Oldest Gas Appliance

[Doctor Drivel]

Last week I replaced an ignition electrode on a Potterton Neterheat boiler, the customer said that it was installed in 1970 but surly it is a bit advanced for the early 70s

As it came out in 1975 that would be difficult.

Hence the doubting post..I had no idea when this boiler was introduced, can only go by what the customer stated...Still pretty advanced for the mid seventies, I'll wager that the old gas men would fear the black magic of the auto igniting pilot..

It was the first pilotless ignition. They first batch were big trouble to the point Pott would not answer phones. The problems were sorted and it became one of the most reliable boilers ever. They had two control types eventually. One had two solenoids, a pilot and main burner. It was cast iron with a forced flue, when forced exhaust boilers were invariably ally metal in those days. Still lots of them around today. Many parts are still available. Fan motors are, as are pressure switches etc. Most I came across tended to ignite with whoomp.

 

[Doctor Drivel]

[/img]

One of the oldest boilers I have seen for a while.

About 5 years ago I saw a New World Newlyn storage sink water heater in service. It had been converted to NG. The guy cleaned and serviced it himself every year. They are simple. During conversion the converters/gas board, left 3 bi-metal strips and thermostats by mistake - the knickers in a twist the gas board were famous for at the time. He had only one of each left in their plastic bags, using the others when they packed up. I reckon the thing has still got another 5 years left in it. Only when his spares run out will he scrap it or send it to a museum.

I really like the spacemen using the kitchen.

 

[Doctor Drivel]

Did a complete refit in a big victorian house built 1880,when i first went in it still had the original gas lamps,and they worked!!!!!!,the old lead composite gas pipes were everywhere.

We would just leave the old lead pipes in the walls and run new copper under the floors. I'm sure in most of them, if the lead was connected back up it would still be gas-tight.

When there was gas escape in lead in the wall invariably it was re-run in copper as the escape could be anywhere and it meant ruining the decorations.

We had a old guy who had a sensitive nose. He would smell all over the wall in the room were there was smell. He alway got the exact position of the escape, would chisel out and solder up. Impressive. I recall saying to him he had cost the customer more, as they now had to re-decorate, and it would have been cheaper to re-run in copper pipe under the floor as all we did was lift carpets..and another part of the lead may fail a year or elsewhere. He couldn't see it..being single minded..."there was a leak I fixed it".

 

[Garfeild]

When i tested it,there was only a 2mb drop,of which i was surprised,as the house had been basically untouched for years,but,there was a slight SOG at one of the upstairs lamps.After much discussion,and many cups of tea,the new owners decided,as part of the renovation,to have all the old gas completely disconnected,as he was having all new condensing boiler with uv cylinder fitted.
I was there for the best part of a year on a hospital job basis,the guy gave me a day rate and a set of keys,and plenty of tea bags.This was 2003,and i still work for them as and when they get to a new project,we became good friends,and get invited to all their parties.I got to know their house as well as they do.

 

[petit_pablo]

Oldest boiler ive worked on was a floor standing balanced flue item with stelrad embossed on the front. It has a 3 way pilot in the centre of a ring burner. Asbestos seals everywere too.

Customer believed it to have been put in around 1967. Unfortunately the GV had gone and the parts were somewhat obsolete!

 

[Doctor Drivel]

Oldest boiler ive worked on was a floor standing balanced flue item with stelrad embossed on the front. It has a 3 way pilot in the centre of a ring burner. Asbestos seals everywere too.

Customer believed it to have been put in around 1967. Unfortunately the GV had gone and the parts were somewhat obsolete!

More like 1957! I worked on Powell Dufryn boilers that used gas weep pipes for the controls - gas relay valves and room stats. Soft copper weep pipes in the walls to the room stat and boiler stat. The burner modulated and the controls were non-electric. They were dropped and it took another 40 odd years to get to microprocessor controlled modulating burners.