Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-12-19
Eurinu Timer 3rpuhIa Ehun qrrmhrr IT, 1901

time, and burn a large amount of fuel
to keep the house warm, and insist that
there must be something wrong with
the heating system, when II they would
just open their eyes and look for the
cause of so much cold getting into the
house, and remedy it, their furnace
would be one of the best In the town.
This class of customers are very
much in the minority, however, as GUT
ing the past cold snap, notwithstanding
the fact that we have in our ONCE poth
telephones. and have installed In thls
town about 200 of the Lennox furnaces.
we have had but two calls for more
heat, and it seems strange to me that
these 200 families would put up with
what you term in your editorial An eN-
trayagant dirty and all around nul-
sance" without a murmur. l certainly
think there must be some mistake
about this system of heating by fur
naces being an all around nuisance.
don't think Marshalltown people are cut
out that way. / certainly believe that
we would hear from some OF them, IL
their experience was similar TO what
you would have your readers think that
all hot air furnaces are.
You give it as your opinion that not
water and steam plants are much bet
ter than stoves and furnaces. 1t so
happened however, that the writer had
occasion during the past three days to
have some dental work Done in an office
where hot water was used for heat (and
man certainly would do his best In
rival the dentist offered an apology
for the uncomfortable condition OF the
room, and stated that 1t was much pet
ter than it had been during the tore
noon, and suggested that l wear my
overcoat while l sat in the chair ana
had my work done. and j did SO, ana
was very glad when l could get out OF
there, as the room was very uncom-
forably cold, even with my overcoat on.
Thus you see the grief does not all
come from those who use the hot air
furnaces In fact this same dentist told
of what a comfortable winter he spent
last winter in house heated with
hot air furnace. You also refer In your
article to the expense of running FUR
mace. In this there is great variation,
owing largely to the management OF the
| furnace and construction or the build
ing / myself have lived over a Len
| nox furnace for the past tour years and
| heated on an average about seven
rooms of ordinary size, and seldom ever
allowed the temperature in these rooms
| to go below so degrees even at night
| and have never in one season paid out
| for fuel for the furnace, more than $40
Last winter experimental little AND
| my fuel bill for my furnace was $3.50
| from the first day OF November until
| the fire was not needed at all in the
| spring,
| At the present time nave a nine
room house, seven OF which we heat all
| the time, and the cost of fuel OF run
ming the furnace since cne week age
Saturday has been at the rate of about
$3.50 per week and so far as getting uE
| in the night to look after my furnace,
never had to do that, and l might ado
right here. that If you desire to print
them, I can send you the names OF ION
reputable people in this city who have
had experiences with hot air furnaces
| similar to the above.
! Please note the following rule whicf
may be of use to some Of your read
ers:
II hot water heat is used. ana The
required amount Of radiating surface
i for a given amount of space and expo,
sure is placed In room, and suftfcien
boiler capacity is uesd to heat this rad
! iation. or If hot air furnace Is used
| and good volume of heat is shown witt
1 a good fire, and good circulation of all
is obtained. and the room is not prop
/ erly heated. that they Will do well e
! look for the cause of the unusua
/ amount of cold air that may be getting
/ into the room, which cools 1t off rapid.
1 as soon as the full pressure and flow o.
heat ceases.
To satisfy some people, it would b.
necessary for this genius that you asl
for. to furnish a device that all tina
! would be necessary would be to rres.
the button, and the desired results
4 would be instantaneously obtained
Yours truly,
4 w. j. HEALD.
TThe above was written by furnace
man, hence his point of view, but thu
eentleman misunderstood the remarks
of the editor. No fault was being fount
with hot air heating systems as com
4 pared to others known to the people o
today, altho it was admitted that no
water and steam plants were considert
superior but much more expensive. Tn
complaint of the editor was that mod
err science had failed to do for TIL
methods of common household servic,
what the Edisons, the Marconis ant
other geniuses are doing for commercial
mechanics There was once a tim,
i when houses were Illuminated with can
dies, we now press button and hav,
our electric lights and in few year
more the pressing OF the button Will
spread glow of perfect sunlight owe
the room from Invisible electric light
4 concealed within the wall. The edito
| along with hundreds of Marshalltowl
| people uses the Lennox furnace and n,
| fault is found with that furnace, al
furnaces go it 10 an excellent heater
but it burns coal and coal IL "extrava
4 giant, dirty and nuisance" The Len
nox company would put in hot waite
heater IL the editor wanted 1t, but wha
was intended was to kindle the fire o
genius in some man to invent metho,
of heating as comparatively economical
as clean, as simple ana as satisfactor
as pressing the button for electric light