The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-09-24
HOME HEATING PLANT.
Method of Saving Coal and Providing
Healthful Conditions.

The average house owner burns too
much coal, principally because he does
not know how to regulate his heater,
say engineers of the United States de-
partment of agriculture in Farmers
Bulletin 1894, Operating Home
Heating Plant" published by the de-
partment. Many rural homes are now
provided with furnaces, and the pub
LEGATION was prepared as a guide to
their efficient operation, particularly
in getting the most heat out of the
fuel used and in making the home as
healthful as possible,
Fhe satisfactory and efficient heat
ing of homes, according to the buile-
tin requires: That the chimney tlue
be of proper size and in the proper
place; that the proper heating equip
ment be installed correctly; that the
plant be understood thoroughly and
operated so that il gives the most heat
from the fuel consumed; that the
house be constructed so that the heat
is held in; that the air be kept moist;
and that enough fresh air be admitted
either continuously or from time to
time to avoid the discomfort or un
healthful conditions due TO accumula
ton of carbonic acid gas. In selecting
fuel, the bulletin suggests that diff
ferent kinds and sizes of coal should
be tried out.
The best and highest priced heater
improperly installed may give less sat
isfaction than the poorest and cheap
est put in correctly, says the bulletin.
For this reason a man known to I'M
derstand his business should install
the plant. In selecting the furnace,
consult owners of homes who have had
experience in operating furnaces of diff
ferent types.
Practically all heating plants have
four hampers. A draft damper in the
door of the ash pit is opened to ad-
init air through the fire, which causes
it to burn rapidly. A check damper
located in the smoke pipe is opened to
admit cold air into the fue, thus In
terfering with the draft and retarding
the burning of fuel in the heater. The
damper located in the feed door is
used for the same purpose. Through
it cold air is admitted directly over
the fire, and if opened wide, it acts
as a check. When regulated properly
it admits just sufficient air to supple
ment that admitted through the draft
damper and causes more perfect com
bustion Of the fuel. The smoke pipe
damper is located between the fur
mace and the check draft, and can be
used to control the draft above the
fuel in windy weather or at night.
Ashes should not be permitted to ac-
cumulate in the ash pit, as this retards
the draft and the heat causes the
CRATE bars to become warped and bent.
As a rule it is not necessary to shake
down the ashes more than once or
twice a day, except in very cold
weather, and shaking should be
stopped as soon as live sparks begin
to fall into the ash pit.
In mild weather coal can be saved
by permitting an accumulation of
ashes in the CRATE.
Ii is economy TO seal the cracks
about doors and windows with wealth
er strips, and where the weather is
unusually cold, storm sash is recon-
mended. With a wind velocity of IL
miles an hour, a crack of 2-32 of an
inch. which is much less than the aver
age for doors and windows. permits
the passage of about l-l2 cubic feet
of air minute for every linear foot.
An ordinary double sash window t36
inches wide and - inches high would
thus admit 30 cubic feet OF air a min
lite. In a room 10 feet wide by 20
feet long, having two windows of this
kind, there would be required approx
imately 50 per cent more heat units
10 heat it properly than if the en-
trance Of the air was controlled and
complete change allowed once every
hour.
In addition to maintaining q prop !
CT temperature, the moisture present 1
in the air il a great factor in heating 1
homes The water pan in the furnace /
should always BE- kept filed, and 9th
er means provided for the evaporation /
Of water in the living room. Not only |
are rooms in which the air has a high /
of moisture more cconom- /
Icslly heated. but living conditions are
more healthful
Copies Of the bulletin nav b. had 4
upon request Of the United states de-
pzrtmeni of agriculture al Washing
lon, ID. {.