New-York tribune., 1916-05-28
Rv DE WITT Y. WEED. JR.. E. E.
Engineering Expert of The Tribune Institute.


% TO ONE wants to cook over coal range
" in hot weather. Fortunately, in this
electric age no housewife is really
Obliged 20 broil herself as well as her dinner.
Electricity. without heat dust ashes or
bother will do it all-provided she has the
proper appliances and knows how to manage
them.
TIE cost OF electrical cooking devices ranges
IRON $3.50 for toasters. hatirons, and such
small implements, to SIS for ohahng dishes,
portable ovens etc The cost Of operation
ranges from four to six cents per hour when
nc electric rate is ten cents per hlowad
hour. Electric washing and wringing ma
chimes may be purchased from $50 up and
they cost about two cents per hour to use
One may pay as little as SlS75 for an eth-
Gent electric suction cleaner or as high as
sl3O The cost of operation varies from one
20 four cents per hour.
Such common electrical appliances as the
toaster. chahng dish, peroolator, etc, require
little care in the cleaning. The natural ten
dencv is to immerse the whole article IN
water This must nCrcr be done. The water
coming in contact with the current plug con
ncction pins destroys the insulation and may
so affect the heating element Che resistance
wire that changes the electricity into heao
=. 10 cause short circuit" And also the
metallic exterior surface Of the device might
be electrified on the next using OF the article
and give the user a slight shock. In some
utensils the heating element may be removed
but in general it is necessary to wash out
the interior with care and not let any water
come in contact with the outside parts.
WHAT TO DO WITH A BLOWOUT
FUSE.
When II IS desired TO turn off the current
going TO an appliance. unless 1t is proVioeo
with its own special switch, the cord should
first be disconnected at the device itself or
at the lamp socket Never turn of by the
snap switch Of the lamp socket, as it may result
in blowing fuse and causing considerable
inconvenience, since the average housekeeper
or nan-about-the house is absolutely ignor-
ant as 20 how to replace fuse.
To do this first locate the fuse box, which
is usually placed near the meter. In the case
Of house of two or more stories, panel
or fuse box will be found on each floor. Cen
erally the fuses used in house installation
are OF the Edison universal screw SOCKET tyPC'
that screw into a socket in the same way
that an incandescent lamp bulb is affixed.
Having located the fuse box. the blown
fuse will be detected by the discoloration OF
the mica top or plaster. An examination OF
this fuse will show that it contained a short
strip OF wire Of certain diameter and current
carrying capacity and that, before it became
too hot and melted, it was attached to the
bottom and upper side of the fuse shell, there
by completing the electric circuit
\ The marking appearing on either the top
N or bottom of the fuse indicates the number
y Of amperes it will safely carry, and it is i'm
portant that when replacing, the new fuse
should bear the same or a lower number.
Should larger one be used it may happen
that an electric device consuming more cur
rent than the circuit can safely carry might
be operated upon it and the fuse not blow
Result-overheated wires, broken insulation
and a possible fire started in the woodwork
or walls.
The purpose of a fuse is to "blow'-or melt