Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1917-12-28


States has become so acute that the
coal administration is sending out ap-
peals almost daily for the conservation
Of every available pound Of fuel
Among other things, it has suggested
that the schools be closed during Jan
uary and February, these two months
to be made up by having sessions closed
month later in the spring and opened
month earlier in the fall. House
holders have been urged to do their bit
their homes from the usual 20 degrees
to GS, which medical experts assert is
moro conducive to good health.
1t is likely that the latter suggestion
will be entirely lost on majority Of
those who are charged with the care
of residence furnaces, unless their APP
paratus happens to be deliberately
equipped among other things with
thernostat. The average commuter
who fires his furnace will not be in
terested in the proposal to change the
temperature in his home by two degrees
if he only can get the temperature up
to normal and bank his fire before he
has to run to catch the 7.5j or the sac.
But what he can do is to save a ton or
so Of coal by properly regulating his
fire.
How he can do this is explained in
pamphlet recently issued by the bu-
reau of mines of the department of the
interior under the title of "SavinG
Fuel in Heating u House. Ii copy
of this pamphlet were put into the
hands of every one having the care
of a furnace, an immense saving of
coal would be the result. One man,
after careful study of these instruc-
tions, has found that he will be able
to reduce his coal consumption from ten
to eight tons with hot-water heating
system.
"Thc total output of coal in the
world during the calendar year 1918,
says the introduction to the instruc
tions, according to a government re-
port, was ,443 1898, 052 short tons, and
of this amount 800 per cent or So
04S, l2j tons, was mined in the United
States. Probably 10 to IS per cent of
the coal produced in the country went
to purchasers who used ID largely in
heating dwellings,. The federal govern
ment used u large quantity of coal Tor
heating the many small buildings oc-
cupied by its various departments and
bureaus, and is, therefore, directly in
terested not only in selecting proper
fuels but in obtaining the best possible
results from their consumption.
"The Importance of providing an in
let for the air that must enter the fur
nace room is frequently overlooked,
especially in small, tightly closed fur
mace rooms. Roughly, $50 to 300 cubic
feet of air are required for each pound
of coal burned, and, to prevent trouble
from in sufficient draft, some means of
admitting this air into the furnace
room must be provided.
"The suggestions following have to
do especially with preventing incom
plctc combustion aud the admission OF
a large excess of air into the furnace
and the minimizing of the attention
necessary to maintain the proper TEN
perature in the rooms heated.
"Whatevcr fuel may be selected
convenience will be promoted by hay
ing the heater large enough to maintain
for at least eight hours, without at
tention, proper room temperature undc'
any weather conditions, except III,
most severe. If heater will not d,
this, it is too small or the draft is in
sufficient. Satisfactory regulation o.
the fire will be facilitated by the prop
or equipment Of hampers, including ,
hand damper in the smokepipe, a chccl
dampcr, also in the smokeppe, and
damper, preferably n lift dampcr, il
the ashpit The ashpit damper an
ash door, rs well as the pit. itself
should he made so that the supply Q
air under the crates can be cntirel
cut of Icy closing the door and damper
otherwise proper control of the fir
will he difficult if not impossible. Thi
is a point often neglected, If bitumil
Gus coal is to be burned lift dampc
in the firing door is advisable.
"Whcthcr the fuel be hard or sol
COAL coke, or wood, the stack dampc
should be kept partly closed at a
times except in severe weather, unlrt
the conditions as to the size of th
boiler and draft are such that all aval
able draft is regularly needed In mos
cases, with the stack damper part
closed, the proper regulation can L
obtained by varying the positions {
the check damper and the ashpit DAM
cr. Tho fire door should not be use
to check the fire except in emergencic
for the reason that the cold air ADM
ted through the open door cools II
firepot at the same time that it checl
tho fire.
"Other suggestions that apply 4
gardlcss of the fuel used are: After
to the fire regularly; do not wait unit
it has burned low and heat is needle
throughout tho house. Often the ne
can be anticipated and by attention