The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-10-12

Simple Rules Are Laid Down by Ex.
pert Engineers--Haphazard Handling
of Furnace Expensive.
A problem which reaches into nearly
every home I'm the United States and
touches the pocketbooks Of several
million householders is discussed seri-
ously in report issued the other day
by the bureau Of mines, department of
the interior. Experts tell the public
in detail just how In heating their
houses this winter they may save in
their coal bills
The report, issued ut time when
the cooler weather Is upon the country
and people are laying In their supply
Of coal, intimates that large savings
can be made in nearly every home
and gives specific figures of the results
obtained in one home in which every
effort was made to consume the coal
properly.
The test referred to was made in a
ten room house in New Haven Conn.
which was comfortably heated at cost
Of $48 for the fall and winter. a saving
over other houses of the same size in
the same locality Of from $50 to $780,
According to Van ii. Manning, direc-
tor of the bureau Of mines, similar re-
suits can be attained In hundreds of
thousands Of houses throughout the
country with a consequent saving Of
millions of dollars.
Shows Low Cost Of Heating.
1.-THE report shows not only a low
cost of heating" said Mr.. Manning,
"but also an economical use of fuel
and illustrates what savings may be
effected when the problem is given
proper consideration. Systematic and
regular handling of the fire doubtless
had considerable to do with the results
obtained. The cost of heating is prob
ably $50 to 500 less than what is ex-
pended by large number OF house.
holders who live in the same locality
and have about the same heating re-
quirements, but use more expensive
coal and give their heating equipment
less attention.
1.-THE value householder gets from
the fuel he burns depends largely on
the character of the heating apparatus
the conditions under which 1t is in
stalled and the manner in which the
fire is handled. The authors OF this
report, from their experience In firing
residence heating apparatus and from
observing the methods employed by
many who attend to such apparatus
keenly appreciate the Importance of
proper firing methods. and they have
written this report in the belief that
some general remarks on the selection.
care and operation Of residence heat
Ing apparatus may prove of some
value to many"
The authors are L. p. Breckenridge.
consulting engineer of the bureau of
mines and professor of mechanical en-
gineerlng Of Sheffield Scientific school.
Yale university, and s. b. Flagg. me-
chanical engineer of the bureau Of
mines.
Operated In Haphazard Manner.
Among other things the report
states: "Many furnaces and boilers are
operated in haphazard way; drafts
are opened or coal is put on when the
house becomes coo.; then the fire IL
allowed to burn rapidly until either
the rooms are too warm or the fuel bed
is burned down too far to kindle prop.
erly new charge of coal
"Such firing IL always wasteful. The
heater should receive regular attention,
and II the demands for heat are intellI-
gently anticipated. as they ordinarily
can be, the house can be warmed with
minimum trouble md fuel. When the
rooms become too warm the fire should
be checked by stopping the admission
OF mir under the CRATE and decreasing
the draft by opening the check damp
er III, an often IL done. the ash pit
damper or the ash pit door be allowed
TO remain open ana the draft reduced
by opening the fire door the combustion
or the fuel continues, although at n
slower rate. but the cold air entering
the fire door chills the heater No that
little heat Is realized from the coal.
"fo burn pound OF coal requires
very much more than u pound OF nir.
and the volume OF IA pound of air at
atmospheric pressure IL far greater
than that OF n pound OF coal. To burn
more coal requires more air, and this
air must be forced into the ash pit and
/ up through the fuel bed by the differ.
ence between the pressure OF the hot
air and gases over the fire pot and that
OF the air entering the ash pit-in other