The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-05-15
Pure Air For Houses.
Ventilation seems an easy matter,
et it is in fact one of the most difficults

FcuLIllGlOu SeouS an eaSy HldJCef,
yet it is in fact one of the most difficults
problems with which those who are en-
gagged in designing and erecting build
ings have to deal. If the extern al tenn
perature were always below that of the
house itself the task would be greatly
simplified, but in summer the external
temperature is the higher, SO that an
opening arranged to serve as an outlet,
becomes an inlet. An ordinary house,
is principally ventilated by means Of
its doors and windows; that is to say,
it is by these channels that any change
of air further than that which takes
place through the walls of the house
itself is carried on. It is seldom that
ventilation by these ordinary means
hits the mean of comfort Open doors
and windows in midwinter are popular
ly supposed to be productive of other
things besides ventilation. He who has
sat in the draught from an open win7
dow and has Immediately afterward suf-
fered from sore throat will scarcely be.
lieve that the draught was not tho
cause. In the height of summer, ON
the other hand, open doors and win
dows fail to put heated air in motion.
Thus various artificial systems of ven!
tilation have been adopted with vary
ing success. Heating and ventilating
should be treated as two distinct sys-
TENS, both of which are necessary, but
the attempt is often made to make the
first accomplish the second-or no pro-
vision is made for the second-the
warm air is sent in and the foul air is
allowed to escape as best it can. The
worst of any artificial system of venti-
lation in a house is that it is sure to
conflict, more or less, with what may
be called the natural mode of ventila-
ton by doors and windows. The opens
ing of these ordinary outlets and inlets
will change the direction of the air
currents. The occupants of q house
must, therefore, never expect any
scheme of ventilation to run itself with-
out attention on their part.
The only theoretically correct system
of ventilation is that which is employed
in mines. Here there is no ventilation
save an artificial one. The fresh air is
forced downward by fan, and is
directed along definite channels by
bulkheads. The current is compell-
ed 10 take its course through all the
workings of the mine, and finally to-
pass out through the up-cast shaft.
This system, theoretically perfect, fails
in practice because deleterious gas
es are disengaged from the mater
ials which are mined. In the case of
coal, these gases are often generated in
quantities so large that the fresh air
supplied is insufficient to support life,
or an explosion occurs. A writer on
ventilation once seriously undertook to
prove that this system was the only
correct one to use in q house. The air
must be forced through the house as
through the workings of q mine; every
external opening must be kept closed,
and internal doors that lead from a
room where the draught is in one di-
rection to another where it is reversed
must be closed the instant a person
passes through them. There is no
doubt that so long as the
stream of air remained pure in quail
ity and sufficient in quantity a house
would by this means be efficiently ven-,
tilated. But the success of this sys-
tenn would be no compensation for the
loss of windows and doors that could
be opened al. pleasure, and for the abb
sence of freedom to pass and repass in
any direction at will. -5 .' 1'22h'7tH
The simplest mode of changing theb
air, that by doors and windows, can be.
rendered much more efficient than it,
is. Movable transom-lights over the.
doors are a great assistance. They
should never be omitted from the bed
rooms, since they allow an exchange Of
air without admitting the chilly breath
of the early morn. A good method of.
obtaining fresh air in q room unprovid-.
ed with a ventilating flue, and when
the outside temperature is too low to-
admit of opening the windows fully, isl
to raise the lower sash a few inches,
and to stop the lower aperature with a.
board made to fit. The outside air,
warmed by contact with the warmer
air of the room will flow between the
sashes and rise toward the ceiling. A
fireplace is an efficient ventilator. The
draught is usually upward, even when
there is no fire, and is always so when
fire is burning. A valve near the
ceiling opening into the fiue gives q
simple means of getting rid of the hot
foul air of the upper part of room.
Such device as this, useful though it !
is when there is no system of heating ,
except by open fires, cannot be used
when hot air is supplied by flues, or
when steam heat is employed, as in ?
either of these cases the warm fresh ,
air will at once escape by the valve. !,
So long as fire is kept burning in an
open fireplace there is little cause for
fear of want of ventilation; and no
house can be considered to be perfect
ly ventilated unless well provided with
fireplaces. A pivoted sash or small
easement, fitted into the upper part of
large window, can often be opened
without discomfort when the window
itself cannot. Advantage should be
taken of the absence of the inmates to
thoroughly change the air in a room.
A room kept locked up and with closed
windows is not in fit condition to re-
ceive its tenant unless fire is burning
or ventilating flue exists. Simple
methods like these will, when the
rooms are of tolerable size, keep the
sewerage in good order and the inhab-
itants not too numerous, fulfill the con-.
ditions necessary to health; but where
ever furnace or steam heat is used. and
in all public buildings, regular system
of ventilation is demanded .-PhilatleI-
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