Evening star., 1939-08-04
Bureau Of Standards
Builds House 10 Test
Heating Equipment
Efficiency Of Various
Types to Be Found Under
Actual Conditions

A frame bungalow. which from
the outside looks like any average
small home, is being erected at the
Bureau of Standards to serve as a
laboratory for testing all kinds of
heating equipment, especially of the
type for use in small dwellings.
The tests will be designed to de-
termine, the efficiency Of various
heating apparatus under conditions
which would exist within a home.
An accurate record of the heat out
put of the fuel used will be kept in
British thermal units, each of which
represents the amount of energy re-
quired to raise the temperature of
l pound OF water one degree F.
DR.. H. G. Dickinson, chief of the
bureaus division of heat and power,
who will have charge of the tests,
said that thorough study will be
made and record kept of the flow
of air within the dwelling labora-
tory. The temperature record will
be kept with a regular recorder
which charts continuous record.
A feature of the bungalow, which
is "a feet 10 inches by 26 feet 6
inches, will be floating ceiling,
which can be raised on screw Jacks
to a height of feet and lowered to
feet. With it, Dr.. Dickinson ex-
planned, tests will be made to deter
mine the effect of ceiling height in
heating
Housing Units Cooperating.
The experiment is being conducted
in cooperation with the various
Federal housing agencies and is to
provide them with scientific knowl-
edge on heating apparatus for build
ings DR.. H. L. Dryden, chief of the
bureaus division of mechanics and
sound, is co-ordinator for the hous-
ing experimental program.
The bungalow built along Reno
road near Van Ness street, is neatly
covered with weather boarding. Its
roof is covered with asphalt shingles
Although the interior is arranged
for four larger rooms and several
smaller ones, such as bathroom and
kitchen, it will not be finished in the
style OF a regular dwelling. because
the inside will be a laboratory.
The walls will be covered with
gypsum wall boards. The ceiling
will be plywood to make it light and
easy to move on the jack screws.
Because of the room partitions, the
floating ceiling" will be divided
into four parts.
Above the ceiling there will be a
space of approximately 6 feet,
when the ceiling is at its maximum
height, to the highest point of the
roof which slopes from the center to
the back and front.
Three Chimney Flues.
Another feature is large brick
chimney which is arranged so tests
can be made with flues of three
different sizes. There is a fireplace
Of generous size, such as found in
the old style country homes. 1t also
can be made into various smaller
sizes. by the use of additional
VI lSho. LII ~ WILL UC uSSO llldIly
types of fireplace heating equip
ment.
The different sized fues, in turn,
will be utilized to determine the
amount of heat lost in chimneys.
The time required to make q
test of each kind of heating ap-
paratus is expected to be about
week or 10 days. DR.. Dickinson
said. The effect of outside tempera-
lures and the sun on the heating of
the structure also will be studied
he said.
The bungalow has eight windows
80 inches wide and 54 inches high
and two 20 by SO inches. Arrange
ments are to be made for various
air vents. which the scientists may
need in carrying out the tests, Vim
cent B. Phelan, chief of the build
ing practice and specification Sec
ton at the bureau, said.
Working in cooperation with the
bureau, scientists will be members
Of the Subcommittee on Technical
Research of the Central Housing
Committee. The latter Is composed
of the administrators and directors
Of the various Federal groups in
terested in the experiments.