New-York tribune., 1917-01-10
MOIST AIR TO SAVE COAL
Sufficient Humidity Atanable Reasonable Cost an investigator
Decsres-IIow . Practical Experiment Can Be Made

I nerature OF A degrees Fahrenheit, with
relative humidity of 70 per cent for the out
side air, the amount Of water necessary 70
he evsporated 10 make up the deficiency IN
moisture, instead Of being 1.2l pounds (witn
the outside air at 30 degrees, or l76 pounds
with the outside air at zero), would be ou'
O.s3 pounds, which would use about soo
British thermal units, showing saving oil
497 British thermal units. That is TO say,
contrasting the $3.50 British thermal units
with Mr.. Kent's figure Of 1877, the saving
would amount to about two-ffths as between
supplying moisture and increasing the neat
The total units necessary to bring the tenn
perature up from "a TO 62 degrees added 70
the figures necessary to moisten it, would
show a saving Of coal amounting on tne
average to about one-sixth Of that required
without moistening the air.
Ny statement that a substantial saving
could be made is borne out by pamphlet
setting forth the proceedings Of the conyen-
ton Of Weather Bureau officials, which was
held at Omaha in 1898, and which contained
paper on this subject by William Wilson,
which stated that Saving of at least l212
per cent could be made in the total cost OF
heating"
My house is under medium size. My ex-
perience has been that prior TO 1907 | reg
ularly purchased twelve tons of furnace coal.
I then arranged for moisture in the air and
my furnace coal purchases, beginning with
1907. ran as follows: Eight, eight, nine, nine,
nine, seven, six, six eight and seven tons.
The reduced amount Of coal used by me
in the later years is partly due to the TACT
that within the last six years have used
one-h half ton OF pea coal for partially bank
ing the fire when the weather became warm
which has resulted in further saving. Ihis
pea coal is included in the above figures, be-
ing bought one ton at time in alternate
years.
In addition to the above I have used In
the furnace in different years an aggregate
of perhaps four tons Of range coal.
In view Of the fact that Mr.. Kent has not
apparently given the matter personal test'
he can hardly speak with as much authority
as those who have.
That Mr.. Kent is mistaken in bis conclu-
sions as to the ability TO save coal is also
well illustrated In the fact that when moist
ure is in the air in proper quantities 1t is
never necessary to use the furnace at its full
capacity, and therefore it IS far more easily
regulated
do not KNOW LldL II Is hcNcoooAy w DNy
ANYTHING further with regard TO the physical
end psychological effects. For myself ! am
satisfied with maintaining in my house some
thing closely approaching 10 the temperature
of May and June. II Mr.. Kent prefers
temperature with only "a per cent Of moist
ure in it, considerably dryer than the ell
mate of Denver, where the mean annual rela-
tive humidity is 48 7-10 per cent, there can
be no objection to his enjoying it.
May be permitted to suggest 70 any one
desiring to make experiment that he can
determine whether there is proper amount
of moisture in the air by means of vet
and a dry bulb thermometer. The difference
between the readings Of the two should be
about 3 degrees, not less than degrees nor
more than 10 degrees. These thermometers
can be purchased or can be improvised by
purchasing two inexpensive thermometers
which register alike, clearing away the guard
Of the bulb from one Of them and fastening
about the bulb small piece Of linen to dip
into a vial Of water. The evaporation from
the wet cloth causes diminished reading on
the scale
trust that some other reader who may
have had practical experience in moistening
the air In his home or Office will find 1t con-
venient 10 give his own experience in the
matter. CHARLES E. MANIERRE.
New York, Jan. 2, 1917.