The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1914-02-27
RUPERT
ELECTRIC
HEATERS

of the only school building IN the
world heated entirely by electricity
and ventilated by electricity with no
other provision to alternate with IT,
Editor Dewitt gives a detail descrlp-
tion of it, from which we copy as
follows:
Electricity has for some time been
used in this section for heating pur-
poses and Rupert has the reputation
of having more buildings heated by
that means than any other city IN the
world regardless of size, but this IS
the first time it has been used exclu-
siyely in a building the size OF our
school. At first thought one gets the
idea that such a plant must neces-
sarily be a very complicated and in
tricate affair, but this is noe' the
case.
Use is made of the usual system
of hot air pipes flues, plenpm cham
Der and fan, but the steam coils or
coal furnace usually employed for
heating the air to be driven into the
various rooms is replaced by a
battery of electric heat units similar
to the units used in electric baking
ovens. The fan which has capa-
city Of 10000 cubic feet Of air per
minute, draws fresh air from outside
the building through the heat units
and forces it through the building.
As it passes from the fan on its way
through the building it goes into ana
through room, the floor of which
is a tank filled with water In this
room it gathers moisture and is not
dry like the air coming from hot
air furnace. All of the air in the
building is changed every fifteen
minutes, and it is because of this
ventilating system that such large
heaters are required. A damper mas
been provided which will permit OF
mixing a little warm air from the IN
side of the building with the cold
air from the outdoors when the
weather gets extremely cold. How
ever. the plant is sufficient in capa-
city to supply fresh air with out any
mixture when the thermometer
stands as low as zero. At night the
building is kept warm without the
fan by switching the heaters onto
low voltage SO that they use about
1000 kilowats and opening the doors
from each room into the halls, then
by cutting off the fresh air the heat
circulates through the building ana
keeps all the rooms warm during the
night. In the morning a, little while
before the school time the fan Is
started and the fresh air forced
through the building. Up to the
present time less than three-quarters
of the heating equipment provided
has been needed. Twenty Is X. W.
units are installed in pairs, each with
a separate control of the current
from a swith board in the principals
office. Thus the principal can regu-
late the amount of current used,
from nothing to $50 X. w., in steps
of 9 X. w., or any multiple thereof.
An emergency switch in the princi-
pals office may also be used to cut
out all current from the entire build
ing-heat, light and power, etc. All
flues are provided with the usual
complement of hampers for turning
heat into or from any room or rooms
in the building. An electric motor
10 horse power-drives the fan and
also supplies all the power needed
for driving the lathes and saws in
the manual training department. An
electric water heater supplies the hot
water for the domestic science de-
partment for the shower baths, and
for various lavatories throughout the
building and for the science rooms.
In the domestic science department
each girl of a class Of twenty has
her individual electric disc stove and
all necessary cooking utensils made
to fit the disc stove perfectly. This
room will also have an electric range
and other electric equipment for SER
wing cafeteria lunches on a large
scale.
In the science laboratories the
hood is provided with electric hot
plates for evaporation purposes and
arrangement are being perfected for
providing each pupil of class on
the labortory with an electric appli-
ance to take the place of the Bunsen
burners.
The building is supplied with a
fine system Of electric lights through
out, the auditorium ana stage hav-
ing lights and switch board control
equal to those of the best theaters.
I'M, - Jiobfin0 &c xuo11 nc much 0f fhn