Replies

1. 
   Pd5190 | Apr 23, 2005 09:04am | #1

   I have seen one similar that was described as a barn heater. To provide hot water in a out building such as a barn or stable.

2. 
   JohnT8 | Apr 25, 2005 09:06pm | #2

   Well, I've seen electric meters turned into lamps, but that is the first water heater lamp I've seen.

   hmm.. actually works pretty well, but I'm guessing its a heavy lamp.

    

   jt8

   Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits. -- Mark Twain

1. 
   basswood | Apr 26, 2005 05:55am | #3

   Yep. It's heavy...a "heavy light" get it...a heavy light. Ha Ha!At least the center of gravity is low. It does not tip easily...and as heavy as it is, that is a good thing. <g>

   Edited 4/26/2005 8:19 am ET by basswood

1. 
   Bluegillman | Apr 26, 2005 06:14am | #4

   My wife was looking over my shoulders and asked me " what is that?" " How did they heat it?" That is my question too and where did you find that?

1. 
   basswood | Apr 26, 2005 03:32pm | #5

   Natural gas. Here is a close up of the burner and coils.I found it in an architectural salvage yard in Denver, about twelve years ago,

1. 
   JohnT8 | Apr 26, 2005 08:12pm | #7

   Hmm... you might need two of them.

   And can we convert the former water heater section into an electric resistance heater?  I see $$ in this... if you can pick up a bunch of the heaters cheap somewhere ;)jt8

   Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits. -- Mark Twain

2. 
   basswood | Apr 27, 2005 02:59am | #10

   I can't imagine a bunch of these things anywhere, but I do have a friend who plans to copy the design to make a water heater for an outdoor shower. He will build his with some flexible copper, a gas burner, and some sheet metal.

3. 
   UncleDunc | Apr 27, 2005 02:54am | #9

   I used to live in a house that used two of those for heat. No pumps, just convection.

4. 
   Isamemon | Apr 27, 2005 06:17am | #11

   thats really nice

   wonder if ther are anymore of those laying around somplace

   reminds me of the stuff we used to make on boy scout camping trips

   a coil of copper into the fire feeding back to a drum

   is Lion coils the real name

    

   love that old stuff

   really cool, I mean hot

5. 
   basswood | Apr 28, 2005 01:04am | #14

   Cast in the door, in raised lettering the heater reads: LioN
   WATER HEATER
   No. 1 Lion E-11
   Pittsburg
   Water Heater Co.Pat Oct 7, 1907

3. 
   CaroleG4 | Apr 26, 2005 05:59pm | #6

   Cool!

   My husband turned an old street light into a floor lamp.....It's a real conversation piece.....

1. 
   basswood | Apr 27, 2005 02:54am | #8

   People can't believe it when I tell them I turned a hot water heater into a lamp.They have visions of a big white 40 gallon drum with a lampshade...so my lamp does start a few conversations.

4. 
   reinvent | Apr 27, 2005 08:59am | #12

   Thats pretty cool. You should post it at http://www.heatinghelp.com too. The wetheads over there would get a kick out of it.

5. 
   BruceT999 | Apr 27, 2005 09:37am | #13

   What you have there is what was called a "side-arm water heater".  Yours looks just like the one we had in our cabin at Lake Tahoe. 

   It would usually have been installed in the kitchen, mounted next to a 20 gallon galvanized storage tank.  It was piped in a loop with the bottom and top of the tank so that by convection the tank filled with hot water.  The gas burner was lit by a match and you had to periodically feel the side of the tank to know when the water was hot enough.  Primitive, maybe, but a big improvement over filling a washtub with hot water from the stove.

   BruceT

    

1. 
   basswood | Apr 28, 2005 05:13am | #15

   Side-arm water heater...interesting, I had not heard that.Thank you for the info.