The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1916-01-13
HOW TO SAVE ON
YOUR COAL BILLS
Bureau Of Mines Issues Re-
port Pointing Out Methods.
.RESULTSOF PRACTICAL TEST

Sixty-seven Per Cent Can Often b
Saved by SkilifuI Use of Fuel-Few
Simple Rules Arc Laid Down by Elk
pert Engineers-Haphazard Handling
of Furnace Expensive.
A problem which reaches into nearly
every home In the United States and
| touches the pocketbooks of several
million householders is discussed seri-
| ously In a 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 at 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.
hC tSoS ACiCiiCo " 40 llduc III a
ten room house In New Haven. Conn.,,
which was comfortably heated at cost
of $4S for the fall and winter. saving
over other houses of the same size in
the same locality of from $50 to 500.
According to Van II. Manning. direc-
tor of the bureau of mines. similar re-
suits can be attained in hundreds of
thnnc0nhS of hnncas.
country with consequent saving of
millions of dollars.
Shows Low Cost of Heating.
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 a large number of house
holders who live in the same locality |
and have about the same heating re-
but use more expensive |
coal and give their heating equipment |
less attention.
"The value a householder gets from
the fuel he burns depends largely on
the character Of the heating apparatus,
the conditions under which it 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.
proper firing methods. and they have
written this report in the belief that
ome general remarks on the selection.
are and operation of residence heat
ng apparatus may prove of some
'alue to many"
The authors are L. p. Breckenridge,
onsulting engineer of the bureau OF
mines and professor of mechanical en-
ineering of Sheffield Scientific school.
,ale university. and S. B. Flagg, me-
hanical engineer of the bureau of
lines.
Operated In Haphazard Manner. :
Among other things the report |
tates: MANY furnaces and boilers are
perated in a haphazard way; drafts
re opened or coal is put on when the
ouse becomes co.,: then the fire is
lowed to burn rapidly until either
lie rooms are too warm OF the fuel bed
burned down too far to kindle prop
'ly a new charge of coal.
"Such firing is always wasteful The r
eater should receive regular attention,
I'D If the demands for heat are intelli-
entity anticipated, as they ordinarily
IN be. the house can be warmed with
inimum trouble and fuel When the
oms become too warm the fire should
, checked by stopping the admission
air under the CRATE and decreasing
e draft by opening the check damp
. IT, as often is done. the ash pit
Imper or the ash pit door be allowed
remain open and the draft reduced
opening the fire door the combustion
the fuel continues, although at
over rate, but the cold air entering
e fire door chills the heater so that =
tie heat is realized from the coal
TO burn a pound of coal requires O.
ny much more than pound of air, 8
d the volume of pound of air at q
pressure is far greater a
m that of a pound of coal To burn
IRE coal requires more air. and this
must be forced into the ash pit and
through the fuel bed by the differ -
&c between the pressure of the hot d
and gases over the fire pot and that
the air entering the ash pit-in other
rds, by the draft"