bottom of a very serious problem in 1884 when boilers were exploding.
How to Install Homart Hot-Water and Steam Heating Systems
In 1957, Sears, Roebuck and Co. sold complete heating systems to homeowners, and they put together this booklet showing step-by-step how to install these systems.
Beacon Boiler Reference Book, Boilers Made Prior to 1959, Part 1
This is an excerpt of the Beacon Boiler Reference Book, Sixth Edition and includes ratings for boilers made prior to 1959. This section contains pages 1 through 26 and in...
Bell & Gossett Handbook, Second Edition (1949)
Published in 1949, the Bell & Gossett Handbook (Second Edition) is a manual about the design and installation of forced-hot-water space-heating systems and service water-...
An Asbestos Hat
This article is from the Handbook of Construction Techniques circa 1960s. It reads: Keeping A Cool Head "After experiencing severe headaches for several days while wearin...