New Ulm review., 1913-03-19
Farm Water Heating
System.
~ JUNiATA L. sHEPPERD,
Domestic Science, University
Farm, st. Paul.

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A waterback or front in the stove
or range is the usual means Of heat
Ing the water in a farmhouse system,
or q water coil can be substituted
and when properly installed will do
good work. The waterfront is pre-
ferred in cook stove because there
It does not affect the oven. A heater,
however, shows no signs of injury
after such. installment, provided the
coil is properly placed and the cast
ing not broken in drilling holes nee
essarily made for the pipes which
must be connected with the range
boiler. A range boiler is necessary
part of such an apparatus, and the
ends of the water coils in the stove
must protrude so that they can be
connected with the range boiler, as
the water storage tank is called.
Range boilers are made of steel, are
galvanized inside and out to prevent
rust. and vary in size from twenty
gallons In capacity to 200 gallons.
The size most commonly installed Is
about thirty gallons, when intended
for family use. The pipe which con-
veys water from the attic tank to the
range boiler, if of iron, should be gal
vanized in the same manner as the
tank, and for the same reasons. The
cost of installation is about all that
need be considered in case soft water
is used, because when properly cared
for such system deteriorates very
slowly. When hard water is used.
plumbers bills are usually frequent,
because hard water always forms in
crustations or scales, or both, and
these must be removed to secure
good service and prevent accidents,
for the pipes become filled and the
waterback or coil is liable to burst II
cleaning is delayed too long. Soft
water gives no such trouble, and no
one need fear to install system Of
this kind, because of stories he has
heard regarding disasters. The city
housewife carries greater responsible
ity, because the supply comes from the
city main and the safety devices are
different and more liable to need at
tention than with an attic tank. When
an attic tank system is properly in
stalled there is practically no danger
except from incrustations and freez-
ing, and the use of soft water reduces
it to one-freezing. When pipes are
frozen, a fire should never be made
before thawing them, whether they
be the ones leading into the stove or
the tank. There is no room for de-
tails, but the waterback will burst if
heat is applied when pipes are
stopped; hence, thaw before building
fire.
Precautions necessary are to have
pipes well covered with insulating
material, and avoid having the fire go
out in cold weather. In case the
house is left for few days in winter
the water should be shut off from the
attic tank to the range boiler, and the
boiler and waterback or coil drained.
The water must never be shut off
from the boiler when the fire is burn
ing and there is water in the heating
coil or waterback, but water must al
ways be connected from the water
back or coil to the attic tank.
For full information on installation
and care of water heating apparatus,
see "Hot Water for Domestic Uses"
by John X. Allen; and Household
by E. S. Keene. Both
should be in all libraries accessible
TO farmers. ..
MESSAGE TO RAll ROAD MEN,