Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-01-22

generally 0D6erNed Mhen 1t is being
improperly burned,
Fhe heating bower or thermal
ealue of soft coal Is about the same
very, little difference I'M the actual
number of heat units per pound of
average grade of either kind. The
average coal runs from $4,000 to
12,5e0 h, I, Us per bound,
The ratings OF capacities of most
heating beiiers, however, are based
Oh the use of hard coal for fuel. and
as hard zeal weighs approximately
so pounds per cubic foot and soft
coal about DO pounds per cubic foot,
it Is apparent that to obtain the same
heating bower with soft coal, IL will
either require, b boiler having fire
pct capacity about 20 per cent, great
ete--te allow for the greater bulk of
soft eoal-or Il pfoportionately
shorter firing period tt Is for this
reason, that se-ealled "hard coal
boilers" demand more frequent fuel
Ing. when soft eeal Is substituted,
and hot due to supposedly lower
heating power of the soft coal,
Two types of soft coal are used In
heating boilersl the free-burning"
coal--whleh breaks apart when
burning, allowing the gases to burn
freely and "eaking" soft coal
which fuses into solid burning mass
forming b hard crust ON top, slowly
caklng as it burns, The "caking"
coal Is most valuable for house heat
Ing boilers, because the gases are
more thoroughly consumed. "Cak-
ing" coal Is worth about 20 per cent,
more by average than "free-burn-
Ing" coal,
Gases should pass Oft from the
coal slowly, The air inlet or slide In
feed door should be open so as to
supply sufficient air over the fire to
properly mix with the coal gases and
burn them, II possible, use inform
size of coal, Avoid using coal having
too much dust-''run-of= f=the- mine"
may cost less, but Its heat making
value Is also low,
In feeding 'free-burning" coal on
an old fire, rake the caked fuel or
live fire to the back of flrepot. Then
fill in the front part of the flrepot
with fresh coal, "Caking" soft coal
should be broken UP by poker be-
fore more Is added, Then fill the fire
pot full-leaving some of the live
Goals uncovered, IL possible, This eX-
posed fire should be at the rear, 30
that the fresh coal gases will pass
over the live Goals and burn-thus
extracting n larger amount Of the
heat value of soft coal and with less
smoke.
When feeding coal to the boiler,
open Choke e-Damper" Gnslde smoke
hood or smokeplpe) close ''Check-
boiler, in rear of square boiler). This
makes draft through feed doorway
and prevents escape of dust or gas
into cellar when feed door is open.
The boiler surface and flues should
be cleaned daily with a wire brush.
This Is very important, as soft coal
causes very heavy SCOT deposit in
the flues, and If this Is not removed
frequently it may greatly affect the
performance of the boiler and re-
quires much more fuel than If the
surfaces are kept clean.
If, by, burning poor coal, the CRATE
gets covered with slate and clinkers
massed together, the quickest way to
get an active fire is to dump the CRATE
and build an entirely new fire. A
fire should not be cleaned from the
top, or clinkers should not be re-
moved through the feed door. All
cleaning of the fire should be done
through the "Clinker Door," or by
shaking or dumping the CRATE. Ashes
| should not be permitted to bank up
under the CRATE in the ash pit, as it
| is possible to warp or break them
through this carelessness. The best
rule is to remove the ashes daily.
If the foregoing suggestions are
carried out 1 am confident that the
substitution of bituminous coal for
anthracite, will, in a great majority
of cases, meet with entire satisfac-
ton, and as its use becomes more
general in this vicinity, will, no doubt
greatly relieve the present distress
due to the meager supply of hard coal
available just now.
/, Very truly yours,
c.. G. FRANTZ.