The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-12-04
Save COAL BILLS


problem which reaches INTO nearly /
every home in the United States and
touches the pocketbooks OF several
million householders is discussed Sc
riously in a report issued by the bu-
reau of mines, department OF the in
terror, In which the experts of the
bureau tell the public in detail just
how, in heating their houses this
coming winter, they may save in
their coal bills.
The report, issued at time when
the cooler weather is upon the coun-
try and people are laying in their
winter 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. AS the
report was issued solely for the ben
eft of householders, copies may be
obtained by anyone who addresses
the United States bureau of mines.
The tests referred to were made in
ten-room house in New Haven,
Conn, which was comfortably heated
at a cost OF $48 for the fall and win
ter, saving over other houses of the
same size In the same locality of from
$50 to 500
According to Van H. Manning, di-
rector OF the bureau of mines, sim
| liar results can be attained in hun
dreds of thousands of houses
throughout the country with conse-
quent saving of millions OF dollars.
The report shows not only 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 doubt
less had considerable TO do with the
results obtained The cost of heating
Is probably $50 to 800 less than
what is expended by large number
of householders who live in the same
locality, and have about the same
heating requirements, but use more
expensive coal and give their heat
ing equipment less attention.
The value householder gets from
the fuel he buk<3s depends largely on
the character OF the heating appara-
tus, the conditions under which it is
installed, 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 EN-
ployed by many who attend to such
apparatus, keenly appreciate the inn.
portance 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 heating apparatus may
prove of some value to many who are
interested in burning fuel in the
most economical manner.
The authors are l.. p. Brecken
ridge, consulting engineer of the bu
reau of mines and professor of me.
chanical engineering, Sheffield Scien
tific school, Yale university, and s
b. Flagg, mechanical engineer of th'
bureau of mines.
: Among other things. the repor
states: Many furnaces and boilers
are operated in haphazard way
drafts are opened or coal lis put OIL
when the house becomes cool. thel
} the fire is allowed to burn rapid.
until either the rooms are too warn
or the fuel bed is burned down too
! far to kindle properly new charg'
of coal.
: such firing is always wasteful
The heater should receive regular at
tention, and IL the demands for hea
: are intelligently anticipated, as the.
ordinarily can be, the house can b'
, warmed with minimum trouble an'
fuel. When the rooms become to-
: warm the fire should be checked b,
stopping the admission of air unde
the crate and decreasing the draft b.
opening the check damper.' II, a
often Is done, the ashpit damper o
the ash pit door be allowed to remail
open and the draft reduced by open
ing the fire door. the combustion
the fuel continues, although at
slower rate, but the cold air entering
the fire door chills the heater so tha
little heat is realized from the coal
. ITO burn a pound of coal require
very much more than a pound OF ali
and the volume of pound OF air a
atmospheric pressure is far create
than that of a pound of coal. T.
burn more coal requires more air an
: this air must be forced into the as
pit and up through the fuel bed b
the difference between the pressur
of the hot air and gases over the fir
: pot and that of the air entering tn
: ash pit--in other words, by tn
draft.