If it's diesel it will also run on used vegetable oil which restaurants toss out.
You'd have to get one of those kits the hippies sell at Oregon Country Fair to filter the potato and fish sediments out of the oil, and you might need a heating element to add to your burner, but I'll bet the guy who services it for you could tell you how to make it work.
If it's got a boiler on it, you could run it off recovered veg oil and add in under-floor hydronic heating which would let you set the thermostat lower. If your feet are warm, the rest of you stays warm, and also , heat rises.
Ah, the heated floors are indeed wonderful things! Alas though, ours is a forced air system, so no boiler.
I'd not thought of the restaurant oil conversion. I know people do that with trucks, but never thought about doing it with a furnace. I suppose you are right, it would work!
If you ever see me attempt to do the least mechanical thing, you'll understand why I would hesitate to ever try to do it myself! My years here on earth have shown me a long list of things that I am truly unskilled at!
Here in Bremerton, our furnace in our temple is an old coal burning furnace, something straight out of a horror movie. It has since been converted to natural gas, but still sits, hulking, in the basement. It to needs regular servicing, the bricks in the inside need to be inspected, cleaned and replaced as necessary. As with your issues finding a company or person who actually knows how to work on such an old device, it's also becoming harder and harder.
It should be replaced with a modern efficient system, hopefully one that provides both heating and cooling as the lodge rooms become ovens in the summertime. But as with some many other old masonic buildings, there are always more pressing maintenance issues that need the funds more urgently, while that old hulking furnace still chugs along.
For the apron, I am sure the previous owner would be proud to see the apron passed along to a deserving brother. Such a simple gesture that allows it's tale to live on.
A few years ago, we did replace the ancient old furnaces in the Centralia Temple. And those new ones are mighty nice!
I was on the Temple Board when we did that, but I can't remember how we ever came up with the funds needed to do it. We must have just had a very lucky year or two when nothing else broke. Because we are like Bremerton, it seems that the list of things we need to do, always exceeds our financial resources to get them done.
"A few years ago, we did replace the ancient old furnaces in the Centralia Temple."
Well, 1983 isn't really ancient, but I suppose it could be from an electric furnace standpoint, for the reasons stated above with parts availability. I was on the board as well, and I can't remember the financial circumstances, either. It's been about 10 years, believe it or not.
I replaced my oil furnace with a new electric one with a Heat Pump and it is saving me SO MUCH MONEY, plus I have the satisfaction of helping the environment. Plus, I now get the benefit of central AC.
I'm with you, the money savings would be great, and the central AC superb! I imagine that if this ever does need to be replaced, a heat pump is the way we would look to go. Prior to his passing, my dad had one in his home, and it was wonderful.
But, I'm not sure about the environmental question in my case. While undoubtedly pollution from use would decrease if I went from oil to electric, pollution would increase through the manufacturing, transportation, and disposal processes. I've also read that a heat pump has an average life expectancy of 15 years, necessitating more manufacturing, transportation, and disposal pollution. There has been no manufacturing, transportation, or disposal related to my current system for 75 years now.
Regarding the environmental question: at this point, nothing is 100% perfectly environmentally sustainable, but the more steps we can take, the more progress we make towards that end. There are examples of things all around us, every day, of things we do to help where and when we can, even if we can't fix the whole. We give poor people food, even if we don't have the means to fix their entire situation. On and on it goes, with each of us making a difference, small or great. Don't stop because it's not "perfect." The effort matters.
I was given a PM's apron after his passing and it means the world to me. WB Jim Greig was Master of Washington 4 the year I was born....1962.....
He was a wonderful, if imposing, PM and one I sought out for advice numerous times. I wear it in hopes of never saying or doing anything that would be less than what WB Greig would expect of me.
What you did with your apron MWB sets a wonderful ripple in the fraternity....one I am sure will echo on.
As for the furnace – this coming from someone who splits firewood in his backyard with a log splitter powered by an 80-year-old Wisconsin engine. One of my Grandfather’s old co-workers was going to have it hauled off for scrap. My Grandfather intercepted it, somehow knowing that I’d find a way to get it running. And I did. If I do things correctly, it’ll start on the first pull of the rope starter. As you note, why toss it and pay hundreds for a new one, when the old one still works? I use this philosophy with all of my cars, as well as many other things. However, as you also note, there are some appliances, such as refrigerators, washer/dryers, things like that, that will need to be replaced from time to time, but also as you say, these appliances don’t last as long as the ones back from our childhood and before. That’s a shame.
On the next one concerning old buildings, I can circle back to some of the power equipment that I have, in that old Wisconsin engine now has synthetic oil in its crankcase and has an updated spark plug, and my 35 year old pickup features LED lighting. In the same way, we can upgrade our old buildings, a little at a time, with updated technology. It makes the old building more efficient, so the upgrades will eventually pay for themselves, and you can still tell the people in your community that you’re still around, making a difference in the community, instead of selling the building and watching a pub chain like McMenamin’s totally restore the building and call it the “old Masonic Lodge,” while the actual Masonic Lodge is still around, but meeting in a pole barn in the outskirts of town, out of the eye of the community, or working that much harder to stay in the public eye. Yes, I know, there is solid debate on both sides, especially if your old building is so beyond repair that it’s become an albatross. But if it isn’t, fix it up! People love the classic buildings!
Aprons. The only Apron I have that’s not a hand-me-down from someone special to me Masonically is the Apron I have from when I received my degrees. My Past Master’s Apron was, ironically, given to me by my Senior Warden when I was Worshipful Master! I presided in 1999, he presided in 2000, received an Apron, then when he inherited an Apron from someone close to him, he gave me his old one. It’s in my closet, and I wear it on Past Master’s nights, as well as Past Master’s Association meetings. As for my Past District Deputy Apron, the one I have is from a Past Deputy from an adjacent district that I knew very well. I also have the Apron that I wore when I was the Deputy, as it was retired the year that VW John Shull succeeded me. It was the District 17 Apron from 2004-2011, and someday I will restore it (I have the spare parts) and will wear it from time to time before eventually donating it. Yes, it’s the Apron from the “Sleigh bells” era! But even then, those Aprons aren’t in use, as I wear my Grand Lodge officer regalia in Stated Communications.
And the move you made when you handed over your Past Master’s Apron? You’ve made many brilliant moves during your Masonic career, and this one ranks among the best. Excellent choice.
I was working on an old house down in Raymond, WA and they had the heavy cast iron remains of three very old cast iron furnaces. They had just installed a new more efficient furnace and the question came up about how to get the old furnaces out of the basement. They finally hired a tow truck, put some plywood over the cellar stairs, hooked on the old furnaces with the tow truck they were soon all gone. .
Yeah, I've thought about that. If this one ever did get replaced, how on earth would it get out of the basement? I assume it would have to be cut into pieces, it certainly wouldn't fit through the doors.
If it's diesel it will also run on used vegetable oil which restaurants toss out.
You'd have to get one of those kits the hippies sell at Oregon Country Fair to filter the potato and fish sediments out of the oil, and you might need a heating element to add to your burner, but I'll bet the guy who services it for you could tell you how to make it work.
If it's got a boiler on it, you could run it off recovered veg oil and add in under-floor hydronic heating which would let you set the thermostat lower. If your feet are warm, the rest of you stays warm, and also , heat rises.
Ah, the heated floors are indeed wonderful things! Alas though, ours is a forced air system, so no boiler.
I'd not thought of the restaurant oil conversion. I know people do that with trucks, but never thought about doing it with a furnace. I suppose you are right, it would work!
That was a lovely gesture with your PM apron.
As for the furnace, why not learn to do the servicing yourself?
If you ever see me attempt to do the least mechanical thing, you'll understand why I would hesitate to ever try to do it myself! My years here on earth have shown me a long list of things that I am truly unskilled at!
Ha, ok I understand that logic. I have a list like that.
Like putting knobs on cabinet doors.
Yep!
Here in Bremerton, our furnace in our temple is an old coal burning furnace, something straight out of a horror movie. It has since been converted to natural gas, but still sits, hulking, in the basement. It to needs regular servicing, the bricks in the inside need to be inspected, cleaned and replaced as necessary. As with your issues finding a company or person who actually knows how to work on such an old device, it's also becoming harder and harder.
It should be replaced with a modern efficient system, hopefully one that provides both heating and cooling as the lodge rooms become ovens in the summertime. But as with some many other old masonic buildings, there are always more pressing maintenance issues that need the funds more urgently, while that old hulking furnace still chugs along.
For the apron, I am sure the previous owner would be proud to see the apron passed along to a deserving brother. Such a simple gesture that allows it's tale to live on.
A few years ago, we did replace the ancient old furnaces in the Centralia Temple. And those new ones are mighty nice!
I was on the Temple Board when we did that, but I can't remember how we ever came up with the funds needed to do it. We must have just had a very lucky year or two when nothing else broke. Because we are like Bremerton, it seems that the list of things we need to do, always exceeds our financial resources to get them done.
"A few years ago, we did replace the ancient old furnaces in the Centralia Temple."
Well, 1983 isn't really ancient, but I suppose it could be from an electric furnace standpoint, for the reasons stated above with parts availability. I was on the board as well, and I can't remember the financial circumstances, either. It's been about 10 years, believe it or not.
I replaced my oil furnace with a new electric one with a Heat Pump and it is saving me SO MUCH MONEY, plus I have the satisfaction of helping the environment. Plus, I now get the benefit of central AC.
I'm with you, the money savings would be great, and the central AC superb! I imagine that if this ever does need to be replaced, a heat pump is the way we would look to go. Prior to his passing, my dad had one in his home, and it was wonderful.
But, I'm not sure about the environmental question in my case. While undoubtedly pollution from use would decrease if I went from oil to electric, pollution would increase through the manufacturing, transportation, and disposal processes. I've also read that a heat pump has an average life expectancy of 15 years, necessitating more manufacturing, transportation, and disposal pollution. There has been no manufacturing, transportation, or disposal related to my current system for 75 years now.
Regarding the environmental question: at this point, nothing is 100% perfectly environmentally sustainable, but the more steps we can take, the more progress we make towards that end. There are examples of things all around us, every day, of things we do to help where and when we can, even if we can't fix the whole. We give poor people food, even if we don't have the means to fix their entire situation. On and on it goes, with each of us making a difference, small or great. Don't stop because it's not "perfect." The effort matters.
I was given a PM's apron after his passing and it means the world to me. WB Jim Greig was Master of Washington 4 the year I was born....1962.....
He was a wonderful, if imposing, PM and one I sought out for advice numerous times. I wear it in hopes of never saying or doing anything that would be less than what WB Greig would expect of me.
What you did with your apron MWB sets a wonderful ripple in the fraternity....one I am sure will echo on.
I'm glad to know about your apron, and how wonderful it is that it came to you from someone you looked up to!
Sooo… here are my three takes.
As for the furnace – this coming from someone who splits firewood in his backyard with a log splitter powered by an 80-year-old Wisconsin engine. One of my Grandfather’s old co-workers was going to have it hauled off for scrap. My Grandfather intercepted it, somehow knowing that I’d find a way to get it running. And I did. If I do things correctly, it’ll start on the first pull of the rope starter. As you note, why toss it and pay hundreds for a new one, when the old one still works? I use this philosophy with all of my cars, as well as many other things. However, as you also note, there are some appliances, such as refrigerators, washer/dryers, things like that, that will need to be replaced from time to time, but also as you say, these appliances don’t last as long as the ones back from our childhood and before. That’s a shame.
On the next one concerning old buildings, I can circle back to some of the power equipment that I have, in that old Wisconsin engine now has synthetic oil in its crankcase and has an updated spark plug, and my 35 year old pickup features LED lighting. In the same way, we can upgrade our old buildings, a little at a time, with updated technology. It makes the old building more efficient, so the upgrades will eventually pay for themselves, and you can still tell the people in your community that you’re still around, making a difference in the community, instead of selling the building and watching a pub chain like McMenamin’s totally restore the building and call it the “old Masonic Lodge,” while the actual Masonic Lodge is still around, but meeting in a pole barn in the outskirts of town, out of the eye of the community, or working that much harder to stay in the public eye. Yes, I know, there is solid debate on both sides, especially if your old building is so beyond repair that it’s become an albatross. But if it isn’t, fix it up! People love the classic buildings!
Aprons. The only Apron I have that’s not a hand-me-down from someone special to me Masonically is the Apron I have from when I received my degrees. My Past Master’s Apron was, ironically, given to me by my Senior Warden when I was Worshipful Master! I presided in 1999, he presided in 2000, received an Apron, then when he inherited an Apron from someone close to him, he gave me his old one. It’s in my closet, and I wear it on Past Master’s nights, as well as Past Master’s Association meetings. As for my Past District Deputy Apron, the one I have is from a Past Deputy from an adjacent district that I knew very well. I also have the Apron that I wore when I was the Deputy, as it was retired the year that VW John Shull succeeded me. It was the District 17 Apron from 2004-2011, and someday I will restore it (I have the spare parts) and will wear it from time to time before eventually donating it. Yes, it’s the Apron from the “Sleigh bells” era! But even then, those Aprons aren’t in use, as I wear my Grand Lodge officer regalia in Stated Communications.
And the move you made when you handed over your Past Master’s Apron? You’ve made many brilliant moves during your Masonic career, and this one ranks among the best. Excellent choice.
Thank you VW Brother! I appreciate your extremely kind words.
I was working on an old house down in Raymond, WA and they had the heavy cast iron remains of three very old cast iron furnaces. They had just installed a new more efficient furnace and the question came up about how to get the old furnaces out of the basement. They finally hired a tow truck, put some plywood over the cellar stairs, hooked on the old furnaces with the tow truck they were soon all gone. .
Yeah, I've thought about that. If this one ever did get replaced, how on earth would it get out of the basement? I assume it would have to be cut into pieces, it certainly wouldn't fit through the doors.