Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-12-26

cite. Should it's use as fuel for
hcating residences become general.
however, il Is hard TO forecast what
the price would become.
Coke Is Future House Fuel.
TO burn coke I'm Il heating furnace.
you should have good deep fircboA.
AT, least eighteen inches. and prefer
ably twcnIy-four. Anyone installing II
furnace ut this time would do we'll TO
make sure that it is suited u the burn
ing OF coke. for all signs Indicate that
coke is the house fuel Of the future.
With regard to fuels, mention should
be made or the coal-powdcrs that have
been put upon the market in the last
rev years. These are chemical prep
arations, which usually sell at from
~ To 40 cents "a pound. and for which
IL is usually claimed that they will
make one ton Of coal do tho work Of
two. Frequently. in very cold weather.
these preparations arc extensively dis
played and advertised, and many per-
sons buy them.
The Bureau of Mines has TO say con-
corning these preparations that 1t has
tested a number OF them: has never
found one that had the slightest value:
and that its experts refuse to test any
more uf them because they do not he
lievc in the possibility Of making e
preparation which will substantially
increase the fuel value OF coal at !,
less cost than the coal itself. \ test
sold in Washington last winter for
40 cents a pound vas made "A, the re-
quest or Secretary Of tho Interior Lane
with the result that coal treated with
tho preparation found to have
slightly less fuel value than untreated
coal.
Keep Fire Nearly Uniform.
With regard To the most economical
method OF firing coal. 1t Is Impossible.
here 10 give :, full discussion. but
IA. at Inc.
perta may be summarized In The
iirs, place. keep Your fire a. near uni
form as possible. The usual practice
is To let the fire burn too high. then
open tho door OF the nreboN TO cool
II OF. This is sheer waste OF fuel
The fire goes or burning. but little
Of the heat reaches tho radiator.
Checking the admission Of air under
the hrcboS. and by means OF check
damrer on the chimney are the only
correct ways To control The IRE
II Your furnace seems 10 have :,
poor drauSht. keep the coal bed thin
ner by firing more frequently. and use
larger size OF coal II the drauyh,
.ehus |" Dc 70" strong. you can afford
10 use "a smaller Kind Of coal
Remember that Your furuuc. re-
Gu!r"s from $50 10 900 cubic feet Of air
!oi each pound of coal burned. and tina.
there must be some reliable suppiy ~,
air 10 IN" furnace room ~ tho full
'uci NhIh- ui the coal ~ TO 10 Called
Though icakag. through dpors and
windows viii usually supply tho no
c"ssaiy air in small tiLhtly-clos.d f,r.
nacc-rooms. this factor Is frcuucrtl,
overlooked.
Use the most unhorm size @, coal
that you can get. kcer Il uniform
nic, not heating up and then allowing
II to die down. Keep til. fuel bed
free OF air holes. Shake tho CRATES ~
little as possible. and stop as soon
~ hot coal begins to come through
Lots OF good coal departs with the
ashman.
When you want more heat quickly.
put in coal !rcquently and littlc at q,
time. aud keep the tirebcd OF "A uniform
thickness. Large quantities OF coal
shovelcd in "a, one time chills the ire.
box 80 that little heat is pu, in cir
culaton They also reduce tn" draft.
AMI prevent Guick firing.
In mild weather do not shake the
CRATES much. Leave bod OF ashes
under the burning fuel TO break the
draft and keep the FIRE low.
Keep tn" hucs swept clean. If they
are dirty they 10 no, absorb heat and
hence ii does not reach the radiators.
SCOT. especially will keep the nucs
from describing the neat. and they
should bc kept free OF II,
These suggestions viii be nothing
new TO tho really shillful furnace man,
but they Will give many Il househo ldc"
= nov conception Of that early morn
inE Job known as fixing the furnace"
Tho main consideration is 10 rcncm-
bcr that in fuel a. with regard 10 all
the other necessities OF life. iutcl.
liGont selection and use are the really
effective means OF economy.