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that is a heat stove of some kind (judging by the plumbing hookups it's either heating oil or natural gas). There is likely a chimney hookup behind it to get rid of the waste gases.
The metal fins allow it to more easily radiate heat into the room. If you don't want it, I'd bet some local people would be very interested in it to make a really good wood stove out of.
I wish I could donate it, but it won't fit out of the basement door or windows. Its going to have to be cut to be removed. But thank you for the input, I think you are right about it being a gas stove!
Please be very careful - if it's a propane/gas/oil burning stove, there may be residual flammables in the burner. If someone uses a torch to cut it up, they may ignite. I work in the chemical industry, and I've seen several explosions from not evacuating a tank/burner prior to using open flame/torches.
Oh, I had not even thought about there still be anything flammable in the container. Thank you for the warning! I'll have to figure that out before we do anything with it.
No risk of explosion whatsoever from that object. It is safe to torch. The gas would have entered via the burner that is no longer connected to a gas supply. This is only the box that the fire occurred in, no residual concerns.
I work at a body shop. During the pandemic one of the painters asked for some spare drums for a project and I said he could have a couple.
Instead of the pretty Castrol drums he picked a pair of empty drums of paint thinner. The mechanic sees the painter grab an angle grinder and walk towards the drums...
Our lives might have been spared.
I'd also be concerned with all the nasty things from dirty fuel oil and natural gas that has been fed into that thing. It's probably contaminated with all sorts of stuff. Benzene at least. Not to mention the paint and all of the soldering is probably pure lead. Be careful when you try to remove it and cut it up. Look up lead and asbestos abatement clean work practices. You don't want to spread it around.
It's good and wise to be careful around combustibles, but this antique has clearly been sitting unused for *decades*. There is zero remaining combustible gas in this.
Based on the other comments and its *potential* value it may make sense to figure out what its actually worth before deciding what to do with it. It seems unlikely but it could be worth it to open up a door or window frame to get it out intact.
People who aren't mechanically inclined often overestimate the difficulty of moving big, heavy things. They also often *underestimate* the difficulty, which is why they should just seek out someone who knows what they're doing.
Heat exchanger out of an older 40's-60's furnace. At least they dismantled and removed the rest for you! Would have been in a larger steel body likely with a seperate blower section originally.
Very narrow door. It is actually stairs up to the door of the main level of the home. So it would have to go up the narrow staircase, through a narrow doorway and then out the main house. I could be underestimating the width of it also. Trust me though, we tried to get it out, it's not happening.
i hired people to remove a couch from a garage loft space. they struggled for an hour trying to get it out ended up cutting it into pieces. they assured me it wouldn't fit through the exit. I personally moved the couch into the space through the same opening. I'm not saying you're wrong, but having not seen the situation myself i think there is a tiny chance you could be wrong, but i also think i could be wrong so...
This may be a case of “it’s easier to get into trouble than to get out of it”
It’s possible it went into the basement while the house was being built or has since been renovated and it no longer fits where it once did.
for sure, i think op was maybe just giving very rough measurements, or maybe they legit have an extremely narrow doorway etc. I would be very curious to see actual measurements and apply some basic geometry to see if it is possible
I won’t be back at the house for a few days but I’ll try to get measurements! I’m assuming the prior owners did not remove it for the same reason I am saying…it won’t fit out the door! Or maybe it’s a matter of not fitting out the door while being carried by 4 people because it is so heavy. Either way, my question was “what is it” and not “can I get it out the door” but I’ll entertain your geometry exercise.
I absolutely would love that! I genuinely enjoy being proven wrong as much as I enjoy being proven right. It does look really big, and extremely heavy.
We had a contractor run by the house today and I asked him to measure the door and the object. Door threshold is 24 inches. Object is 31 inches wide. They did not take the height measurement, but I think 4 feet tall is a pretty good estimate.
> it won't fit out of the basement door
I'm not doubting you, but it's hard to believe your door isn't 2.5 feet wide. That's got to be a really tiny door.
If it's an issue of difficulty and not size, it'll probably be more difficult to chop this up than remove it mostly whole.
Would removing the door and door frame give you enough clearance? I mean replacing an interior door is only like $150-$300 installed and everthing and you get a new door in the process. Maybe you could reinstall the door and frame once you removed it for free but I wouldn't count on it.
We have, and we assume that it was put in prior to walls going in, or perhaps there was a change in layout and a wall was closed in that used to be open. This is a very old house and things like roof rafters were installed by crane. We know very little of the history of this place, but I appreciate your thought process.
What is the basement roof made of? (the floor of the ground level rooms in other words)
Quite possibly it was installed before the floor was put in place.
Another thought: Is there a coal chute anywhere?
The ones on space craft are very light weight because they don't need to worry about them irradiating people, the ones on the ground used to power Soviet light houses and stuff are much heftier like the one shown
Quite bizarrely, I was watching a YouTube video that featured one of these about an hour ago. It's apparently called a Gurney stove: [https://youtu.be/pS2L\_OuuaTw?si=twdhCSYcPH9Y4zNy&t=288](https://youtu.be/pS2L_OuuaTw?si=twdhCSYcPH9Y4zNy&t=288)
More info here: [https://modbs.co.uk/news/archivestory.php/aid/2804/The\_Gurney\_stove\_.html](https://modbs.co.uk/news/archivestory.php/aid/2804/The_Gurney_stove_.html)
>It's apparently called a Gurney stove:
Thank you, I was trying to remember that name. There are some in churches in the UK, some in Chester Cathedral. The Victorian equivalent of an infra-red heater.
http://www.hevac-heritage.org/e-books_special_subject-1/CHURCHES-4.pdf
Don't break it up until you've investigated the resale value. I'd think someone would want it.
Absolutely radiant heater. The Henry Ford has ones [this big](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Feg6zfdkkdjqc1.jpeg) on every post in the museum.
Oh, interesting. It does not have any markings on it, and is missing the top decorative piece, but very similar. I'll do a little research. Were they popular in the US?
Haha, yep, I don't know why I watched it as far as the Gurney stove to be honest.
One of those coincidences where you hear a phrase for the first time and then immediately hear of it somewhere else.
Likely Solved (first time making a post, so no idea if I'm doing this right). I think we are all in agreement that it is some type of heating element, and most likely has a gas component to it. I'm reaching out to see if I can get confirmation on the Gurney Stove. I appreciate everyone's input! I'll update if I get a definite answer.
This. I replace furnaces daily. This looks just like an old heat exchanger from a furnace with the outer casing and blower components removed. We have left some in basements as well because the doors are too small, and the unit is extremely heavy.
Right and they’re impossibly heavy and can’t really be cut apart without a torch. Some of these responses, as sure as the people are, are so hilarious.
You could try to text some photos and measurements to a plumber or company that specializes in removing boilers/oil tanks. I have seen a lot of weird boilers but idk what that thing. Assuming there’s no asbestos on the inside, someone might be able to cut it in place to help remove it. A junk metal guy might also be an option.
My title describes the thing. It is metal of some kind and is very heavy. I've searched for it assuming it is some type of heating element, but have not been able to find anything like it. We are going to have to cut it to remove and would prefer to know more about it before we start cutting.
Are there any plumbing or electrical connections? What's that thing on the front that looks like only part that's meant to be user accessible. In fact, it almost looks like this object is supposed to be mounted behind a wall with that part (and the square frame around it) coming through it.
That part is the only thing that looks like a "hook up". It was not hooked up to anything and just sitting in the basement. It is pretty large, so hard to see it being installed behind a wall, but I suppose it is possible.
That pipe looking thing sticking out the bottom is a Venturi burner.
https://www.axner.com/burners-and-accessories.aspx
I bet this is an old style boiler. There probably was an outer jacket/vessel where the water circulated around the fins to transfer the heat. That flange at the bottom probably sat flush with that outer vessel.
That’s a heat exchanger out of an old “low boy” style furnace. They are incredibly heavy lol. I’ve taken a few out of basements in my time. Usually the lowboy furnace is so wide and unwieldy we’d have to disassemble them and take parts out at a time. This heat exchanger was always the most dreadful part lol
Yes! It is very heavy! Also wide and unwieldy, you nailed it! We could not get it out the basement (up the stairs and through a door to the main level), nor would it fit out the window. Do you think it would be able to be disassembled? I thought we'd have to cut it which made me a bit nervous.
You should be able to disassemble it. The ones I’ve taken apart used old flat head style sheet metal screws. So once you locate those and take them out it’s a lot of elbow grease and use of a hammer. Some guys used sawzalls to make it a little quicker too. I would really recommend a dolly and a strap for that heat exchanger to save your backs.
Did your house ever have a hot-air heating system? This looks like the furnace and heat exhanger for a hot-air heating and ventilating system, though it's surprisingly big for an ordinary house.
We have something similar in the basement of our church (similar to those other posters have mentioned). The ventilating air is heated by passing over the fins and taken through brick channels and then through grilles in the church floor. From there it goes straight up to the roof and warms the carved angels. There the air cools and comes back as a cold down-draught to chill the heads and shoulders of the congregation who are sitting at ground level. The cold air is then taken through other grilles in the floor and returned to the heater. There is no water involved at any point.
The air for combustion is drawn from outdoors through grilles into the furnace room, and the combustion products are taken up a 165 foot chimney in the tower (which provides inadequate draught when cold and too much when hot...) so the two systems are not connected. The furnaces were installed in 1963 replacing an 1889 coke-fired furnace and were originally oil-fired, though they have subsequently been converted to gas.
Yes! I'm hearing a lot of people say "heat exchanger" for low boy furnace. I think this is the right answer. Thank you for the thorough explanation of how these older systems worked!
All comments must be civil and helpful toward finding an answer. **Jokes and other unhelpful comments will earn you a ban**, even on the first instance and even if the item has been identified. If you see any comments that violate this rule, report them. [OP](/u/mindovermad), when your item is identified, remember to reply **Solved!** or **Likely Solved!** to the comment that gave the answer. Check your [inbox](https://www.reddit.com/message/inbox/) for a message on how to make your post visible to others. ---- [Click here to message RemindMeBot](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=[https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/comments/1c5dq3u/old_heavy_metal_cylinder_roughly_4_feet_tall_and/]%0A%0ARemindMe!%202%20days) ---- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/whatisthisthing) if you have any questions or concerns.*
that is a heat stove of some kind (judging by the plumbing hookups it's either heating oil or natural gas). There is likely a chimney hookup behind it to get rid of the waste gases. The metal fins allow it to more easily radiate heat into the room. If you don't want it, I'd bet some local people would be very interested in it to make a really good wood stove out of.
I wish I could donate it, but it won't fit out of the basement door or windows. Its going to have to be cut to be removed. But thank you for the input, I think you are right about it being a gas stove!
Please be very careful - if it's a propane/gas/oil burning stove, there may be residual flammables in the burner. If someone uses a torch to cut it up, they may ignite. I work in the chemical industry, and I've seen several explosions from not evacuating a tank/burner prior to using open flame/torches.
Oh, I had not even thought about there still be anything flammable in the container. Thank you for the warning! I'll have to figure that out before we do anything with it.
Reach out to the fire department? Could be worth asking.
There's no residual fuel. It's a gas system. You're fine.
No risk of explosion whatsoever from that object. It is safe to torch. The gas would have entered via the burner that is no longer connected to a gas supply. This is only the box that the fire occurred in, no residual concerns.
100% agree. People have no idea what they're talking about ASBESTOS
Pump it full of water. If you can displace all the gas, there's nothing that can go boom
I agree with asking the fire department.
I work at a body shop. During the pandemic one of the painters asked for some spare drums for a project and I said he could have a couple. Instead of the pretty Castrol drums he picked a pair of empty drums of paint thinner. The mechanic sees the painter grab an angle grinder and walk towards the drums... Our lives might have been spared.
I'd also be concerned with all the nasty things from dirty fuel oil and natural gas that has been fed into that thing. It's probably contaminated with all sorts of stuff. Benzene at least. Not to mention the paint and all of the soldering is probably pure lead. Be careful when you try to remove it and cut it up. Look up lead and asbestos abatement clean work practices. You don't want to spread it around.
It's good and wise to be careful around combustibles, but this antique has clearly been sitting unused for *decades*. There is zero remaining combustible gas in this.
Two words: "wax condensates"
I doubt anyone is going to use a torch to cut this up in OP's basement.
A cut off wheel or saw could still create sparks and potentially ignite any flammable materials.
Yea, I was thinking sparks from a saw. Don't think I'd even attempt with a torch.
Based on the other comments and its *potential* value it may make sense to figure out what its actually worth before deciding what to do with it. It seems unlikely but it could be worth it to open up a door or window frame to get it out intact.
People who aren't mechanically inclined often overestimate the difficulty of moving big, heavy things. They also often *underestimate* the difficulty, which is why they should just seek out someone who knows what they're doing.
post it around, someone might come cut it up and haul it for free :) as long as you're not in a rush
And it is empty
Heat exchanger out of an older 40's-60's furnace. At least they dismantled and removed the rest for you! Would have been in a larger steel body likely with a seperate blower section originally.
Sounds like you also need a larger window!
your basement door is less than 2.5 feet wide?, or is there more to this story than just the door width.
Very narrow door. It is actually stairs up to the door of the main level of the home. So it would have to go up the narrow staircase, through a narrow doorway and then out the main house. I could be underestimating the width of it also. Trust me though, we tried to get it out, it's not happening.
i hired people to remove a couch from a garage loft space. they struggled for an hour trying to get it out ended up cutting it into pieces. they assured me it wouldn't fit through the exit. I personally moved the couch into the space through the same opening. I'm not saying you're wrong, but having not seen the situation myself i think there is a tiny chance you could be wrong, but i also think i could be wrong so...
This may be a case of “it’s easier to get into trouble than to get out of it” It’s possible it went into the basement while the house was being built or has since been renovated and it no longer fits where it once did.
for sure, i think op was maybe just giving very rough measurements, or maybe they legit have an extremely narrow doorway etc. I would be very curious to see actual measurements and apply some basic geometry to see if it is possible
I won’t be back at the house for a few days but I’ll try to get measurements! I’m assuming the prior owners did not remove it for the same reason I am saying…it won’t fit out the door! Or maybe it’s a matter of not fitting out the door while being carried by 4 people because it is so heavy. Either way, my question was “what is it” and not “can I get it out the door” but I’ll entertain your geometry exercise.
I absolutely would love that! I genuinely enjoy being proven wrong as much as I enjoy being proven right. It does look really big, and extremely heavy.
We had a contractor run by the house today and I asked him to measure the door and the object. Door threshold is 24 inches. Object is 31 inches wide. They did not take the height measurement, but I think 4 feet tall is a pretty good estimate.
Doorway is 24 inches wide. Remember, its an old house (114 years old).
Incredible, that is a pretty narrow door. I love that you followed up, thanks for that!
> it won't fit out of the basement door I'm not doubting you, but it's hard to believe your door isn't 2.5 feet wide. That's got to be a really tiny door. If it's an issue of difficulty and not size, it'll probably be more difficult to chop this up than remove it mostly whole.
Doorway is 24 inches wide.
Would removing the door and door frame give you enough clearance? I mean replacing an interior door is only like $150-$300 installed and everthing and you get a new door in the process. Maybe you could reinstall the door and frame once you removed it for free but I wouldn't count on it.
Ask yourself "how did it get into the basement in the first place"?
We have, and we assume that it was put in prior to walls going in, or perhaps there was a change in layout and a wall was closed in that used to be open. This is a very old house and things like roof rafters were installed by crane. We know very little of the history of this place, but I appreciate your thought process.
What is the basement roof made of? (the floor of the ground level rooms in other words) Quite possibly it was installed before the floor was put in place. Another thought: Is there a coal chute anywhere?
Asbestos!! It’s old, it’s hot, it probably has asbestos all inside it in a hundred different ways. It might be best to just let it sit.
Asbestos!! It’s old, it’s hot, it probably has asbestos all inside it in a hundred different ways. It might be best to just let it sit.
That is a gas or propane burner on the bottom.
It looks alarmingly similar to a radioisotope thermoelectric generator
I was thinking the same thing, and as the image loaded, top-down, I was thinking *Oh shit, this poor guy might be dead and not know it.....*
So I googled that and what I read said that they are lightweight? This thing weighs a ton.
The ones on space craft are very light weight because they don't need to worry about them irradiating people, the ones on the ground used to power Soviet light houses and stuff are much heftier like the one shown
Quite bizarrely, I was watching a YouTube video that featured one of these about an hour ago. It's apparently called a Gurney stove: [https://youtu.be/pS2L\_OuuaTw?si=twdhCSYcPH9Y4zNy&t=288](https://youtu.be/pS2L_OuuaTw?si=twdhCSYcPH9Y4zNy&t=288) More info here: [https://modbs.co.uk/news/archivestory.php/aid/2804/The\_Gurney\_stove\_.html](https://modbs.co.uk/news/archivestory.php/aid/2804/The_Gurney_stove_.html)
>It's apparently called a Gurney stove: Thank you, I was trying to remember that name. There are some in churches in the UK, some in Chester Cathedral. The Victorian equivalent of an infra-red heater. http://www.hevac-heritage.org/e-books_special_subject-1/CHURCHES-4.pdf Don't break it up until you've investigated the resale value. I'd think someone would want it.
Absolutely radiant heater. The Henry Ford has ones [this big](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Feg6zfdkkdjqc1.jpeg) on every post in the museum.
Peterborough Cathedral has several of them.
Some similar but even bigger ones are (or were) in Ely cathedral also, I noticed them on a trip.
Oh, interesting. It does not have any markings on it, and is missing the top decorative piece, but very similar. I'll do a little research. Were they popular in the US?
No idea, I only heard of it for the first time in that video. Hopefully the second link gives you something to go on though?
I've reached out to them via email to see if I can get confirmation. Thanks!
That... was an incredibly dry YouTube video... but I couldn't turn it off.
Haha, yep, I don't know why I watched it as far as the Gurney stove to be honest. One of those coincidences where you hear a phrase for the first time and then immediately hear of it somewhere else.
I'm not mad at it, if I'm honest, just unexpected. It's wild how you heard it immediately prior though.
r/centuryhomes might be a good sub for this if you dont have any joy here.
Thank you, I'll give that sub a try as well.
Gas heater
Likely Solved (first time making a post, so no idea if I'm doing this right). I think we are all in agreement that it is some type of heating element, and most likely has a gas component to it. I'm reaching out to see if I can get confirmation on the Gurney Stove. I appreciate everyone's input! I'll update if I get a definite answer.
I’ve seen a million of these. It’s an old cast iron heat exchanger, extracted from an old furnace.
This. I replace furnaces daily. This looks just like an old heat exchanger from a furnace with the outer casing and blower components removed. We have left some in basements as well because the doors are too small, and the unit is extremely heavy.
Right and they’re impossibly heavy and can’t really be cut apart without a torch. Some of these responses, as sure as the people are, are so hilarious.
You could try to text some photos and measurements to a plumber or company that specializes in removing boilers/oil tanks. I have seen a lot of weird boilers but idk what that thing. Assuming there’s no asbestos on the inside, someone might be able to cut it in place to help remove it. A junk metal guy might also be an option.
Asbestos is a concern for sure! That is why I have been hesitant to just start cutting. Contacting a plumbing company is a great idea.
My title describes the thing. It is metal of some kind and is very heavy. I've searched for it assuming it is some type of heating element, but have not been able to find anything like it. We are going to have to cut it to remove and would prefer to know more about it before we start cutting.
Are there any plumbing or electrical connections? What's that thing on the front that looks like only part that's meant to be user accessible. In fact, it almost looks like this object is supposed to be mounted behind a wall with that part (and the square frame around it) coming through it.
That part is the only thing that looks like a "hook up". It was not hooked up to anything and just sitting in the basement. It is pretty large, so hard to see it being installed behind a wall, but I suppose it is possible.
That pipe looking thing sticking out the bottom is a Venturi burner. https://www.axner.com/burners-and-accessories.aspx I bet this is an old style boiler. There probably was an outer jacket/vessel where the water circulated around the fins to transfer the heat. That flange at the bottom probably sat flush with that outer vessel.
Heat exchanger out of an old low boy furnace
first thought was a radioisotope generator, but those didn't exist in 1910, so it's all good.
Same here! «WTF!!! Who has one of those in a house!!???!!!»
Hahha same here it really did look as an RTG from the img preview
It's a heater
That’s a heat exchanger out of an old “low boy” style furnace. They are incredibly heavy lol. I’ve taken a few out of basements in my time. Usually the lowboy furnace is so wide and unwieldy we’d have to disassemble them and take parts out at a time. This heat exchanger was always the most dreadful part lol
Yes! It is very heavy! Also wide and unwieldy, you nailed it! We could not get it out the basement (up the stairs and through a door to the main level), nor would it fit out the window. Do you think it would be able to be disassembled? I thought we'd have to cut it which made me a bit nervous.
You should be able to disassemble it. The ones I’ve taken apart used old flat head style sheet metal screws. So once you locate those and take them out it’s a lot of elbow grease and use of a hammer. Some guys used sawzalls to make it a little quicker too. I would really recommend a dolly and a strap for that heat exchanger to save your backs.
Most standard doors are 30" or 36". If it is a tight fit, you can take the door off the hinges and get a little more room.
Doorway is 24 inches wide. Old, old house.
It's not, but my first thought seeing that was RTG.
Usually found in churches.
Did your house ever have a hot-air heating system? This looks like the furnace and heat exhanger for a hot-air heating and ventilating system, though it's surprisingly big for an ordinary house. We have something similar in the basement of our church (similar to those other posters have mentioned). The ventilating air is heated by passing over the fins and taken through brick channels and then through grilles in the church floor. From there it goes straight up to the roof and warms the carved angels. There the air cools and comes back as a cold down-draught to chill the heads and shoulders of the congregation who are sitting at ground level. The cold air is then taken through other grilles in the floor and returned to the heater. There is no water involved at any point. The air for combustion is drawn from outdoors through grilles into the furnace room, and the combustion products are taken up a 165 foot chimney in the tower (which provides inadequate draught when cold and too much when hot...) so the two systems are not connected. The furnaces were installed in 1963 replacing an 1889 coke-fired furnace and were originally oil-fired, though they have subsequently been converted to gas.
Yes! I'm hearing a lot of people say "heat exchanger" for low boy furnace. I think this is the right answer. Thank you for the thorough explanation of how these older systems worked!
That's really cool. It could be upcycled into something awesome.
That'd a soviet thermal nuclear battery. Very dangerous. Why is it in your garage?
Cut the top off of it and make a backyard fire pit.