The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1922-11-16

on neallnR problems. IN the IOllOWlHS
he takes up the question of e%lectri-
city as an agent for heating the home.
So far its use has been almost expert
mental, certainly not universal al
though the general public is apt to
carry a vague dea that electric heat
ers can heat a home as successfully
as steam. Why it cannot is explained
herewith.
Just at this time the American peo-
pie are thinking of the coal shortage
and of the possible lack of heat dur
ing the coming cold months. Yet the
coal situation and the question of
heat are not necessarily the same.
All experts have urged the use of
substitutes for anthracite as far as
may be possible in order to conserve
the limited supply. The public mind
has naturally turned to bituminous
coal or to the possible use of oil, wood
or gas. That is because we are ac-
customed to think of heat in terms
of combustion exclusively; whereas,
we actually get two kinds of heat
convicted and radiant. The former
is the kind of heat we get from steam
or hot water radiator. The latter is
the heat we get from the sur
The steam or hot water radiator
warns the surrounding air which
rises, drawing cooler air into its place,
and thus gradually lifts the entire
surrounding temperature. In the case
Of the suns rays, whatever they fall
upon is instantly warmed, even
though the surrounding temperature
"in the shade" may remain lower and
be gradually affected only as the
earth, Upon which the suns rays have
fallen, produces convicted heat.
Something very similar to this radi-
ated heat from the sun we now obtain
through electricity and is available
for the household in the present fuel
famine. In large units, however, cleo
tricity Is not available for the house
holder since its use in that way calls
for heavy currents and special wires
for it's supply. The only practical
value of electricity to the average
consumer il his home is in that form
which may be utilized from an ordi-
nary lamp socket, and this takes the
form of the ~well-named sun-bow
type of heater.
As to the B. T. U.
The phenomena of heat is change
of temperature, and the higher tenn
perature is always the source Of heat
as it is fundamental that heat will
travel from a hot to a cold body. Tenn
perature alone will not always suf-
flee as a source of heat. There must
be quality as well. A burning match
will develop a very high temperature,
but it will not heat a room as the
quantity Of heat is lacking. Quantity
is measured in heat units, and in
technical language the measure Of
heat is the British Thermal Unit, or
B. T. U.
Coal is desirable as a fuel because
it develops a great number Of the
B. T. U. in a small mass or weight.
Oil, wood and various other fuels de-
velop B.T.U.'s in quantities as they
burn, and their relative value as fuel
is in the same relation as their B. T.
us per pound. Electricity is not
measured by the pound but by the
kilowatt hour, and every such kilo-
watt hour contains 3412 B. T. U.
The development Of heat from cleo
tricity necessarily through the
lamp socket into the home, these hav-
ing been designed for lamps and not
for heaters. The metal parts within
are not substantial enough to carry an
amount of electricity sufficient to
heat a room. The wires are also in
adequate for this purpose and it be-
comes necessary, therefore, to limit
the amount Of heat that can be OBJ
tanned through a lamp socket. Con
sequently it has been determined that
from 800 to $50 watts Is the maximum
for home electric heaters, which
means that they will dissipate into
the room from 2047 to 1852 B. 7. U.
for every hour they are to run.
To Avoid Waste
1t is as hopeless TO expect to heat
a room of any size with this number
! Of B. T. U. as it is to do it with a