Evening star., 1934-12-15
Air Conditioning
System Is Simple and In.
expensive for Home
Owners.
BY LAWRENCE TUCKER.

"Ar conditioning is certainty .
wonderful thing, but ! don't see low
It Is possible :or me to install 1t In my
complicated for me to operate"
Home owners have been making just
such statements since the advent Of
air conditioning for comfort . few
years ago, but only . few realize that
the time has come when they can in
stall this type of equipment very mex
pensively and operate 1t - easily ~
any automatically controlled heating
system.
There are literally. hundreds Of do
mestic air conditioners on the market
at the present time that can be in
stalled for only q fraction more than
an ordinary heating system, and this
column will endeavor to present In q
brief manner q general idea as to the
equipment available.
Last Saturday the direct-nred ma.
chimes were described. These devices,
as the name indicates, are furnished
with oil, gas or coal burning equip
ment and supply heat directly to the
circulated air by means of . heat
transfer shell or housing. This shell
is heated to q proper temperature by
the combustion Of the fuel inside, the
air Is circulated over it, heated. then
forced up into the house by the elec-
trically driven blower.
Coil Is Used.
The indirect-fired conditioners are
exactly the same in principle so far as
the heating, humidifying. hltering and
circulation of the air is concerned, but
differ in that the heat from the burn
ing fuel is not directly applied to the
air stream. Instead, the fuel is
burned in boiler, connected to the air
conditioner by means Of suitable
piping. The steam or hot water that
is generated is circulated through .
heat transfer coil Of the extended sur
face typ In the conditioner. This coil
Is of the same design as q concealed
radiator element and Is Of such capac-
ity that it is really a gathering to-
gether Of all the radiators In the house
into one central unit.
In other words, instead of placing
radiators In individual rooms and con-
Meeting them to q boiler with piping,
the same amount OF radiation Is CEN
trally located, connected to the boiler
with short lengths Of pipe, and the
heated air is forced through the house.
1t is obvious that the supply Of heat
can be obtained very quickly with q
compact unit of this sort. as we'll as
simplifying the controlling mechan-
ism to a great extent.
The conditioning machines Of
this type are very simple in design and
occupy only q small amount of space
in addition to that taken up by the
boiler. The heating element, the mo-
tor-driven blower, the humidifying de-
vice and the filter are all housed In an
attractive sheet steel casing, with only
the piping and electrical connections
showing. making 1t possible to place
the machinery in a decorated game
room without marring the finished
effect.
The electric control mechanism Is
essentially the same for both the direct
and indirect fired air conditioners. A
thermostat to control temperature is
placed on the first floor in a central
location, and is usually directly con-
nected to the oil or gas burner, or to
the hampers, stoker or blower on a
coal-f1red installation. On q direct
fired machine when heat Is required,
the thermostat turns on the burner,
heat Is generated in the casing, and
when the proper temperature is
reached heat-controlled switch called
furnacestat turns on the motor
driven blower. This forces heated air
up into the house, which in turn sat
isfles the thermostat. turning OF the
fuel burner. The furnacestat, how
ever, will allow the blower to run until
the heat Is exhausted from the air
conditioner. 1t then shuts on the
blower when the temperature drops
below certain point, allowing the sys-
TEN to lie idle until the thermostat
calls for heat again and the cycle Is
repeated
In the indirect system when the
thermostat calls for heat the fuel
burner heats the water to q prede-
termined temperature or raises steam
to certain pressure, then an aqua