The theocrat. [volume] (Zion City [i.e. Zion], Ill.) 1914-1949, 1918-09-28
Forcing" the Furnace Wasteful


Forcing" the Furnace Wasteful
"This is no time, however, to cry over that
spilled milk. The stubborn fact is that most
house furnaces are too small to heat the house
comfortably in zero weather. Therefore, since
we desire to be warm, the furnace must be
forced or we must get the same effect by humid
1tylng the air. | advise the latter as being
cheaper.
1T is when the furnace is being forced that
the waste of coal occurs This is so for three
reasons: ,s
First, when the weather turns cold, the
chances are that the velocity of the wind will in
crease also: Therefore, the radiation of heat
through the walls and windows of the house be-
comes much faster than under normal condi-
TONS That calls for an increased amount of
heat inside the house and the average man is in
cned to be extravagant with coal to avoid dis
comfort
Second, when the weather is cold and when
the wind blows strongly the draft through the
ire is tor both reasons stronger. This, without
any change of the hampers, would mean that the
fire would burn faster. Few men realize this
fact. So they open the hampers and give the
cold wind double chance at the fire. The dan
ger is that the heat generated by this free burn
ing of coal will pass directly up the chimney with
liIC VI III the furnace to
do its work A
"In hot water plants the demand for more heat
in the house compes the furnace to pump the
water faster through the pipes. If those pipes
are SMALL the furnace must act as force pump,
a junction 1t was never intended to fulfill
so the danger is that most of the heat gener-
ated by burning coal will never be felt in the
house, but will pass off up the chimney and be
wasted.
Third: The tendency of the average house
holder is to force too much air through the fur
mace. He goes on the theory that the stronger
the draft the hotter the fire. Therefore, he
opens, it may be, the ash pit door wide and allows
the air to rush in He says that. then, he will
get enough air through the coal pile to make
good hot fire. AS matter of fact, it is easily
possible to force so much air through that it will
actually cool down the fire. Too much air through
furnace is far worse than not enough Too
much air wastes coal and dissipates heat Not
enough air saves coal but does not produce the
desired heat. Half way between, of course, is
the right idea
How to Get Results From Heating Plant
4 have worked this abstruse subject over and
over again in my mind until [ have reduced it to
what | believe is such simple method of fur
mace operation that anyone can understand what
Inean ana can ger the same results that l have
The following is my method:
There are three points in any furnace through
which the fire can easily be seen-through the
ash-pit door; through the small clnker door
which is Immediately above the ash-pit door and
through the larger or feed door in the front CEN
ter of the furnace.
L never allow the fire to show red through
the CRATE into the ash pit. mean that never
shake the ashes down until the red Goals are rest
ing directly on the CRATE.
b Il always want to see, through the clinker door,
thin layer of coal-three or four inches thick
burning at white heat. But always want to
see above it layer of coal burning more SLOWLY
than at white heat.
Through the feed door, I want, generally.
to see only black coal. At best l want only to
see coal burning at dull or very dark red heat
"To get these three results simultaneously, I
slow down the draft until that end is reached
Then [ know that the coal is being burned eff
GENTLY and that my precious coal is not being
wasted.
IF, when the fire is burning that way, the
house is not warm enough, do one of three
things:
First, | tighten up the house by stopping
air leaks or by putting on storm windows and
weather strips 4s
Second, | humidity the air, in the ways sug-
gested
Third, if these methods are not sufficient,
install another heater
Installing second heater gives far better re-