FYI - The white tank across from the boilers is the condensate return tank, which supplies the water to the 3 boilers. The tunnels that were shown are for the steam pipes heating the building, because yes, we do need to access them regularly and repair them more than you think. The electrical distribution also runs through those, and probably the original phone lines. Why the master keys in the boiler room? Because that was where the head custodian normally hangs out, and students (and other staff) can't go in that room. So they have no idea where the master keys are. The giant hot water tank was pretty cool. The separate little "boiler" you saw? It's an incinerator. Most high schools built in the 50's and 60's had a special room for them, as shredding services didn't exist. Another way to get in the tunnels was through 30" access doors in the floors of some of the classrooms. From experience, they aren't pleasant to squeeze through because too many vendors managed to get their pipes/conduit in the way. Nice video of a part of the building few ever see.
Yes, I thought about that later. I was just a bit spooked as the school was off limits and I wasn't supposed to be there, I sort of was worried about getting out of there undetected. I graduated from there in 76.
Most of the time the maintenance personal also hung out in that area too. Those other smaller rooms was probably their office, break rooms, tool rooms etc. One school I went to had a big nice metal workbench with a rollaway toolbox
Actually spent more time than I can remember in steam tunnels. Lots of electrical work in there as well. We also had many pumps in tunnels around our campus.
Man I miss that school so much. It was just cool going to school Inna really old building. Lots of memories made there. Just hated the summer days. I don't really enjoy the new school
Probably costs too much to operate a school with all of that old equipment. Steam heat in schools has mostly been replaced with hot water going through fan coils, or just roof top air conditioning units on top of the buildings. 1948 buildings had lots of asbestos for pipe and boiler insulation, fire proofing, etc. In California all of the old brick school buildings built before 1935 had to be torn down or reinforced in the 1970s and replaced with new because of the earthquake building codes that were enacted after the 1933 Long Beach Earthquake.
FYI - The white tank across from the boilers is the condensate return tank, which supplies the water to the 3 boilers. The tunnels that were shown are for the steam pipes heating the building, because yes, we do need to access them regularly and repair them more than you think. The electrical distribution also runs through those, and probably the original phone lines. Why the master keys in the boiler room? Because that was where the head custodian normally hangs out, and students (and other staff) can't go in that room. So they have no idea where the master keys are. The giant hot water tank was pretty cool. The separate little "boiler" you saw? It's an incinerator. Most high schools built in the 50's and 60's had a special room for them, as shredding services didn't exist. Another way to get in the tunnels was through 30" access doors in the floors of some of the classrooms. From experience, they aren't pleasant to squeeze through because too many vendors managed to get their pipes/conduit in the way. Nice video of a part of the building few ever see.
Yes, I thought about that later. I was just a bit spooked as the school was off limits and I wasn't supposed to be there, I sort of was worried about getting out of there undetected. I graduated from there in 76.
Most of the time the maintenance personal also hung out in that area too. Those other smaller rooms was probably their office, break rooms, tool rooms etc. One school I went to had a big nice metal workbench with a rollaway toolbox
Actually spent more time than I can remember in steam tunnels. Lots of electrical work in there as well. We also had many pumps in tunnels around our campus.
The "Little Boiler" as you put it at the end of the tour, was actually the trash incinerator.
Thanks for the memories!!
Very classic setup I wish I could save it
That is an awesome boiler room........Nice orange color..........
The boilers were most likely oil fired originally, not coal.
Man I miss that school so much. It was just cool going to school Inna really old building. Lots of memories made there. Just hated the summer days. I don't really enjoy the new school
Probably costs too much to operate a school with all of that old equipment. Steam heat in schools has mostly been replaced with hot water going through fan coils, or just roof top air conditioning units on top of the buildings. 1948 buildings had lots of asbestos for pipe and boiler insulation, fire proofing, etc. In California all of the old brick school buildings built before 1935 had to be torn down or reinforced in the 1970s and replaced with new because of the earthquake building codes that were enacted after the 1933 Long Beach Earthquake.
Is the mini boiler at the end an incinerator? Cool tour
I think that is what it was, an incinerator.
Is the building being used for anything?
It's totally destroyed now.